Exhibit 1.1

 

READY CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

(A Maryland corporation)

 

4,000,000 Shares of 6.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. 787 Seventh Avenue, 4th Floor New York, New York 10019   Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036   Piper Sandler & Co. 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor New York, New York 10020   As Representatives of the several Underwriters

June 3, 2021

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Ready Capital Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), Sutherland Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), and Waterfall Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Manager”), each confirms its agreement with each of the Underwriters listed on Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Piper Sandler & Co. are acting as Representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), for the Company to issue and sell to the several Underwriters 4,000,000 shares (the “Firm Securities”) of its 6.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series E Preferred Stock”), and to issue and sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than 600,000 additional shares of Series E Preferred Stock (the “Optional Securities”) as set forth below. The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities.” Pursuant to the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership, dated as of March 5, 2019 (the “OP Agreement”), upon receipt of the net proceeds of (a) the sale of the Firm Securities at the Closing Time (as defined below) and (b) the sale of any and all Optional Securities on each Option Closing Time (as defined below), the Company will contribute such net proceeds to the Operating Partnership in exchange for a number of designated series E units of partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (the “OP Units”) that is equivalent to the number of Firm Securities and Optional Securities sold to the Underwriters (the “Company OP Units”).

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-240086), including a related base prospectus, for the registration of the Offered Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Securities Act”). The registration statement has been declared effective under the Securities Act by the Commission. The “Registration Statement,” as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto to such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 430B Information”); provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the Initial Sale Time (as defined herein) for the Offered Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement with respect to the Offered Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B of the Securities Act, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and the Rule 430B Information. Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act is hereinafter called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.

 

 

The base prospectus in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement is herein called the “Base Prospectus.” Each preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented) that describes the Offered Securities and the offering thereof, that omitted the Rule 430B Information and that was used prior to the filing of the final prospectus supplement referred to in the following sentence is herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus relating to the Offered Securities and the offering thereof (including the Final Term Sheet, as defined herein) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B and Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act. Such final prospectus supplement (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented) in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) is herein called the “Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act as of the date of such prospectus.

 

For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System or any successor system thereto (“EDGAR”). All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “described,” “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the subsequent filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Exchange Act”), and which is deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed by the Securities Act to be a part thereof.

 

The term “Disclosure Package” means (i) the Preliminary Prospectus, as most recently amended or supplemented immediately prior to the Initial Sale Time, (ii) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (as defined below), if any, identified in Schedule II hereto, (iii) any other Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree to treat as part of the Disclosure Package and (iv) the information set forth on Exhibit A (the “Final Term Sheet”).

 

The term “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act. The term “Free Writing Prospectus” means any free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

The Company and the Operating Partnership have entered into that certain Amended and Restated Management Agreement, dated as of May 9, 2016, as amended by the First Amendment to the Management Agreement, dated as of December 6, 2020 (as so amended, the “Management Agreement”), with the Manager, pursuant to which the Manager acts as the manager and adviser of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their respective subsidiaries.

 

1. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Operating Partnership. The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to, and agree with, the Underwriters as set forth below in this Section 1:

 

(a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act; each of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission; and the Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with any request on the part of the Commission for additional information.

 

 

(b) The Preliminary Prospectus when filed and the Registration Statement as of each effective date (including each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B or otherwise under the Securities Act) and as of the date hereof, complied or will comply, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus will, when they become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, comply, in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

(c) The Registration Statement, as of each effective date (including each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B or otherwise under the Securities Act) and as of the date hereof and at the Closing Time or any Option Closing Time, each as defined herein, did not, and does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Preliminary Prospectus does not, and the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto will not, as of the applicable filing date, the date hereof and at the Closing Time and on each Option Closing Time (if any), contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no warranty or representation with respect to any statement contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with the information concerning the Underwriters and furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Underwriters by the Representatives to the Company expressly for use therein (that information being limited to that described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of Section 7(b) hereof); the documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such documents incorporated by reference were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(d) As of 3:45 p.m. (Eastern time) on June 3, 2021 (the “Initial Sale Time”), the Disclosure Package did not, and at the time of each sale of Offered Securities and at the Closing Time and each Option Closing Time, the Disclosure Package will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; as of the issue date or date of first use and at all subsequent times through the Initial Sale Time, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus did not, and at the time of each sale of Offered Securities and at the Closing Time and each Option Closing Time, each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no warranty or representation with respect to any statement contained in or omitted from the Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity with the information concerning the Underwriters and furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Underwriters by the Representatives to the Company expressly for use therein (that information being limited to that described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of Section 7(b) hereof).

 

(e) In connection with this offering, the Company has not offered and will not offer the Offered Securities in a manner in violation of the Securities Act; and the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities except for the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Registration Statement or for communications satisfying the requirements of Rule 134 under the Securities Act.

 

 

(f) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including the Final Term Sheet), if any, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

 

(g) The Company is eligible to use Free Writing Prospectuses in connection with this offering pursuant to Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act; any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act; and each Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act.

 

(h) Except for the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses identified in Schedule II hereto, the information set forth on Exhibit A and any electronic road show relating to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities contemplated herein, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the prior consent of the Representatives, prepare, use or refer to, any Free Writing Prospectus.

 

(i) The Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (to the extent any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus was required to be filed with the Commission) delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the public offering of the Offered Securities contemplated herein have been and will be identical to the versions of such documents transmitted to the Commission for filing via EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T of the Securities Act.

 

(j) The Company filed the Registration Statement with the Commission before using any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

 

(k) The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus.

 

(l) There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities, including securities which are convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities, registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company or the Operating Partnership under the Securities Act, all of which registration or similar rights are fairly summarized in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package.

 

(m) The capitalization of the Company as of March 31, 2021 is as set forth under the heading “Capitalization” in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans or the exercise of convertible or exchangeable securities or options, in each case referred to in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”) and were not issued in violation of any preemptive, right of first refusal, or similar right. Attached as Schedule III is a true and complete list of each entity (other than a securitization entity) in which the Company has a direct or indirect majority equity or voting interest that is consolidated with the Company for financial reporting purposes under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (each, a “Subsidiary” and, together, “Subsidiaries”). All of the issued and outstanding equity interests of each Subsidiary that is a significant subsidiary within the meaning of Regulation S-X (each, a “Significant Subsidiary” and, together, the “Significant Subsidiaries”) have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and, if any of its securities are listed on the NYSE, the requirements of the NYSE, were not issued in violation of any preemptive, right of first refusal, or similar right and, except as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or otherwise specified in Schedule III, are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company free and clear of all liens. There are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights to acquire or purchase, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any equity interests of the Company or any Subsidiary, except as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or held by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

 

(n) Each of the Company and each Significant Subsidiary has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, and has all power and authority necessary to own or hold its property and to conduct its business, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”) or on the performance by the Company or the Operating Partnership of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(o) The Offered Securities or the shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) initially issuable upon conversion of the Offered Securities (the “Conversion Securities”) conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package; and the statements in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the headings “Additional U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” fairly summarize in all material respects the legal matters therein described.

 

(p) The execution and delivery of, and the performance by each of the Company and the Operating Partnership of its obligations under (including the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities and the use of proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities as described in Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds” and any issuance of the Conversion Securities), this Agreement have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and the Operating Partnership, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Operating Partnership and, assuming due authorization, execution, delivery, validity, legally binding effect and enforceability hereof by you and thereof by the counterparties thereto, this Agreement constitutes the valid and legally binding agreements of the Company and the Operating Partnership, enforceable against the Company and the Operating Partnership in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder and thereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of public policy and subject to the qualification that the enforceability of the Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s obligations hereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles, regardless whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law. The Articles Supplementary to the Company’s charter setting forth the terms of the Series E Preferred Stock (the “Articles Supplementary”) will be, prior to the Closing Date, duly authorized, executed and filed by the Company with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland (the “SDAT”).

 

(q) The Offered Securities to be sold by the Company under this Agreement have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; and, to the knowledge of the Company, the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities to be sold by the Company under this Agreement are not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other person. The Conversion Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued upon conversion of the Offered Securities in accordance with the terms of the Articles Supplementary, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and will be issued in compliance with all applicable foreign, state and federal securities and “blue sky” laws; and will not be issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other person. The board of directors of the Company has duly and validly reserved such Conversion Securities for issuance upon conversion of the Offered Securities.

 

 

(r) The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that the Offered Securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance; the Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon and at all times after the NYSE approves the Offered Securities for listing, the Company is and will be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the NYSE’s listing standards that are then in effect. The Company has filed or, prior to the listing of the Offered Securities on the NYSE, will file with the Commission a Form 8-A providing for the registration under the Exchange Act of the Offered Securities.

 

(s) The Management Agreement pursuant to which the Manager acts as the manager and adviser of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their respective Subsidiaries, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their respective Subsidiaries, as applicable, and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of each of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their respective Subsidiaries enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights or by general equitable principles; and the OP Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Operating Partnership and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Operating Partnership enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights or by general equitable principles.

 

(t) Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries, or any of their respective directors, officers, representatives or affiliates has taken, nor will take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities in a violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

 

(u) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective affiliates (i) is required to register as a “broker” or “dealer” in accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Act, or (ii) directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or has any other association with any member firm of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

(v) No approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency is required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of the this Agreement by the Company or the Operating Partnership, as applicable, their consummation of the transactions contemplated herein or thereunder (including the Company’s sale and delivery of the Offered Securities and the Conversion Securities), other than (A) such as have been obtained, or will have been obtained at the Closing Time or the relevant Option Closing Time, as the case may be, under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (B) such approvals as have been obtained in connection with the approval of the listing of the Offered Securities on the NYSE, (C) such approvals as have been obtained under the rules and regulations of FINRA, (D) any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Offered Securities are being offered by the Underwriters, and (E) the acceptance of record of the Articles Supplementary by the SDAT upon the filing thereof.

 

(w) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement): (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the business, management, financial position, results of operations, or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (considered as one enterprise) has incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business.

 

 

(x) Neither the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities, the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company or the Operating Partnership, nor the consummation by the Company or the Operating Partnership of the transactions herein or therein contemplated, including the compliance by the Company with the provisions of the Articles Supplementary (i) conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of the charter, bylaws or other organizational documents of the Company or the Operating Partnership, (ii) conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of or a default under, any material agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, except for such conflicts that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) violates or will violate any material statute, law, regulation or filing or judgment, injunction, order or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their properties or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject, except for such violations that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(y) The financial statements, together with related schedules and notes, included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein); the other financial information and data included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are accurately derived from such financial statements and the books and records of the Company; and the pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein) and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions or events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, the pro forma columns therein reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the corresponding historical financial statement amounts and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(z) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or to which any property of the Company or any Subsidiary is the subject that, if determined adversely to the Company or any Subsidiary, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are, to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, threatened in writing by any governmental or regulatory authority or by others.

 

(aa) The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2011, and has maintained such election through the date hereof. All statements regarding the Company’s qualification and taxation as a REIT and descriptions of the Company’s organization and operations set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are true, complete and correct in all material respects.

 

(bb) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is (i) in violation of its charter, bylaws or other organizational document, (ii) in breach or default in the performance of the terms of any material indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject, except for such breaches or defaults that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) in violation of any material law, ordinance, administrative or governmental rule or regulation applicable to any of their or of any decree of the Commission, any state securities commission, any national securities exchange, any arbitrator, any court or any other governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory or administrative agency or any official having jurisdiction over the Company or its Subsidiaries, except for such violations, breaches or defaults that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(cc) Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.

 

(dd) The Company and each Subsidiary have good and marketable title in fee simple (in the case of real property) to, or have valid and marketable rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property and assets that are material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ee) There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under federal law or the laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance or sale of the Offered Securities.

 

(ff) The Company and each Subsidiary have filed all necessary U.S. federal, state, local and foreign taxes and tax returns which have been required to be filed, except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes required to be paid by them, whether or not shown as due on such returns, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided or with respect to which the failure to pay such taxes would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no material tax deficiency that has been asserted against the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties or assets, and there is no tax audit of Company of any Subsidiary that is pending or threatened in writing and is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(gg) The Company and each Subsidiary have insurance covering their properties, operations, personnel and business, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are adequate to protect the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole; and neither the Company and nor any Subsidiary 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 at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business, except where any such matter would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(hh) The Company and each Subsidiary possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of its properties or the conduct of its businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess such authorizations or make such declarations and filings would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where such revocation, modification or non-renewal would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ii) The Company and each Subsidiary (a) are, and at all prior times were, in compliance in all material respects with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and the common law relating to pollution or the protection of the environment, natural resources or human health or safety, including those relating to the generation, storage, treatment, use, handling, transportation, Release (as defined below) or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials (as defined below) (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (b) have received and are in compliance in all material respects with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, (c) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, (d) are not conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation or other corrective action pursuant to any Environmental Law at any location, and (e) are not a party to any order, decree or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Environmental Law, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company and its Subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such matter, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(jj) There has been no storage, generation, transportation, use, handling, treatment, Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials by, relating to or caused by the Company or any Subsidiary (or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any other entity (including any predecessor) for whose acts or omissions the Company or any Subsidiary is liable) at, on, under or from any property or facility now or previously owned, operated or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary, or at, on, under or from any other property or facility, in violation of any Environmental Laws or in a manner or amount or to a location that could reasonably be expected to result in any liability under any Environmental Law, except for any violation or liability which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. “Hazardous Materials” means any material, chemical, substance, waste, pollutant, contaminant, compound, mixture, or constituent thereof, in any form or amount, including petroleum (including crude oil or any fraction thereof) and petroleum products, natural gas liquids, asbestos and asbestos containing materials, naturally occurring radioactive materials, brine, and drilling mud, regulated or which can give rise to liability under any Environmental Law. “Release” means any spilling, leaking, seepage, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, disposing, depositing, dispersing, or migrating in, into or through the environment, or in, into, from or through any building or structure.

 

(kk) The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to, 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 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. Based on the Company’s most recent evaluation of its internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Rule 13a-15(c) under the Exchange Act, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses therein. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(ll) The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and the Subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act.

 

 

(mm) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof received by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will be required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”), as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(nn) The Company and each Subsidiary own or possess adequate rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of business of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted, and the conduct of such business will not conflict with any such rights of others, except where the failure to own or possess such rights or any such conflict would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation or conflict with any such rights of others in connection with its patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights and know-how, except for any claim that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(oo) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of the Underwriters, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(pp) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) to the knowledge of the Company, there has been no security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective borrowers, customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”), (b) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data and (c) the Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards to maintain and protect, in all material respects, the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable regulatory standards, except with respect to clauses (a) and (b), for any such security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromises, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or with respect to clause (c), where the failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws and statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.

 

(qq) The Company intends to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities hereunder as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(rr) Solely to the extent that Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and thereunder (collectively, the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) have been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

 

(ss) The operations of the Company and each of 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 each of 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 best knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, threatened.

 

(tt) (i) None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any director, officer, or employee thereof, or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, any 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 one or more Persons that are:

 

(A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of the 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, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).

 

(ii) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:

 

(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or

 

(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering of the Offered Securities, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

 

(iii) The Company and each of 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.

 

(uu) None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any director, officer or employee thereof, or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by any such person of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value, to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and each Subsidiary, and, to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, affiliates of the Company and the Subsidiaries have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

 

 

(vv) (ww) (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) maintained or contributed to by the Company or any Subsidiary or for which the Company or any Subsidiary or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations or group of trades or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) that includes the Company or any Subsidiary) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Code, except for noncompliance that could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan (excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption) that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, as applicable, has been satisfied (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) and is reasonably expected to be satisfied in the future (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) except as could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (iv) the fair market value of the assets of each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan) except as could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (v) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA that either has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in material liability to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (vi) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”), in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (vii) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the PBGC or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, any other Plan, that could reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole. A material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company and its Subsidiaries in the current fiscal year of the Company compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company’s most recently completed fiscal year has not occurred or is not reasonably likely to occur.

 

(ww) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Subsidiary or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities.

 

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or the Operating Partnership and delivered to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or the Operating Partnership, as applicable, as to matters covered therein to the Underwriters.

 

2. Representations and Warranties of the Manager. The Manager represents and warrants to the Underwriters as follows:

 

(a) The Manager has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, and has all power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the business in which it is engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect (a “Manager Material Adverse Effect”) on the performance by the Manager of its obligations under the Management Agreement.

 

 

(b) The Manager has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement has been duly and validly taken.

 

(c) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Manager.

 

(d) The execution, delivery and performance by the Manager of this Agreement or the performance by the Manager of the Management Agreement will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Manager pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Manager is a party or by which the Manager is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Manager is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Manager or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, creation or imposition that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Manager Material Adverse Effect.

 

(e) No consent, approval, authorization, order, license, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Manager of this Agreement or the performance by the Manager of the Management Agreement.

 

(f) There are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Manager is or may be a party or to which any property of the Manager is or may be the subject that, if determined adversely to the Manager, could reasonably be expected to have a Manager Material Adverse Effect, and no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are, to the knowledge of the Manager, threatened in writing by any governmental or regulatory authority or others.

 

(g) The Manager or its subsidiaries possess all material licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all material declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess such authorizations or make such declarations and filings would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Manager Material Adverse Effect.

 

(h) The Manager has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Offered Securities to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities in violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

 

(i) Any financial or other data regarding the Manager that is included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is derived from the Manager’s accounting or other applicable records and is accurate in all material respects.

 

(j) The Management Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Manager and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Manager, enforceable against the Manager in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity and contribution thereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of public policy and except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights or by general equitable principles, regardless whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

 

 

(k) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), there has been no change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the business, management, financial position, results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Manager and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, that is material and adverse to the Company or that would prevent the Manager from carrying out its obligations under this Agreement or the Management Agreement.

 

3. Purchase and 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 Company agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $24.2125 per share, the respective number of shares of Firm Securities set forth opposite the names of the Underwriters in Schedule I hereto.

 

The Company will deliver the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company at the office of Alston & Bird LLP, at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on June 10, 2021, or at such other time not later than three full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “Closing Time.” For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the Closing Time (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 the offering.

 

In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at the purchase price per share to be paid for the Firm Securities. The Company agrees to sell to the 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 the Representatives 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 the Representatives to the Company.

 

Each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities, being herein referred to as an “Option Closing Time,” shall be determined by the Representatives but shall be not later than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is given. The Company will deliver the Optional Securities being purchased at each Option Closing Tate to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price therefor in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company at the above office of Alston & Bird LLP.

 

4. Agreements of the Company and the Operating Partnership. The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, agree with each Underwriter:

 

(a) The Company shall furnish such information as may be required and otherwise to cooperate in qualifying the Offered Securities and the Conversion Securities for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions (both domestic and foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect as long as requested by the Representatives for the distribution of the Offered Securities and the Conversion Securities, provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent to the service of process under the laws of any such jurisdiction (except service of process with respect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the Conversion Securities).

 

 

(b) If, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary for a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement to be declared effective before the offering of the Offered Securities may commence, the Company will endeavor to cause such post-effective amendment to become effective as soon as possible and will advise the Representatives promptly and, if requested by the Representatives, will confirm such advice in writing, when such post-effective amendment has become effective.

 

(c) The Company shall prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Underwriters and file such Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time), on June 10, 2021 or on such other day as the parties may mutually agree and to furnish promptly (and with respect to the initial delivery of such Prospectus, not later than 5:30 p.m. New York City time) on the day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or on such other day as the parties may mutually agree to the Underwriters copies of the Prospectus (or of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or supplements thereto after the effective date of the Registration Statement) in such quantities and at such locations as the Underwriters may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the Securities Act, which Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the version transmitted to the Commission for filing via EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T of the Securities Act.

 

(d) The Company shall prepare the Final Term Sheet containing a description of the Offered Securities and the offering contemplated hereby, in a form approved by the Underwriters and contained in Exhibit A of this Agreement, and will file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act as promptly as possible, but in any case not later than the time required by such rule.

 

(e) The Company shall advise the Representatives promptly and (if requested by the Representatives) to confirm such advice in writing, when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Securities Act.

 

(f) The Company shall furnish a copy of each proposed Free Writing Prospectus to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters and obtain the consent of the Representatives prior to referring to, using or filing with the Commission any Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, other than the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule II hereto.

 

(g) The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping, as applicable.

 

(h) The Company shall advise the Representatives immediately, confirming such advice in writing, of (i) the receipt of any comments from, or any request by, the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or for additional information with respect thereto, (ii) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes and, if the Commission or any other government agency or authority should issue any such order, to make every reasonable effort to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible, (iii) any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement, or (iv) if the Company becomes subject to a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the public offering of Offered Securities contemplated herein, and shall advise the Representatives promptly of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and, during the time when a Prospectus relating to the Offered Securities (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, to file no such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives shall reasonably object in writing.

 

(i) To the extent not available on EDGAR, the Company shall furnish to the Underwriters for a period of five years from the date of this Agreement (i) as soon as available, copies of all annual, quarterly and current reports or other communications supplied to holders of the Offered Securities, (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of all reports filed by the Company with the Commission, FINRA or any securities exchange and (iii) such other information as the Underwriters may reasonably request regarding the Company and the Subsidiaries.

 

 

(j) The Company shall advise the Underwriters promptly of the happening of any event or development known to the Company within the time during which a Prospectus relating to the Offered Securities (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required to be delivered under the Securities Act which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters, (i) would require the making of any change in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package so that the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package would not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (ii) as a result of which any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Offered Securities, or (iii) if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package to comply with any law and, during such time, to promptly prepare and furnish to the Underwriters copies of the proposed amendment or supplement before filing any such amendment or supplement with the Commission and thereafter promptly furnish at the Company’s own expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, copies in such quantities and at such locations as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an appropriate amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package so that the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is so delivered, be misleading or, in the case of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or so that the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package will comply with the law.

 

(k) The Company shall file promptly with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that may, in the judgment of the Company or the Representatives, be required by the Securities Act or requested by the Commission.

 

(l) The Company and the Operating Partnership agree to pay the costs and expenses relating to the following matters: (i) the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Registration Statement and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Offered Securities, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, any blue sky memorandum, dealer agreements and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities; (v) any expenses and fees for the cost of ratings agencies; (vi) any registration or qualification of the Offered Securities and the Conversion Securities for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters, which shall not exceed $5,000, relating to such registration and qualification and the preparation of the blue sky memorandum); (vii) any filings required to be made with FINRA (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters, which shall not exceed $5,000, relating to such filings); (viii) the transportation and other expenses of the Company’s officers in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Offered Securities; (ix) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company; (x) the costs and expenses of causing the Offered Securities to be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC; (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Offered Securities on the NYSE and (xii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.

 

 

(m) Prior to filing with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, during the time when a Prospectus relating to the Offered Securities (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, the Company shall furnish a copy thereof to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters and obtain the consent of the Representatives to the filing.

 

(n) During the period referred to in paragraph (j) above, the Company shall file all such documents in the manner and within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

 

(o) The Company shall apply the net proceeds of the sale of the Offered Securities in accordance with its statements under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package.

 

(p) The Company shall make generally available to its security holders and to deliver to the Representatives as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than the end of the fiscal quarter first occurring after the first anniversary of the effective date of the Registration Statement an earnings statement complying with the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act (in form, at the option of the Company, complying with the provisions of Rule 158 of the Securities Act) covering a period of 12 months beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement.

 

(q) The Company shall use its best efforts to effect the listing of the Offered Securities on the NYSE list within 30 days of the Closing Time.

 

(r) The Company shall use its best efforts to maintain the listing of the Offered Securities on the NYSE.

 

(s) The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of its incorporation or the rules of the NYSE, a registrar (which, if permitted by applicable laws and rules may be the same entity as the transfer agent) for the Series E Preferred Stock.

 

(t) During the period beginning on and including the date of this Agreement through and including the date that is the 60th day after the date of this Agreement, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, directly or indirectly:

 

(i) issue, offer, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, assign, pledge, hypothecate, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Series E Preferred Stock, preferred stock ranking on parity with or senior to the Series E Preferred Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Series E Preferred Stock or shares of preferred stock ranking on parity with or senior to the Series E Preferred Stock (“Related Securities”);

 

(ii) file or cause the filing of any registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any shares of Series E Preferred Stock, preferred stock ranking on parity with or senior to the Series E Preferred Stock or any Related Securities (other than any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement filed to register the Offered Securities to be sold to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement); or

 

(iii) enter into any swap, hedge, short sale, derivative, put or call or other agreement, arrangement, hedge or transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any shares of Series E Preferred Stock, preferred stock ranking on parity with or senior to the Series E Preferred Stock or any Related Securities,

 

 

whether any transaction described in clause (i) or (iii) above is to be settled by delivery of Series E Preferred Stock, preferred stock ranking on parity with or senior to the Series E Preferred Stock or Related Securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly announce any intention to do any of the foregoing.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph, the Company may, without the prior written consent of the Representative, issue the Offered Securities to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(u) The Company and the Manager agree not to, and to use their best efforts to cause their respective officers, directors and affiliates not to, (i) take, directly or indirectly prior to termination of the underwriting syndicate contemplated by this Agreement, any action designed to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which may cause or result in, or which might in the future 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 any of the Offered Securities in violation of Regulation M, (ii) sell, bid for, purchase or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Offered Securities or (iii) pay or agree to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting any order to purchase any other securities of the Company.

 

(v) The Company shall continue to use its best efforts to meet the requirements to qualify as a REIT under the Code for its taxable year ending December 31, 2021 and thereafter, unless the board of directors of the Company determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company to maintain the Company's qualification as a REIT under the Code.

 

(w) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities, will not be an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act.

 

(x) The Company will ensure that there are at all times a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock, to provide for the issuance, free of any preemptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock, of the maximum number of Conversion Securities issuable upon conversion of the Offered Securities in accordance with the Articles Supplementary.

 

(y) On or after the date of this Agreement and prior to the first date of purchase, the Company will use its best efforts to: (i) file the Articles Supplementary with the SDAT, which Articles Supplementary will comply with all applicable requirements of the MGCL and will be in full force and effect upon the acceptance of record thereof by the SDAT; (ii) list the Offered Securities for trading on the NYSE within the time period specified in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and (iii) cause the Series E Preferred Stock to be registered under the Exchange Act.

 

5. Conditions to the Obligation of the Underwriters. The obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Offered Securities at the Closing Time or on each Option Closing Time, as applicable, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager contained herein as of the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto (the “Execution Time”), the Initial Sale Time, the Closing Time and each Option Closing Time, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Operating Partnership of their obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions at the Closing Time or on each Option Closing Time, as applicable (except to the extent that any such conditions may have been waived in writing by the Underwriters on or prior to such respective dates):

 

(a) The Company shall have requested and caused each of Clifford Chance US LLP and Venable LLP, counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Underwriters at the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, their respective opinions, dated the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, and addressed to the Underwriters, in each case in the form and substance as set forth in Exhibit B hereto.

 

 

(b) The Company shall have requested and caused Clifford Chance US LLP, tax counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Underwriters at the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, its opinions on certain tax and Investment Company Act matters, dated the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, and addressed to the Underwriters, in the form and substance as set forth in Exhibit C hereto.

 

(c) The Underwriters shall have received at the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, the favorable opinion of Alston & Bird LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, and addressed to the Underwriters.

 

(d) The Company, on behalf of the Company and the Operating Partnership, and the Manager shall have each furnished to the Underwriters certificates, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company and the Manager, all dated the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, to the effect that the signers of such certificates have carefully examined the Disclosure Package, Prospectus, any supplements or amendments to the Registration Statement and this Agreement and that:

 

(i) The representations and warranties of the Company and the Operating Partnership or the Manager, as applicable, in this Agreement are true and correct with the same effect as if made at the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, and the Company and the Operating Partnership have complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on their part that are respectively required to be performed or satisfied by them at or prior to the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable;

 

(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened under the Securities Act;

 

(iii) They have examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of their dates and as of the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, did not and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not and do not omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and

 

(iv) Since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (with respect to the certificate of the Company and the Operating Partnership) and since the dates of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (with respect to the certificate of the Manager), 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 or its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except as set forth in the Disclosure Package or as described in such certificate, or in the ability of the Manager to perform its obligations under the Management Agreement.

 

(e) The Company shall have requested and caused Deloitte & Touche LLP to have furnished to the Underwriters, at the Execution Time, at the Closing Time and at each Option Closing Time, letters, dated respectively as of the Execution Time, the Closing Time and each Option Closing Time, in form and substance heretofore approved by the Representatives.

 

(f) No amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any document in the Disclosure Package shall have been filed to which the Underwriters shall have objected in writing.

 

 

(g) Prior to the Closing Time and each Option Closing Time: (i) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any document in the Disclosure Package shall have been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been initiated or threatened, by the Commission, and no suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, has occurred; (ii) all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives; (iii) the Registration Statement shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and (iv) the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(h) All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed by the Closing Time shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by such Rule.

 

(i) The Company shall have applied for listing of the Offered Securities on the NYSE.

 

(j) FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

(k) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package (exclusive of any supplement thereto), the Prospectus and the Registration Statement (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there shall not have been (i) any material adverse change specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 5 delivered at the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, from the letter delivered at the Execution Time or (ii) any material adverse change in the business, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or in the ability of the Manager to perform its obligations under the Management Agreement, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Offered Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

 

(l) Prior to the Closing Time and each Option Closing Time, the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further information, certificates and documents as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

(m) Subsequent to the Execution Time, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any debt securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

 

(n) The Offered Securities shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC and at the Closing Time and each Option Closing Time the Offered Securities shall be cleared and settled through DTC.

 

(o) The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters a certificate, signed by the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, in the form and substance as set forth in Exhibit D.

 

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided for in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Time and each Option Closing Time, as applicable, by the Representatives (unless any such conditions have been waived in writing by the Representatives on or prior to the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable). Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

 

 

6. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If the sale of the Offered Securities provided for herein is not consummated (i) because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 5 hereof is not satisfied, (ii) because of any termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8 hereof, or (iii) because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Manager to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof, the Company and the Operating Partnership, without duplication, will reimburse the Underwriters on demand for all out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by it in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Offered Securities.

 

7. Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a) The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Underwriter and any person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter from and against any loss, expense, liability, damage or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, any such indemnified party may incur arising under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, expense, liability, damage or claim arises out of or is based upon (A) any breach of any representation, warranty or covenant of the Company or the Operating Partnership contained herein, (B) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed or was required to file with the Commission or is otherwise required to retain, or the Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 7 being deemed to include any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented by the Company), (C) any application or other document, or any amendment or supplement thereto, executed by the Company or the Operating Partnership or based upon written information furnished by or on behalf of the Company filed in any jurisdiction (domestic or foreign) in order to qualify the Offered Securities under the securities or blue sky laws thereof or filed with the Commission or any securities association or securities exchange (each an “Application”), (D) an omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in any such Registration Statement, or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, (E) an omission or alleged omission from any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Prospectus or any Application of a material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (F) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any audio or visual materials used in connection with the marketing of the Offered Securities, including, without limitation, slides, videos, films and tape recordings; except, in each case of (B), (D) and (E) above only, insofar as any such loss, expense, liability, damage or claim arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of a material fact contained in and in conformity with the statements set forth in the third paragraph, the eighth paragraph and the ninth paragraph under the heading “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (to the extent such statements relate to the Underwriters). The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 7(a) shall be in addition to any liability which the Company or the Operating Partnership may otherwise have.

 

 

 

If any action is brought against an Underwriter or controlling person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company or the Operating Partnership pursuant to this subsection (a), such Underwriter shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such action, and the Company shall assume the defense of such action, including the employment of counsel and payment of expenses; provided, however, that any failure or delay to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company of any obligation hereunder, except to the extent that its ability to defend is actually impaired by such failure or delay. Such Underwriter or controlling person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such action, or the Company shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such action within a reasonable time or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded (based on the advice of counsel) that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties or the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties included by the Company and the indemnified person)) or representation by both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to a conflict or potential differing interests between such parties, in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Company shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys for the Underwriters or controlling persons in any one action or series of related actions in the same jurisdiction (other than local counsel in any such jurisdiction) representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action). Anything in this paragraph to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any such claim or action effected without its written consent.

 

(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, the Company’s directors, the Company’s officers that signed the Registration Statement, any person who controls the Company or the Operating Partnership within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the Operating Partnership from and against any loss, expense, liability, damage or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any such person may incur under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, expense, liability, damage or claim arises out of or is based upon (A) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed or was required to file with the Commission, or the Prospectus, or any Application, (B) an omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in any such Registration Statement, or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, or (C) an omission or alleged omission from any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Prospectus or any Application of a material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, but in each case only insofar as such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in such Registration Statement, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Prospectus or Application in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing by the Underwriters through the Representatives to the Company or the Operating Partnership expressly for use therein. The statements set forth in the third paragraph, the eighth paragraph and the ninth paragraph under the heading “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (to the extent such statements relate to the Underwriters) constitute the only information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives to the Company or the Operating Partnership for purposes of this Agreement.

 

If any action is brought against the Company, the Operating Partnership or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, the Company, the Operating Partnership or such person shall promptly notify the Representatives in writing of the institution of such action and the Representatives, on behalf of the Underwriters, shall assume the defense of such action, including the employment of counsel and payment of expenses. The Company, the Operating Partnership or such person shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Company, the Operating Partnership or such person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Representatives in connection with the defense of such action or the Representatives shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such action within a reasonable time or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded (based on the advice of counsel) that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to the Underwriters (in which case the Representatives shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), or representation by both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to a conflict or potential differing interests between such parties, in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by such Underwriter and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Underwriters shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys in any one action or series of related actions in the same jurisdiction (other than local counsel in any such jurisdiction) representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action). Anything in this paragraph to the contrary notwithstanding, no Underwriter shall be liable for any settlement of any such claim or action effected without the written consent of the Representatives.

 

 

(c) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 7 in respect of any losses, expenses, liabilities, damages or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, expenses, liabilities, damages or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters from the offering of the Offered Securities or (ii) if (but only 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 Operating Partnership and of the Underwriters in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, expenses, liabilities, damages or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Operating Partnership bear to the underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault of the Company and the Operating Partnership and of the Underwriters shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company, the Operating Partnership or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any claim or action.

 

(d) The Company, the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in subsection (c)(i) and, if applicable (ii), above.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Offered Securities purchased by such Underwriter pursuant to this Agreement. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments and not joint.

 

8. Termination.

 

(a) This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Underwriters, without liability on the part of the Underwriters to the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Manager, by written notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities, if at any time prior to such time (i) there has been, since the Execution Time, or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the business, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or in the ability of the Manager to perform its obligations under the Management Agreement, which would, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Offered Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), (ii) trading in securities generally on the NYSE shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange, (iii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by federal or New York State authorities, (iv) a material disruption has occurred in securities settlement or securities clearance in the United States or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Offered Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

 

 

(b) If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Offered Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the principal amount of Offered Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate principal amount of Offered Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Offered Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate principal amount of Offered Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Offered Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Offered Securities, and if such non-defaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Offered Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company or the Operating Partnership. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 8(b), the Closing Time or the Option Closing Time, as applicable, shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven business days, as the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company shall agree in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company, the Operating Partnership, the Manager or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

 

9. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities, contribution provisions and other statements of each of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement (including the provisions of Sections 6 and 7) will remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or any person controlling the Underwriters, the Company, the Operating Partnership, the Manager or their trustees, directors, managers, members, officers, employees or agents or any person controlling the Company or the Operating Partnership (control to be determined within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act), (ii) delivery and acceptance of any Offered Securities and payment therefor hereunder and (iii) any termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

 

10. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager hereby acknowledge and agree that (a) the purchase and sale of the Offered Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, and the Underwriters and any affiliate through which they may be acting, on the other, (b) the Underwriters are acting as principal and not as an agent or fiduciary of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Manager and (c) the Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager agree that each of them is solely responsible for making their own judgments in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities (irrespective of whether the Underwriters have advised or are currently advising the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Manager on related or other matters). Each of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty, to the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Manager, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

 

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

 

12. Notices. Except as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements shall be in writing or by telegram or facsimile and, if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., on behalf of the Underwriters, 787 Seventh Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Capital Markets, or by telephone at (800) 966-1559; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Investment Banking Division, or by telephone at (212) 761-6691; Piper Sandler & Co., 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6^th Floor, New York, New York 10020, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy (for informational purposes only) to Michael J. Kessler, Alston & Bird LLP, 90 Park Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10016; and if to the Company, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to the Company at the offices of the Company at 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 50th Floor, New York, New York 10020, Attention: General Counsel.

 

 

13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, trustees, directors, managers, members, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

 

14. Applicable Law; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York. The parties hereby waive any right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

15. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

 

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

 

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

 

(c) For purposes of this Section 15:

 

(i) “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).

 

(ii) “Covered Entity” means any of the following:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(iii) “Default Rights” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

 

(iv) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (1) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (2) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

 

 

17. Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company, the Operating Partnership, the Manager and the Underwriters.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

 

	Very truly yours,
	READY CAPITAL CORPORATION
	By:	/s/ Andrew Ahlborn
		Name: Andrew Ahlborn
		Title: Authorized Person
	SUTHERLAND PARTNERS, L.P.
	By:	/s/ Andrew Ahlborn
		Name: Andrew Ahlborn
		Title: Authorized Person
	WATERFALL ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
	By:	/s/ Thomas Capasse
		Name: Thomas Capasse
		Title: Managing Partner

  

[Signature Page to the Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

	Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written, on behalf of themselves and the Underwriters named herein:
	KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.
	By:	/s/ Jennifer Fuller
		Name: Jennifer Fuller
		Title: Managing Director
	MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC
	By:	/s/ Ian Drewe
		Name: Ian Drewe
		Title: Executive Director
	PIPER SANDLER & CO.
	By:	/s/ Robert Kleinert
		Name: Robert Kleinert
		Title: Managing Director

 

[Signature Page to the Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriters		Aggregate Number of Firm Securities to be Purchased
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.			1,200,000
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC			1,200,000
Piper Sandler & Co.			800,000
B. Riley Securities, Inc.			200,000
BTIG LLC			200,000
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.			200,000
Wedbush Securities Inc.			200,000
Total			4,000,000

 

Schedule I 

 

SCHEDULE II

 

OTHER ISSUER WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS

 

None.

 

Schedule II 

 

 

SCHEDULE III

 

SUBSIDIARIES

 

	1.	RC Merger Subsidiary, LLC
	2.	Anworth Properties Inc.
	3.	Anworth Mortgage Loans Inc.
	4.	Anworth Property Services, Inc..
	5.	Brannan Island, LLC
	6.	Broadway & Commerce, LLC
	7.	Cascade RE, LLC
	8.	Ebusiness Funding, LLC
	9.	GMFS LLC
	10.	Knight Capital, LLC
	11.	Knight Capital Funding I, LLC
	12.	Knight Capital Funding II, LLC
	13.	Knight Capital Funding III, LLC
	14.	Knight Capital Funding SPV LLC
	15.	Knight Capital Funding SPV III, LLC
	16.	Ocrio LLC
	17.	RC Knight Holdings, LLC
	18.	RC-Triad Grantor Trust 2021-1
	19.	RC-UDF Grantor Trust 2020-1
	20.	RCL Sub I, LLC
	21.	Ready Capital Kilfane I, LLC
	22.	Ready Capital Kilfane II, LLC
	23.	Ready Capital Mortgage Depositor, LLC
	24.	Ready Capital Mortgage Depositor II, LLC
	25.	Ready Capital Mortgage Depositor III, LLC
	26.	Ready Capital Mortgage Depositor IV, LLC
	27.	Ready Capital Mortgage Depositor V, LLC
	28.	Ready Capital Mortgage Depositor VI, LLC
	29.	Ready Capital Mortgage Financing 2018-FL2, LLC
	30.	Ready Capital Mortgage Financing 2019-FL3, LLC
	31.	Ready Capital Mortgage Financing 2020-FL4, LLC
	32.	Ready Capital Mortgage Financing 2021-FL5, LLC
	33.	Ready Capital Partners I, LLC
	34.	Ready Capital Subsidiary REIT I, LLC
	35.	Ready Capital TRS I, LLC
	36.	ReadyCap Commercial, LLC
	37.	ReadyCap Commercial Asset Depositor, LLC
	38.	ReadyCap Commercial Asset Depositor II, LLC
	39.	ReadyCap Commercial Mortgage Depositor, LLC
	40.	ReadyCap Holdings, LLC
	41.	ReadyCap Lending, LLC
	42.	ReadyCap Lending SBL Depositor, LLC
	43.	ReadyCap Lending Small Business Loan Trust 2019-2
	44.	ReadyCap Merger Sub, LLC
	45.	ReadyCap Mortgage Trust 2014-01
	46.	ReadyCap Mortgage Trust 2015-02
	47.	ReadyCap Mortgage Trust 2016-03
	48.	ReadyCap Mortgage Trust 2018-04
	49.	ReadyCap Mortgage Trust 2019-05
	50.	ReadyCap Mortgage Trust 2019-06
	51.	ReadyCap Warehouse Financing LLC
	52.	ReadyCap Warehouse Financing II LLC

 

Schedule III

 

	53.	SAMC Honeybee Holdings, LLC
	54.	SAMC Honeybee TRS, LLC
	55.	SAMC REO 2013-01, LLC
	56.	SAMC REO 2018-01, LLC
	57.	Silverthread Falls Holding, LLC
	58.	Skye Hawk RE, LLC
	59.	Skyeburst IC, LLC
	60.	Sutherland 2016-1 JPM Grantor Trust
	61.	Sutherland 2018-SBC7 REO I, LLC
	62.	Sutherland Asset I, LLC
	63.	Sutherland Asset I-CS, LLC
	64.	Sutherland Asset II, LLC
	65.	Sutherland Asset III, LLC
	66.	Sutherland Asset Management, LLC
	67.	Sutherland Commercial Mortgage Depositor, LLC
	68.	Sutherland Commercial Mortgage Depositor II, LLC
	69.	Sutherland Commercial Mortgage Depositor III, LLC
	70.	Sutherland Commercial Mortgage Trust 2017-SBC6
	71.	Sutherland Commercial Mortgage Trust 2018-SBC7
	72.	Sutherland Commercial Mortgage Trust 2019-SBC8
	73.	Sutherland Commercial Mortgage Trust 2020-SBC9
	74.	Sutherland Grantor Trust 2015-1
	75.	Sutherland Grantor Trust, Series I
	76.	Sutherland Grantor Trust, Series II
	77.	Sutherland Grantor Trust, Series III
	78.	Sutherland Grantor Trust, Series IV
	79.	Sutherland Grantor Trust, Series V
	80.	Sutherland Grantor Trust, Series VI
	81.	Sutherland Grantor Trust, Series VII
	82.	Sutherland Partners, LP
	83.	Sutherland Warehouse Trust
	84.	Sutherland Warehouse Trust II
	85.	Tahoe Stateline Venture LLC
	86.	Tiger Merchant Funding, LLC
	87.	Valcap I, LLC
	88.	Waterfall Commercial Depositor LLC
	89.	Waterfall Commercial Depositor II, LLC
	90.	Waterfall Victoria Mortgage Trust 2011-SBC2
	91.	ZALANTA RESORT at the VILLAGE, LLC
	92.	ZALANTA RESORT AT THE VILLAGE – PHASE II, LLC

 

Schedule III

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Final Term Sheet

 

See attached.

 

 

READY CAPITAL CORPORATION
6.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
PRICING TERM SHEET

 

Dated: June 3, 2021

 

This pricing term sheet supplements Ready Capital Corporation’s preliminary prospectus supplement, dated June 3, 2021 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), including the documents incorporated by reference therein, relating to the offering of the Series E Preferred Stock (as defined below), and supersedes the information in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement to the extent inconsistent with the information in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. In all other respects, this pricing term sheet is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. Terms used herein but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings as set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to the “Issuer,” “we,” “us” and “our” in this pricing term sheet mean Ready Capital Corporation and not its subsidiaries.

 

Issuer:		Ready Capital Corporation, a Maryland Corporation
Security:		6.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the “Series E Preferred Stock”)
Size:		4,000,000 shares
Underwriters’ Over-allotment Option:		600,000 shares
Trade Date:		June 3, 2021
Settlement Date:		June 10, 2021 (T+5)*
Maturity:		Perpetual (unless redeemed by the Issuer on or after June 10, 2026 or pursuant to its special optional redemption right, repurchased by the Issuer in the open market or converted by an investor in connection with a Change of Control)
Public Offering Price:		$25.00 per share; $100,000,000 total
Underwriting Discount and Commissions:		$0.7875 per share; $3,150,000 total ($3,622,500 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full)
Net Proceeds (before expenses):		$24.2125 per share; $96,850,000 total ($111,377,500 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full)
Dividend Rate:		6.50% per annum (or $1.625 per share per annum), accruing from, but not including, June 10, 2021
Dividend Payment Date:		On or about the last day of January, April, July and October of each year, commencing on July 31, 2021. The first dividend payment will cover the period from, but not including, June 10, 2021 to, but excluding, July 31, 2021.
Liquidation Preference:		$25.00 per share, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends
Optional Redemption:		On and after June 10, 2026, redeemable in whole or in part at a redemption price equal to $25.00 per share, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon (whether or not declared) to, but not including, the date of redemption (other than any dividend with a record date before the applicable redemption date and a payment date after the applicable redemption date, which will be paid on the applicable dividend payment date notwithstanding prior redemption of such shares). If the Issuer exercises its redemption right, by sending the required notice, with respect to some or all of the Series E Preferred Stock in connection with a Change of Control, holders of the Series E Preferred Stock will not be permitted to exercise the conversion rights described below in respect of any Series E Preferred Stock called for redemption, and any Series E Preferred Stock subsequently called for redemption that has been tendered for conversion will be redeemed on the applicable date of redemption instead of converted on the applicable Change of Control Conversion Date.

 

 

Special Optional Redemption:		In the event of a Change of Control, the Issuer will have the option to redeem the Series E Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, within 120 days after the first date on which such Change of Control has occurred for cash at a redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared) to, but not including, the redemption date. If the Issuer exercises its redemption right, by sending the required notice, with respect to some or all of the Series E Preferred Stock, the holders of Series E Preferred Stock will not be permitted to exercise the conversion rights described below in respect of any Series E Preferred Stock called for redemption.
Change in Control Conversion Rights:		Except to the extent that the Issuer has elected to exercise its optional redemption right or its special optional redemption right by providing notice of redemption prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each holder of Series E Preferred Stock will have the right to convert some or all of the Series E Preferred Stock held by such holder on the Change of Control Conversion Date into a number of the Issuer’s shares of common stock per share of Series E Preferred Stock to be converted equal to the lesser of:   ·     the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of the $25.00 liquidation preference plus the amount of any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon (whether or not declared) to, but not including, the Change of Control Conversion Date (unless the Change of Control Conversion Date is after a record date for a Series E Preferred Stock dividend payment and prior to the corresponding Series E Preferred Stock dividend payment date, in which case no additional amount for such accrued and unpaid dividend will be included in this sum) by (ii) the Common Stock Price; and   ·     3.2916 (the “Share Cap”), subject to certain adjustments   subject, in each case, to provisions for the receipt of alternative consideration upon conversion as described in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement.   If the Issuer has provided or provides a redemption notice with respect to some or all of the Series E Preferred Stock, holders of any Series E Preferred Stock that the Issuer has called for redemption will not be permitted to exercise their Change of Control Conversion Right in respect of any of their shares of Series E Preferred Stock that have been called for redemption, and any shares of Series E Preferred Stock subsequently called for redemption that has been tendered for conversion will be redeemed on the applicable date of redemption instead of converted on the Change of Control Conversion Date.   Except as provided above in connection with a Change of Control, the Series E Preferred Stock is not convertible into or exchangeable for any other securities or property.   A “Change of Control” will be deemed to have occurred at such time after the original issuance of the Series E Preferred Stock when the following have occurred and are continuing:   ·     the acquisition by any person, including any syndicate or group deemed to be a “person” under Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act, other than certain permitted holders, of beneficial ownership, directly or indirectly, through a purchase, merger or other acquisition transaction or series of purchases, mergers or other acquisition transactions of shares of the Issuer entitling that person to exercise more than 50% of the total voting power of all shares of the Issuer entitled to vote generally in elections of directors (except that such person will be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all of the Issuer’s capital stock that such person has the right to acquire, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only upon the occurrence of a subsequent condition); and   ·     following the closing of any transaction referred to in the bullet point above, neither the Issuer nor the consolidated acquiring or surviving entity has a class of common securities (or ADRs representing such securities) listed on the NYSE, the NYSE American LLC or NASDAQ, or listed or quoted on an exchange or quotation system that is a successor to the NYSE, the NYSE American LLC or NASDAQ.

 

 

		The “Common Stock Price” will be: (i) if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by the holders of the Issuer’s common stock is solely cash, the amount of cash consideration per share of the Issuer’s common stock or (ii) if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by holders of the Issuer’s common stock is other than solely cash (x) the average of the closing sale prices per share of the Issuer’s common stock (or, if no closing sale price is reported, the average of the closing bid and ask prices or, if more than one in either case, the average of the average closing bid and the average closing ask prices) for the ten consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the effective date of the Change of Control as reported on the principal U.S. securities exchange on which the Issuer’s common stock is then traded, or (y) the average of the last quoted bid prices for the Issuer’s common stock in the over-the-counter market as reported by OTC Markets Group Inc. or similar organization for the ten consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the effective date of the Change of Control, if the Issuer’s common stock is not then listed for trading on a U.S. securities exchange.   The “Change of Control Conversion Date” will be a business day selected by the Issuer that is no fewer than 20 days nor more than 35 days after the date on which the Issuer provides the required notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control.
CUSIP / ISIN:		75574U 887 / US75574U8870
Listing:		The Issuer intends to file an application to list the Series E Preferred Stock with the NYSE under the symbol “RC PRE.” If the application is approved, trading is expected to begin within 30 days of initial delivery. The underwriters have advised the Issuer that they intend to make a market in the Series E Preferred Stock prior to the commencement of trading on the NYSE. The underwriters will have no obligation to make a market in the shares, however, and may cease market making activities, if commenced, at any time.
Book-Running Managers:		Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC Piper Sandler & Co.
Co-Managers:		B. Riley Securities, Inc. BTIG LLC Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. Wedbush Securities Inc.
Distribution:		SEC registered

 

Use of Proceeds:

The Issuer plans to contribute the net proceeds from the sale of the shares of the Series E Preferred Stock, after deducting commissions and offering expenses payable by the Issuer, to its operating partnership, which in turn will use the net proceeds to redeem, in whole or in part, the Issuer’s 8.625% Series B Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and its 7.625% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share. The Issuer may use the remainder of the net proceeds, if any, for general business purposes, which may include the repayment of borrowings outstanding under the Issuer’s loan repurchase agreements or credit facilities. Prior to these anticipated uses, the Issuer may invest the net proceeds of the offering in interest-bearing, short-term investments, including money market accounts, in each case that are consistent with the Issuer’s intention to continue to qualify as a REIT.

 

 

*We expect that delivery of the Series E Preferred Stock will be made to investors on or about the fifth business day following the date of this prospectus (such settlement being referred to as “T+5”). Under Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade shares of Series E Preferred Stock prior to their delivery will be required, by virtue of the fact that the shares of Series E Preferred Stock initially settle in T+5, to specify an alternate settlement arrangement at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of the Series E Preferred Stock who wish to trade the Series E Preferred Stock prior to their date of delivery hereunder should consult their advisors.

 

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification of these securities under the laws of any such state.

The Issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus dated August 4, 2020 and a Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated June 3, 2021) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-240086) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in the registration statement, the related preliminary prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference therein for more complete information about the Issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus and preliminary prospectus supplement if you request it from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., A Stifel Company at 787 Seventh Avenue, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10019, or by calling toll-free 1-800-966-1559, or by email at USCapitalMarkets@kbw.com; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC at 1585 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, or by calling toll-free 1-800-584-6837, or by email at prospectus@morganstanley.com; or Piper Sandler & Co. at 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6^th Floor, New York, NY 10020, or by calling toll-free 866-805-4128, or by email at fsg-dcm@psc.com.

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

Forms of Company Counsel Opinions

 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

Forms of Company Tax Counsel Opinions

 

 

EXHIBIT D

 

Form of CFO Certificate

 

See attached.

 

 

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE OF

 

Ready Capital Corporation

 

June 10, 2021

 

_________________________________

 

This certificate is being delivered in connection with the Underwriting Agreement dated as of June 3, 2021, among Ready Capital Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), Sutherland Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”) and Waterfall Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Manager”), and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Piper Sandler & Co., as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (collectively, the “Underwriters”).

 

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, I, Andrew Ahlborn, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, based on the examination of the Company’s financial and accounting records and schedules undertaken by myself and members of my staff who are responsible for the Company’s financial and accounting matters and my participation in the financial and accounting affairs of the Company, hereby certify to my knowledge and on behalf of the Company (and not in my individual capacity) that:

 

I hereby confirm that the numbers identified on the pages attached hereto as Exhibit A from the preliminary prospectus supplement dated June 3, 2021 and the documents incorporated by reference therein were derived from the accounting or business records of the Company and its subsidiaries and that such information is accurate and correct in all material respects and there is no reason to believe any modification should be made to such information.

 

This certificate is solely to assist the Underwriters in conducting and documenting their investigation of the affairs of the Company and its subsidiaries in connection with the offering of the securities pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement. This certificate may be relied upon by the Underwriters solely for this purpose. Subject to applicable law and regulatory requirements, without the written consent of the Company: (i) no person other than the Underwriters may rely on this certificate for any purpose; (ii) this certificate may not be cited or quoted in any financial statement, prospectus, private placement memorandum or other similar document; (iii) this certificate may not be cited or quoted in any other document or communication which might encourage reliance upon this certificate by any person for any purpose excluded by the restrictions in this paragraph; and (iv) copies of this certificate may not be furnished to anyone for purposes of encouraging such reliance.

 

[Remainder of this page intentionally blank]

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name on the date written first above.

 

	Name: Andrew Ahlborn
	Title: Chief Financial Office