EX-1.1 2 d120554dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

Execution Version

CONFIDENTIAL

$1,300,000,000

JACOBS SOLUTIONS INC.

$800,000,000 4.750% Senior Notes due 2031

$500,000,000 5.375% Senior Notes due 2036

Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed By

JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP INC.

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

February 24, 2026

BofA Securities, Inc.

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o

BofA Securities, Inc.

One Bryant Park

New York, New York 10036

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10019

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

550 South Tryon Street

Charlotte, NC 28202

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Each of Jacobs Solutions Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Guarantor”), confirms its agreement with each of the Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom BofA Securities, Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), with respect to the sale by the Issuer and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective principal amounts set forth in such Schedule A of the Issuer’s $800,000,000 4.750% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Notes due 2031”) and $500,000,000 5.375% Senior Notes due 2036 (the “Notes due 2036” and, together with the Notes due 2031, the “Notes”).

The Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of February 16, 2023 (the “Base Indenture”), among the Issuer, the Guarantor and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”). Certain terms of the Notes will be established pursuant to a Third Supplemental Indenture, to be dated as of March 3, 2026 (the “Supplemental Indenture”) to the Base Indenture (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”). Pursuant to the Indenture, the Guarantor will agree to irrevocably fully and unconditionally guarantee on a senior basis (the “Guarantees” and, together with the Notes, the “Securities”), to each holder of Notes, (i) the full and prompt payment of the principal of and any premium,

 


if any, on any Notes when and as the same shall become due, whether at the maturity thereof, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise; and (ii) the full and prompt payment of any interest on any Notes when and as the same shall become due and payable. The Securities will be issued in book-entry form in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), pursuant to a Blanket Issuer Letter of Representations, dated on or before the Closing Time (as defined in Section 2 below) (the “DTC Agreement”), among the Issuer and DTC.

The Issuer and the Guarantor have prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined under Rule 405 (“Rule 405”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-293127 and 333-293127-01) covering the public offering and sale of certain securities of the Issuer and the Guarantor, including the Securities, under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act Regulations”), which automatic shelf registration statement became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto at such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be 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 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), and is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; 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 first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2), including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed 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. Each preliminary prospectus supplement and the base prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), are collectively referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Issuer and the Guarantor will prepare and file a final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). The final prospectus supplement and the base prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act immediately prior to the Applicable Time, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto 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) (“EDGAR”).

As used in this Agreement:

Applicable Time” means 4:27 P.M., New York City time, on February 24, 2026 or such other time as agreed by the Issuer and the Representatives.

General Disclosure Package” means each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the most recent preliminary prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) that is furnished to the Underwriters for general distribution to investors prior to the Applicable Time, all considered together.

 

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Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including, without limitation, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Issuer or the Guarantor, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering thereof that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Guarantor’s or the Issuer’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

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

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

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the Applicable Time; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act Regulations”) incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the Applicable Time.

This Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities are referred to herein, collectively, as the “Operative Documents.”

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Issuer and the Guarantor. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, represents and warrants to each Underwriter at the date hereof, the Applicable Time and the Closing Time (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(i) Compliance of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Incorporated Documents. The Issuer and the Guarantor meet the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement is an automatic shelf registration statement under Rule 405 and the Securities have been and remain eligible for registration by the Issuer and the Guarantor on such automatic shelf registration statement. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the Securities Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the Securities Act, no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 401(g)(2)”) has been received by the Issuer or the Guarantor, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Issuer’s or the Guarantor’s knowledge, contemplated.

 

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Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. In addition, the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Trust Indenture Act”).

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness, each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2), the Applicable Time and the Closing Time complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations and the Trust Indenture Act. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, and, in each case, the Applicable Time and the Closing Time complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations and the Trust Indenture Act, and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus are identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, 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 and the Exchange Act Regulations.

(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time, on the date hereof or at the Closing Time, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will 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. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Time, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General 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 General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not, does 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.

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Issuer by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be (i) the information in the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)—Commissions and Discounts”, (ii) the information in the third and fourth sentences in the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)—New Issue of Notes and (iii) the information in the first and second paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)—Short Positions”, in each case, contained in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

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(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, that has not been superseded or modified. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Issuer and the Guarantor have promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and have promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement, at their own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Issuer by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the Underwriter Information.

(iv) Distribution of Offering Material By the Issuer and the Guarantor. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Time and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representatives and listed on Schedule B hereto or any electronic road show or other written communications reviewed and consented to by the Representatives and listed on Schedule C hereto (each, an “Issuer Additional Written Communication”). Each such Issuer Additional Written Communication, when taken together with the General Disclosure Package, did not, and at the Closing Time will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Issuer Additional Written Communication based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Issuer by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the Underwriter Information.

(v) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

(vi) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A) At the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Issuer or the Guarantor or any person acting on their behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163, (D) at the date of this Agreement and (E) at the Applicable Time, the Issuer was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer,” as defined in Rule 405.

 

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(vii) Issuer and Guarantor Not Ineligible Issuers. (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, (B) at the earliest time thereafter that the Issuer, the Guarantor or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations) of the Securities, and (C) at the date of this Agreement and (D) at the Applicable Time, neither the Issuer nor the Guarantor was and neither is an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Issuer or the Guarantor be considered an ineligible issuer.

(viii) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Issuer and the Guarantor as required by the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act, the Exchange Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

(ix) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements of the Issuer included in, or incorporated by reference into, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Issuer and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the results of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and changes in cash flows of the Issuer and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. Except as included or incorporated by reference therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations. All disclosures contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, if any, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G under the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present the required information in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(x) No Material Adverse Change. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the respective dates as of which information is given therein, (A) none of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any of their respective subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, (B) there has been no material adverse change in the

 

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condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Issuer and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Change”), (C) there have been no transactions entered into by the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Issuer and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (D) except for regular quarterly distributions in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Issuer on any class or series of its capital stock.

(xi) Good Standing of the Issuer and the Guarantor. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under, and to consummate the transactions contemplated in, the Operative Documents. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect (A) in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Issuer and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (B) on the ability of each of the Issuer or the Guarantor to enter into and perform its obligations under, or consummate the transactions contemplated in, the Operative Documents (each, a “Material Adverse Effect”). Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor has furnished to the Representatives complete and correct copies of its charter and by-laws or similar organizational documents and all amendments thereto.

(xii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Issuer set forth on Schedule D hereto (each, a “Designated Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Designated Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of or other equity interests of each Designated Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Issuer, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any material security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of or other equity interests in any Designated Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Designated Subsidiary.

(xiii) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Issuer is as set forth in the consolidated balance sheet of the Issuer as of December 26, 2025 included in the Issuer’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 26, 2025 (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements, performance shares, restricted stock units, employee benefit plans, employee or director stock option, stock purchase or other equity incentive plans or equity awards referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible or exchangeable securities, warrants or options referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).

 

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(xiv) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Issuer and the Guarantor.

(xv) Authorization of the Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Issuer and the Guarantor; the Base Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the Issuer and the Guarantor; the Base Indenture constitutes, and the Supplemental Indenture, when executed and delivered by the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee at the Closing Time, will constitute, a valid and binding agreement of each of the Issuer and the Guarantor, enforceable against each of the Issuer and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, liquidation, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

(xvi) Authorization of the Notes. The Notes to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Issuer are in the form contemplated by the Indenture, have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and the Indenture and, at the Closing Time, will have been duly executed by the Issuer and, when authenticated, issued and delivered in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor as provided in this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Issuer, enforceable against the Issuer in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, liquidation, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

(xvii) The Guarantees. The Guarantees have been duly authorized by the Guarantor and, when the Securities have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligations of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, liquidation, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

(xviii) Description of the Securities and the Indenture. The Securities and the Indenture conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(xix) Accuracy of Statements. The statements in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Notes and Guarantees,” “Description of Debt Securities,” “Description of Guarantees” and “Material US Federal Income Tax Consequences,” in each case insofar as such statements constitute a summary of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present and summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.

(xx) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Issuer nor any of its Designated Subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document or (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit

 

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agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries or any of its respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Authority”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of the Operative Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated therein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by each of the Issuer and the Guarantor with its respective obligations under the Operative Documents have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of (i) the provisions of the charter, by-laws or similar organizational document of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority, in the case of clause (ii) only, for any such violation that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries.

(xxi) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of either the Issuer or the Guarantor, is imminent, and neither of the Issuer nor the Guarantor is aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any of its subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which could, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxii) Absence of Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Authority now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Issuer or the Guarantor, threatened, against or affecting the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, which could, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries are a party or of which any of their respective properties, assets or operations are the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxiii) Filing of Exhibits. There are no contracts, instruments or other documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

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(xxiv) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Authority is necessary or required for the performance by the Issuer or the Guarantor of their respective obligations under the Operative Documents, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Operative Documents, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the securities laws of any state or non-U.S. jurisdiction or the rules of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

(xxv) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Issuer and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate government, any state, province, municipality, or other political subdivision thereof, and any entity, body, agency, commission, department, board, bureau, court, tribunal, or other instrumentality, whether federal, state, local, or foreign, exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory, or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government necessary under applicable law to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Issuer and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Such Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Issuer nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxvi) Title to Property. The Issuer and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries. All of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Issuer and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and under which the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, are in full force and effect except for such failures to be in full force and effect that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxvii) Possession of Intellectual Property. To the knowledge of the Issuer, the Issuer and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patent rights, licenses, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) reasonably necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, and neither the Issuer nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xxviii) Payment of Taxes. All United States federal income tax returns of the Issuer and its subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not result in a Material Adverse Effect and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided and except where the failure to pay such taxes would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The United States federal income tax returns of the Issuer and its subsidiaries through the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 have been settled and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries. The Issuer and its subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Issuer except where the failure to pay such taxes would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Issuer in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxix) Insurance. The Issuer and its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as, in the Issuer’s judgment, are generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect in all material respects. The Issuer has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew, if desired, its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxx) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Issuer nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law, including any binding judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Issuer and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Issuer, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of

 

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noncompliance or violation, investigations or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Authority, against or affecting the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(xxxi) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Issuer and each of its subsidiaries (i) have taken all necessary actions to ensure that the Issuer and its subsidiaries maintain internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13-a15 and 15d-15 of the Exchange Act Regulations) and (ii) maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Issuer’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Issuer’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Issuer’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Issuer’s internal control over financial reporting. The Issuer and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 of the Exchange Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Issuer’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure. The Issuer has carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act, and such disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the last date that they were tested.

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

(xxxiii) ERISA Compliance. The Issuer and its subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Issuer, its subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Issuer or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), of which the Issuer or such subsidiary is a member. No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Issuer, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates. No

 

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“employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Issuer, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA). Neither the Issuer, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan,” (ii) Sections 412, 4971 or 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, or (iii) Section 4980B of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the excise tax imposed thereunder. Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Issuer, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code has received a favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which is reasonably likely to cause disqualification of any such employee benefit plan under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(xxxiv) Investment Company Act. Neither the Issuer nor the Guarantor is required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus neither the Issuer nor the Guarantor will be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(xxxv) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Issuer nor any subsidiary or other affiliate of the Issuer has taken, nor will the Guarantor or any such subsidiary or other affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed, or that would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Issuer or the Guarantor to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(xxxvi) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. (A) None of the Issuer, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Issuer or the Guarantor, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of either (i) 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 corruptly 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 or (ii) the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 (the “Bribery Act”) and, (B) to the knowledge of the Issuer and the Guarantor, their respective “controlled affiliates” (as defined in the Bribery Act) have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and the Bribery Act and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(xxxvii) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Issuer and its subsidiaries are and, have been, conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Authority (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”). No action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Authority involving the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Issuer or the Guarantor, threatened.

 

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(xxxviii) OFAC. None of the Issuer, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Issuer and the Guarantor, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”); none of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries is located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions, which on the date hereof includes the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, any other Covered Region (as defined in Executive Order 14065) of Ukraine that has been identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, the non-government controlled areas of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and, prior to July 1, 2025, Syria (a “Sanctioned Country”); and neither the Issuer nor the Guarantor will directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Issuer and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, and are not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions in violation of Sanctions, or with any Sanctioned Country.

(xxxix) Cybersecurity. (A) To the knowledge of the Issuer, there has been no security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise of the Issuer or its subsidiaries information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Issuer or its subsidiaries, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Issuer or its subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”); (B) neither the Issuer nor its subsidiaries has been notified 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 has never been required to notify any governmental or regulatory authority or other person of the same; and (C) the Issuer and its subsidiaries have implemented commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards to maintain and protect 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, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or with respect to clause (C), where the failure to do so would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Issuer and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority and 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.

(b) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any of their respective subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Issuer and the Guarantor to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

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SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

(a) The Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Issuer agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Issuer the principal amounts of Notes set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule A at a purchase price of 99.387% of the principal amount of the Notes due 2031 and 99.243% of the principal amount of the Notes due 2036, in each case, plus accrued interest, if any, from March 3, 2026 to the Closing Time (as defined below). On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Guarantor agrees to irrevocably and unconditionally guarantee the Notes in the manner provided herein at the Closing Time.

(b) The Closing Time. Delivery of certificates for the Securities in global form to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019-6099, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Issuer, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on March 3, 2026 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10) or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Issuer (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

(c) Public Offering of the Securities. The Representatives hereby advise the Issuer and the Guarantor that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Securities as soon after the Applicable Time as the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.

(d) Payment for the Securities. Payment for the Securities shall be made to the Issuer at the Closing Time by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Issuer in writing.

It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Securities which it has agreed to purchase. The Representatives may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

(e) Delivery of the Securities. The Issuer and the Guarantor shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters certificates for the Securities at the Closing Time, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The certificates for the Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in such names and denominations as the Representatives shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the Closing Time and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the Closing Time at a location in New York City, as the Representatives may designate. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Issuer and the Guarantor. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Compliance with Commission Requests. The Issuer and the Guarantor, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will notify the Representatives immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement relating to the Securities shall become effective or any

 

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amendment or supplement, excluding any document incorporated thereby, to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall have been used or filed, as the case may be, including any document incorporated by reference therein, in each case only as permitted by this Section 3, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or of the issuance of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Issuer or the Guarantor becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Issuer and the Guarantor will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as the Issuer or the Guarantor deem necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Issuer and the Guarantor will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop, prevention or suspension order and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment. The Issuer and the Guarantor shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act Regulations (including, if applicable, by updating the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or in the manner specified by Rule 424(g) in a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)).

(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Issuer and the Guarantor during the period when a prospectus relating to the Notes is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required by the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by, and each such document comply with the requirements of, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations in all material respects. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Issuer and the Guarantor, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement 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, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, including, without limitation, any document incorporated therein by reference (except to the extent separately covered by Section 3(c) below), in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations, the Issuer and the Guarantor will promptly (A) give the Representatives written notice of such event or condition, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements

 

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and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement declared effective by the Commission as soon as possible if the Issuer or the Guarantor is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, provided that neither the Guarantor nor the Issuer shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object, except as necessary to comply with law.

(c) Filing or Use of Amendments or Supplements. The Issuer and the Guarantor have given the Representatives written notice of any filings made pursuant to the Exchange Act or Exchange Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time and will give the Representatives written notice of its intention to file or use any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations or otherwise, from the Applicable Time to the later of (i) the time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is no longer required by the Securities Act (without giving effect to Rule 172) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities and (ii) the Closing Time, and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object, except as necessary to comply with law.

(d) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Issuer and the Guarantor have furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The signed copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Issuer and the Guarantor have delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and each of the Issuer and the Guarantor hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act related to the offering of the Securities. The Issuer and the Guarantor will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and non-U.S. jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Issuer and the Guarantor shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it is not

 

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otherwise so subject. The Issuer and the Guarantor will advise the Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, each of the Issuer and the Guarantor shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(g) Earnings Statements. The Issuer will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.

(h) Use of Proceeds. The Issuer will use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

(i) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending at the Closing Time, neither the Guarantor nor the Issuer will, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Issuer or the Guarantor and having a tenor of more than one year. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to the Securities to be sold by the Issuer and the Guarantor hereunder.

(j) Final Term Sheet. The Issuer and the Guarantor will prepare a final term sheet (a “Final Term Sheet”) containing only a description of the final terms of the Securities and their offering, in forms approved by the Underwriters and attached as Exhibit A hereto, and acknowledge that the Final Term Sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and will comply with their related obligations set forth in Section 3(k) hereof. The Issuer and the Guarantor will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, copies of the Final Term Sheet promptly upon its completion.

(k) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Issuer or the Guarantor with the Commission or retained by the Issuer and the Guarantor under Rule 433; provided that the Representatives will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representatives. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representatives as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Issuer and the Guarantor will promptly notify the Representatives in writing and will promptly amend or supplement, at their own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

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(l) Renewal Deadline. If, immediately prior to the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement (the “Renewal Deadline”), any Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Issuer and the Guarantor will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, (i) promptly notify the Representatives in writing and (ii) promptly file, if the Issuer and the Guarantor are eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters. If, at the Renewal Deadline, the Issuer and the Guarantor are not eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Issuer and the Guarantor will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, (i) promptly notify the Representatives in writing, (ii) promptly file a new shelf registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to such Securities, in a form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, (iii) use best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective within 60 days after the Renewal Deadline and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives in writing of such effectiveness. The Issuer and the Guarantor will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired Registration Statement. References herein to the “Registration Statement” shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

(m) Eligibility of Automatic Shelf Registration Statement Form. If at any time when Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters the Issuer or the Guarantor receives a notice from the Commission pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Issuer and the Guarantor will (i) promptly notify the Representatives in writing, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to such Securities, in a form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, (iii) use best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives in writing of such effectiveness. The Issuer and the Guarantor will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the Registration Statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for which the Issuer or the Guarantor has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the “Registration Statement” shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

(n) No Manipulation of Price. The Issuer and the Guarantor will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Issuer and the Guarantor to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(o) DTC. The Issuer and the Guarantor will cooperate with the Underwriters and use its best efforts to permit the Securities to be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, agrees to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including without limitation (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, including any transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and execution of the Operative Documents and the DTC Agreement, (v) the fees and disbursements of the Issuer’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (vi) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in

 

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connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of a blue sky survey and any supplement thereto (which fees and disbursements of counsel shall not exceed $5,000), (vii) the costs and expenses of the Issuer and Guarantor relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA, if required, of the terms of the sale of the Securities (which fees and disbursements of counsel shall not exceed $10,000), (ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Securities by the rating agencies, (x) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Securities, (xi) the fees and expenses of making the Securities eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC, and (xii) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the second sentence of Section 1(a)(ii), (xiii) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement, and (xiv) all other fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. Except as provided in this Section 4 and Sections 6 and 7 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a) hereof, the Issuer and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, agree to reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of each of the Issuer and the Guarantor contained herein or in certificates of any officer of each of the Issuer and the Guarantor or any of their subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Issuer and the Guarantor of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement, etc. The Registration Statement was filed by the Issuer and the Guarantor with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof and became effective upon filing in accordance with Rule 462(e). Each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus have been filed as required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and Rule 433, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Securities Act Regulations. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the Securities Act, no notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) has been received by the Issuer or the Guarantor, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Guarantor’s or the Issuer’s knowledge, contemplated. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. The Issuer shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the Securities Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Securities Act Regulations and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or in the manner specified by Rule 424(g) in a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).

 

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(b) Opinion of In-House Counsel for the Issuer and the Guarantor. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of the principal legal officer or other suitable legal counsel for the Issuer and the Guarantor, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for the Issuer and the Guarantor. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, counsel for the Issuer and the Guarantor, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters.

(d) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters with respect to the matters reasonably requested by the Representatives. In giving such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other Representatives of the Issuer and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

(e) Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received (1) a certificate executed and delivered by a principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer of the Issuer, dated the Closing Time, and (2) a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer, the President or a Vice President of the Issuer and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Issuer, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there has been no Material Adverse Change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Issuer or the Guarantor, as applicable, in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time and (iii) each of the Issuer and the Guarantor, as applicable, has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time in the Operative Documents.

(f) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives at the request of the Issuer, shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

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(h) No Important Changes. Since the execution of this Agreement, (i) in the judgment of the Representatives, since the date hereof or the respective dates of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change, (ii) there shall not have been any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in Section 5(f) or Section 5(g) hereof which is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities and (iii) there shall not have been any decrease in or withdrawal of the rating of any securities of the Issuer or the Guarantor or any of their respective subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in or withdrawal of any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

(i) Ratings Letters. Prior to the Closing Time, the Issuer and the Guarantor shall have delivered to the Representatives letters from Moody’s Investor’s Service Inc. and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, or other such evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, assigning a rating to the Securities of at least Baa2 and BBB-, respectively.

(j) Clearance, Settlement and Trading. Prior to the Closing Time, the Issuer and DTC shall have executed and delivered the Letter of Representations, dated the Closing Time, and the Securities shall be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC.

(k) CFO Certificates. At each of the time of execution of this Agreement and the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received a certificate executed and delivered by the chief financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Issuer, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, certifying certain financial information of the Issuer and the Guarantor included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(l) Additional Documents. At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such other documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Issuer or the Guarantor in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

(m) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Issuer at any time at or prior to the Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor agrees, jointly and severally, to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) of the Securities Act Regulations (each, an “Affiliate”)), selling agents, officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or

 

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arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, Issuer Additional Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Issuer in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Issuer (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, Issuer Additional Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or in any Marketing Materials of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency (each, a “Relevant Authority”), commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever, in each case based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) hereof) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Issuer;

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Relevant Authority, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of or based on any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(b) Indemnification of Issuer, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Issuer, the Guarantor, their respective directors, each of their respective officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Issuer or the Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a) hereof, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in the General Disclosure Package, Issuer Additional Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. If any such claim shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall

 

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notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such claim or action, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under this Section 6 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Issuer. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the prior written consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Relevant Authority, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Issuer and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Issuer and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Issuer and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Issuer, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

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The relative fault of the Issuer and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Issuer or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Issuer and the Guarantor 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 above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Relevant Authority, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discount received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

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.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates, officers, directors and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Issuer or the Guarantor, each officer of the Issuer or the Guarantor who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Issuer or the Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Issuer or the Guarantor, as applicable. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of any of the Issuer or the Guarantor or any of their respective subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates and/or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter or any of the Issuer’s or the Guarantor’s respective officers or directors or any person controlling any of the Issuer or the Guarantor and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Issuer and the Guarantor, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time, (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representatives, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Change, (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in

 

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the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering of the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) if trading in any securities of the Issuer has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange (iv) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other Relevant Authority, (v) if a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems in Europe, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Notes”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Notes in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

(i) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Notes does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

(ii) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Notes exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement either the Representatives, the Issuer or the Guarantor shall have the right to postpone Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

SECTION 11. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives, care of BofA Securities, Inc. at 114 W 47th Street, NY8-114-07-01, New York, New York 10036, Attention: High Grade Transaction Management/Legal, Fax: (646) 855-5958; BNP Paribas Securities Corp. at 787 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019, Attention: Debt Syndicate Desk, Email: DL.US.Syndicate.Support@us.bnpparibas.com; and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC at 550 South Tyron

 

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Street, 5th Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28202, Attention: Transaction Management, Email: tmgcapitalmarkets@wellsfargo.com; with a copy to Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019-6099, Attention: Edward S. Best and John R. Ablan; and notices to the Issuer or the Guarantor shall be directed to it at 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 3500, Dallas, Texas 75201, Attn: Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, with a copy to Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, 1888 Century Park East, Los Angeles, California 90067-1725, Attn: Patrick S. Brown.

SECTION 12. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Issuer and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and each of the Issuer and the Guarantor is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any of their respective subsidiaries or their respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Issuer or the Guarantor with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising their respective subsidiaries or any of the Issuer or the Guarantor on other matters) or any other obligation to the Issuer or the Guarantor with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Issuer and the Guarantor, (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, financial, regulatory, investment or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and each of the Issuer and the Guarantor has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate and (f) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person.

SECTION 13. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

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

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

For purposes of this Section 13,

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).

 

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Covered Entity” means any of the following:

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

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

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

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

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

SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Issuer and the Guarantor and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Issuer, the Guarantor and their respective successors and the controlling persons, Affiliates, selling agents, officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Issuer and the Guarantor and their respective successors, and said controlling persons, Affiliates, selling agents, officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 15. Trial by Jury. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

SECTION 17. Consent to Jurisdiction. Each of the parties hereto agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any Specified Court, as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of the Specified Courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any Specified Court that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

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SECTION 18. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in this Agreement or in any other certificate, agreement or document related to this Agreement, if any, shall include images of manually executed signatures transmitted by facsimile or other electronic format (including, without limitation, “pdf,” “tif” or “jpg”) and other electronic signatures (including, without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign). The use of electronic signatures and electronic records (including, without limitation, any contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other applicable law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Uniform Commercial Code. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.

SECTION 20. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 21. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

SECTION 22. Research Analyst Independence. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Issuer, its subsidiaries and/or the offering of the Securities that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Issuer or the Guarantor may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Issuer by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor acknowledges that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

SECTION 23. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement shall not become effective until the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.

 

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Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 6 and the contribution provisions of Section 7, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 6 and 7 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Issuer, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

30


SCHEDULE A

 

Underwriter

   Principal
Amount of Notes due
2031
     Principal
Amount of Notes due
2036
 

BofA Securities, Inc.

   $ 180,000,000      $ 112,500,000  

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

     140,000,000        87,500,000  

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

     140,000,000        87,500,000  

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

     50,000,000        31,250,000  

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

     50,000,000        31,250,000  

TD Securities (USA) LLC

     50,000,000        31,250,000  

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

     50,000,000        31,250,000  

Barclays Capital Inc.

     26,000,000        16,250,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

     26,000,000        16,250,000  

NatWest Markets Securities Inc.

     26,000,000        16,250,000  

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

     26,000,000        16,250,000  

ICBC Standard Bank Plc

     12,000,000        7,500,000  

Loop Capital Markets LLC

     12,000,000        7,500,000  

Truist Securities, Inc.

     12,000,000        7,500,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 800,000,000      $ 500,000,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Sch. A


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Issuer a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Issuer in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
JACOBS SOLUTIONS INC.
By:  

/s/ Robert V. Pragada

Name:   Robert V. Pragada
Title:   Chief Executive Officer
JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP INC.
By:  

/s/ Robert V. Pragada

Name:   Robert V. Pragada
Title:   Chief Executive Officer

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:
BOFA SECURITIES, INC.
BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.
WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
By:   BOFA SECURITIES, INC.
By:  

/s/ Christopher Cote

Name:   Christopher Cote
Title:   Managing Director
By:   BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.
By:  

/s/ Pasquale A. Perraglia IV

Name:   Pasquale A. Perraglia IV
Title:   Managing Director
By:   WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
By:  

/s/ Carolyn Hurley

Name:   Carolyn Hurley
Title:   Managing Director

For themselves and as Representatives of the other

Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


SCHEDULE B

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses

 

1.

Final Term Sheet for the Securities

 

2.

Investor Presentation dated February 2026

 

Sch. B


SCHEDULE C

Electronic Road Shows and Other Written Communications

 

1.

Investor Presentation dated February 2026

 

Sch. C


SCHEDULE D

Designated Subsidiaries of the Issuer

 

1.

CH2M Hill Companies, Ltd.

 

Sch. D


Exhibit A

Free Writing Prospectus

Filed Pursuant to Rule 433

Registration Statement No. 333-293127

Registration Statement No. 333-293127-1

Relating to the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated February 23, 2026

(to Prospectus dated February 2, 2026)

$1,300,000,000

 

LOGO

JACOBS SOLUTIONS INC.

$800,000,000 4.750% Senior Notes due 2031

$500,000,000 5.375% Senior Notes due 2036

Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

PRICING TERM SHEET

February 24, 2026

 

Issuer:    Jacobs Solutions Inc.
Guarantor:    Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.
Ratings (Moody’s/S&P):*    [Intentionally omitted]
Format:    SEC Registered
Ranking:    Senior Unsecured
Trade Date:    February 24, 2026
Settlement Date:**    March 3, 2026 (T+5)
Joint Book-Running Managers:   

BofA Securities, Inc.
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Co-Managers:   

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

TD Securities (USA) LLC

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

 

Barclays Capital Inc.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

NatWest Markets Securities Inc.

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

ICBC Standard Bank Plc

Loop Capital Markets LLC

Truist Securities, Inc.

 

A-1


    

4.750% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Notes due
2031”)

  

5.375% Senior Notes due 2036 (the

“Notes due 2036”)

Principal Amount:    $800,000,000    $500,000,000
Maturity Date:    March 3, 2031    March 3, 2036
Interest Payment Dates:    Semi-annually on March 3 and September 3 of each year, beginning September 3, 2026    Semi-annually on March 3 and September 3 of each year, beginning September 3, 2026
Interest Payment Record Dates:    February 18 and August 18    February 18 and August 18
Benchmark Treasury:    3.750% UST due January 31, 2031    4.125% UST due February 15, 2036
Benchmark Treasury Price/Yield:    100-21; 3.603%    100-22+; 4.039%
Spread to Benchmark Treasury:    115 basis points    135 basis points
Yield to Maturity:    4.753%    5.389%
Price to Public:    99.987% of the principal amount    99.893% of the principal amount
Coupon (Interest Rate):    4.750% per annum    5.375% per annum
Optional Redemption:   

Prior to February 3, 2031 (one month prior to the maturity date of the Notes due 2031) (the “2031 Par Call Date”), the Issuer may redeem the Notes due 2031 at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at the redemption price calculated by the Issuer (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:

 

(a)   the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes due 2031 being redeemed, assuming that such Notes due 2031 matured on the 2031 Par Call Date, discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months), at the Treasury Rate plus 20 basis points, less (b) interest accrued to the redemption date; and

 

100% of the principal amount of such Notes to be redeemed,

 

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes due 2031, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date.

  

Prior to December 3, 2035 (three months prior to the maturity date of the Notes due 2036) (the “2036 Par Call Date”), the Issuer may redeem the Notes due 2036 at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at the redemption price calculated by the Issuer (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:

 

(a)   the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes due 2036 being redeemed, assuming that such Notes due 2036 matured on the 2036 Par Call Date, discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months), at the Treasury Rate plus 25 basis points, less (b) interest accrued to the redemption date; and

 

100% of the principal amount of such Notes to be redeemed,

 

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes due 2036, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date.

 

A-2


   In addition, at any time and from time to time on or after the 2031 Par Call Date, the Issuer may redeem the Notes due 2031, at its option, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes due 2031 to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes due 2031, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date.    In addition, at any time and from time to time on or after the 2036 Par Call Date, the Issuer may redeem the Notes due 2036, at its option, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes due 2036 to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes due 2036, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date.
Change of Control Repurchase:    Upon the occurrence of a change of control triggering event (which involves the occurrence of both a change of control and a below investment grade rating of the Notes due 2031 by both Moody’s and S&P), the Issuer will be required, unless the Issuer has exercised its option to redeem the Notes due 2031, to make an offer to purchase the Notes due 2031 at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding the date of repurchase.    Upon the occurrence of a change of control triggering event (which involves the occurrence of both a change of control and a below investment grade rating of the Notes due 2036 by both Moody’s and S&P), the Issuer will be required, unless the Issuer has exercised its option to redeem the Notes due 2036, to make an offer to purchase the Notes due 2036 at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding the date of repurchase.
Guarantee Release Provisions:    As described in the preliminary prospectus supplement.    As described in the preliminary prospectus supplement.
CUSIP/ISIN:    46982L AA6 / US46982LAA61    46982L AB4 / US46982LAB45

 

*

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

**

It is expected that delivery of the notes will be made against payment therefor on or about March 3, 2026, which is the fifth business day following the date hereof (such settlement cycle being referred to as “T+5”). Under Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in one business day unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the notes prior to the first business day prior to the settlement date will be required, by virtue of the fact that the notes initially will settle in T+5, to specify an alternative settlement cycle at the time of any such trade to prevent failed settlement. Purchasers of the notes who wish to trade the notes prior to the first business day prior to the settlement date should consult their own advisors.

The information in this term sheet supplements the information provided in the preliminary prospectus supplement dated February 23, 2026. To the extent information in this term sheet conflicts with information in the preliminary prospectus supplement, this term sheet controls. All capitalized terms used in this term sheet shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the preliminary prospectus supplement.

 

A-3


The Issuer and the Guarantor have filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) and preliminary prospectus supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement, preliminary prospectus supplement and other documents the Issuer and the Guarantor have filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Issuer, the Guarantor and this offering. You should rely on the prospectus, prospectus supplement and any relevant free writing prospectus or pricing supplement for complete details. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the prospectus and the prospectus supplement may be obtained by calling BofA Securities, Inc. toll free at 1-800-294-1322, BNP Paribas Securities Corp. toll free at 1-800-854-5674 or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC toll free at 1-800-645-3751.

Any disclaimers or other notices that may appear below are not applicable to this communication and should be disregarded. Such disclaimers or other notices were automatically generated as a result of this document being sent by Bloomberg or another email system.

 

A-4