Exhibit 1.1
SOUTHERN NATIONAL BANCORP OF VIRGINIA, INC.
5.40% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030
Underwriting Agreement
August 20, 2020
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
1717 Arch Street, Floor 22
Philadelphia, PA 19103
As Representative of the
several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, Inc., a Virginia corporation (the “Company”) confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters listed on Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representative (the “Representative”), with respect to the issue and sale by the Company, and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective principal amounts set forth in Schedule I of $60,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.40% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030 (the “Securities”). The Securities are to be issued pursuant to the Subordinated Indenture dated as of August 25, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), by and between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by a supplemental indenture, to be dated as of August 25, 2020 (the “Supplemental Indenture”), by and between the Company and the Trustee (the Base Indenture, as supplemented by the Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”).
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-237909), including a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), covering the registration of various securities, including the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”). Such registration statement is effective under the Securities Act, the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Trust Indenture Act”), and the Company has filed such post-effective amendments thereto as may be required prior to the execution of this Agreement and each such post-effective amendment is effective under the Securities Act. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus supplement with respect to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the Securities Act. Any information included in each such prospectus supplement that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B Information.” The Registration Statement (including the exhibits thereto and schedules thereto, if any) as amended at the time it became effective, or, if a post-effective amendment has been filed with respect thereto, as amended by such post-effective amendment at the time of its effectiveness (including in each case the information (if any) deemed to be part of such Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act), is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement.” The term “Effective Date” shall mean each date that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or become effective. Any prospectus supplement, including the information and documents incorporated by reference therein, that omitted Rule 430B Information that was used after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, together with the Base Prospectus, is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” The term “Prospectus” means the final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Securities and the offering thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, together with the Base Prospectus, in the form used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Securities. Any Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is herein referred to as a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term “Registration Statement” shall include the last filed Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the information set forth on Annex A, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated August 19, 2020 and each “free writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) related to the Securities. “Applicable Time” means 4:30 p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed upon by the Company and the Representative.
| 2. | Purchase of the Securities by the Underwriters. |
The Company agrees to issue and sell the Securities to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective principal amount of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto at a purchase price set forth in Schedule 1 hereto, plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon (the “Purchase Price”), plus any additional number of Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.
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The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered, and initially to offer the Securities on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Securities to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.
Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representative in the case of the Securities, at the offices of Troutman Sanders LLP, 600 Peachtree Street, Suite 3000, Atlanta, Georgia 30308, at 10:00 A.M., Eastern time, on August 25, 2020, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the third business day thereafter, as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing. The time and date of such payment for the Securities is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”
Payment for the Securities to be purchased on the Closing Date shall be made against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased on such date in such names and in such denominations as the Representative shall request in writing not later than two full business days prior to the Closing Date with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Securities duly paid by the Company. Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representative shall otherwise instruct. The certificates for the Securities will be made available for inspection and packaging by the Representative at the office of DTC or its designated custodian not later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date. Securities issued in book entry form shall be issued to Cede & Co. as nominee of DTC pursuant to the blanket issuer letter of representations (the “DTC Agreement”), between the Company and DTC.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any of the Company’s shareholders, creditors, employees or any other third party, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Underwriters and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.
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| 3. | Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that: |
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.
(b) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representative. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.
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(d) Registration Statement and Prospectus. At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (2) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (as defined in Section 1(a)(vi) below) or form of prospectus), (3) as of the date hereof, and (4) as of the Closing Date, the Company satisfied the registrant eligibility requirements for the use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act set forth in Instruction No. I.A. to such form, and (B) at the date hereof, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The Company has filed with the Commission the Registration Statement on Form S-3, including a Base Prospectus for registration under the Securities Act of the offering and sale of the Securities. Such Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission and the Securities have been registered under the Registration Statement in compliance with the requirements for the use of Form S-3. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g) of the Securities Act objecting to the Company’s use of Form S-3. Although the Base Prospectus may not include all the information with respect to the Securities and the offering thereof required by the Securities Act to be included in the Prospectus, the Base Prospectus includes all such information required by the Securities Act to be included therein as of the Effective Date. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information, to the extent the Commission has requested such information in conjunction with the filing of the Registration Statement or otherwise; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission. Promptly after the execution of this Agreement, the Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rules 415 and 424(b)(2) or (5) of the Securities Act the Prospectus to the Base Prospectus included in such Registration Statement relating to the Securities and the offering thereof, with such information as is required or permitted by the Securities Act and as has been provided to and approved by the Representative prior to the date hereof or, to the extent not completed at the date hereof, containing only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the Base Prospectus) as the Company has advised the Underwriters through the Representative, prior to the date hereof, will be included or made therein. If the Company has elected to rely on Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act and a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is not effective, (x) the Company will file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement in compliance with, and that is effective upon filing pursuant to, Rule 462(b) and (y) the Company has given irrevocable instructions for transmission of the applicable filing fee in connection with the filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, in compliance with Rule 111 of the Securities Act, or the Commission has received payment of such filing fee. At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and as of the Closing Date, the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations promulgated under the Trust Indenture Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and (B) at the time the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto were filed and as of the Closing Date, neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto 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; provided, that the representations and warranties in clauses (A) and (B); provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in such Registration Statement and Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof; provided, further, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility and Qualifications (Form T-1) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act.
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(e) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(f) Financial Statements of the Company. The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby. To the extent applicable, all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
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(g) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of stock options described as outstanding in, and the grant of options and awards under existing equity plans described in, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock (other than routine quarterly dividends on its common stock, in a manner and amount consistent with past practice), or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(h) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are incorporated and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization and, in the case of Sonabank, is validly chartered as a Virginia state-chartered bank. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”). The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed on Annex C. The Company does not have any significant subsidiaries (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (a “Significant Subsidiary”) other than Sonabank.
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(i) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(j) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.
(k) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(l) The Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”). The Securities will be in the form contemplated by, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture; the Securities will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to preemptive or similar rights.
(m) The Indenture. The Base Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly executed and delivered by the Company. The Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly executed and delivered by the Company. Following such execution and delivery, the Indenture will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as limited by the Enforceability Exceptions. The Indenture will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and will be in substantially the form filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as exhibits to the Registration Statement. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and complies in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.
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(n) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(o) No Acquisitions, Dispositions or Transfers. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to an agreement (whether or not fully binding) obligating the Company or such subsidiary to an acquisition, disposition, or other business combination, or a transfer or sale of the assets (as a going concern) or capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, which transaction would be material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
(p) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Indenture and the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, license, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Indenture, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters.
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(r) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; to the knowledge of the Company, no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(s) Independent Accountants for the Company. Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(t) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple (in the case of real property) to, or have valid and marketable rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property and assets that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted, and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others. The Company and its subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation or conflict with any such rights of others in connection with its patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights and know-how, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.
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(w) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company will not be required to register as an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).
(x) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof except with respect to any taxes that are currently being contested in good faith or as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, except for tax deficiencies that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(y) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where the failure to renew would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, in each case except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(aa) Compliance with and Liability under Environmental Laws. (i) The Company and its subsidiaries (a) are, and at all prior times were, in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and the common law relating to pollution or the protection of the environment, natural resources or human health or safety, including those relating to the generation, storage, treatment, use, handling, transportation, Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (b) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, (c) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, (d) are not conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation or other corrective action pursuant to any Environmental Law at any location, and (e) are not a party to any order, decree or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Environmental Law, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such matter, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) there are no proceedings that are pending, or that are known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (b) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any facts or issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws, including the Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials, that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its subsidiaries, and (c) none of the Company and its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws. “Hazardous Materials” means any material, chemical, substance, waste, pollutant, contaminant, compound, mixture, or constituent thereof, in any form or amount, including petroleum (including crude oil or any fraction thereof) and petroleum products, natural gas liquids, asbestos and asbestos containing materials, naturally occurring radioactive materials, brine, and drilling mud, regulated or which can give rise to liability under any Environmental Law. “Release” means any spilling, leaking, seepage, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, disposing, depositing, dispersing, or migrating in, into or through the environment, or in, into from or through any building or structure.
(bb) Hazardous Materials. There has been no storage, generation, transportation, use, handling, treatment, Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials by, relating to or caused by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or, to the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, any other entity (including any predecessor) for whose acts or omissions the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or could reasonably be expected to be liable) at, on, under or from any property or facility now or previously owned, operated or leased by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or at, on, under or from any other property or facility, in violation of any Environmental Laws or in a manner or amount or to a location that could reasonably be expected to result in any liability under any Environmental Law, except for any violation or liability which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(cc) Compliance with ERISA. (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code, except for noncompliance that could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, the applicable minimum funding standard of Sections 412, 430 and 431 of the Code or Sections 302, 303 and 304 of ERISA, as applicable, has been satisfied (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) and is reasonably expected to be satisfied in the future (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period), and no Plan is currently, and none is reasonably expected to be, in “at risk status” within the meaning of Section 303(i) of ERISA or Section 430(i) of the Code; (iv) the fair market value of the assets of each Plan subject to Section 401(a) of the Code exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (v) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that either has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries; (vi) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the PBGC, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (vii) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries. None of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (x) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company or its subsidiaries in the current fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year; or (y) a material increase in the Company and its subsidiaries’ “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106) compared to the amount of such obligations in the Company and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year.
(dd) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
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(ee) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (v) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. There are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
(ff) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are adequate, in the reasonable belief of the Company, to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other material expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance; and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company reasonably believes that it will be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
(gg) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; (iv) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010, as amended; or (v) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment. No part of the proceeds of the offering will be used, directly or indirectly, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010, each as amended, or similar law of any other relevant jurisdiction, or the rules or regulations thereunder.
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(hh) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and the Company has instituted and will maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Money Laundering Laws. No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(ii) Sanctions. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is, or is controlled or 50% or more owned in aggregate by or is acting on behalf of, one or more individuals or entities that are currently subject to any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States (including any administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State or the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, a members state of the European Union (including sanctions administered or enforced by Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom) or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions” and such persons, “Sanctioned Persons” and each such person a “Sanctioned Person”); and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity in any manner that would result in a violation of any U.S. sanctions by, or could result in the imposition of U.S. sanctions against, any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(jj) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(kk) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities
(ll) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities.
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(mm) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.
(nn) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-person transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.
(oo) Margin Rules. The application of the proceeds received by the Company from the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(pp) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(qq) Statistical and Market Data. The statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(rr) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(ss) Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. The Company has paid the registration fee for this offering pursuant to Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act or will pay such fee within the time period required by such rule (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
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(tt) Bank Regulatory Authorities. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable laws administered by, and all rules and regulations of, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions, and any other federal or state bank regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over the Company or its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Bank Regulatory Authorities”), except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or where such noncompliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The deposit accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC and no proceedings for the termination or revocation of such insurance are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any written agreement or memorandum of understanding with, or a party to any commitment letter or similar undertaking to, or is subject to any order or directive by, or is a recipient of any extraordinary supervisory letter from, or has adopted any board of director resolutions at the request of, any Bank Regulatory Authority which (i) currently restricts in any material respect the conduct of its business, or (ii) would reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, materially and adversely impact or interfere with the Company’s or Sonabank’s operations, as applicable. Each of the Company and Sonabank are “well-capitalized” pursuant to applicable laws and regulations of the Bank Regulatory Authorities.
(uu) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. The Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards designed to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and, to the Company’s knowledge, there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except where such non-compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
| 4. | Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that: |
(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act; will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities; and will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the second business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representative may reasonably request. The Company will pay the registration fee for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
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(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representative, two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed electronic copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus) as the Representative may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Securities by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representative reasonably objects.
(d) Notice to the Representative. The Company will advise the Representative promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (ii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (v) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; (vi) of the receipt by the Company of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Securities and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
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(e) Ongoing Compliance. (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with law.
(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representative as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
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(h) Clear Market. During the period from the date hereof through and including the Closing Date, the Company will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any debt securities issued by the Company or guaranteed by the Company and having a tenor of more than one year, without the prior written consent of the Representative.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”
(j) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.
(k) Reports. So long as the Securities are outstanding, the Company will make available to the Representative, promptly after they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Securities, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Representative to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system.
(l) Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
| 5. | Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that: |
It has not used, authorized use of, referred to or participated in the planning for use of, and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex A or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(c) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).
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It has not and will not, without the prior consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Securities unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission.
It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering of the Securities (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Securities on the Closing Date as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representative.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, if there are any debt securities, including the Securities, or preferred stock of, or other securities guaranteed by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any such debt securities or preferred stock and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any such debt securities or preferred stock (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
(d) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(g) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representative makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the Closing Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(e) Officers’ Certificate. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date a certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representative (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(d) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above.
(f) Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters, on the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, a certificate of the Company, signed by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, in each case in the form attached as Exhibit A hereto.
(g) Company Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information with respect to the Company contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date.
(h) Opinion Letter and 10b-5 Statement. Alston & Bird LLP, special counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, a written opinion letter and a 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
(i) Opinion Letter and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date an opinion letter and 10b-5 statement of Troutman Sanders LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(j) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities.
(k) Good Standing. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
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(l) Clearance, Settlement and Trading. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Securities shall be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading in book-entry form through the facilities of DTC.
(m) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative such further certificates and documents as the Representative may reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
| 7. | Indemnification and Contribution. |
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, partners and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, when considered in conjunction with the Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the discount figures appearing under the subheading Discounts under the caption “Underwriting” and the information under the subheading Price Stabilization; Short Positions under the caption “Underwriting.”
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(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under paragraph (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under paragraph (a) or (b) above. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interest between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, partners and selling agents and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representative and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
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(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. 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, directors, officers, partners. employees and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
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(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
8. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
9. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representative, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT LLC, the Nasdaq Stock Market, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the Closing Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
| 10. | Defaulting Underwriter. |
If, on the Closing Date any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Securities by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 24 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 24 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Securities on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule I hereto that, pursuant to this Section 10, purchases Securities that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
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If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Securities that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date does not exceed one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Securities that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date exceeds one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 11 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
| 11. | Payment of Expenses. |
Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Securities and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification of the Securities under the state or foreign securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate and with the preparation, printing and distribution of any Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (v) the cost of preparing the Securities; (vi) the costs and charges of any trustee, registrar or paying or authenticating agent for the Securities; (vii) any fees charged by rating agencies for rating the Securities; (viii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, FINRA; and (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors.
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If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, partners, selling agents and any controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
13. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Securities and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters.
| 14. | Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement: |
(a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act;
(b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City;
(c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act;
(d) “BHC Act Affiliate” of a party means an “affiliate” (as such term is defined under, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 1841(k)) of such party;
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(e) “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);
(f) “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;
(g) “Insolvency Proceeding” means a receivership, insolvency, liquidation, resolution, or similar proceeding; and
(h) “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.
| 15. | Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolutions Regimes. |
(a) In the event that any party that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such party 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 party that is a Covered Entity or any BHC Act Affiliate of such party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such party 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. The requirements of this Section 15 apply notwithstanding the following Section 16.
| 16. | Limitation on the Exercise of Certain Rights Related to Affiliate Insolvency Proceedings. |
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other agreement, but subject to the requirements of Section 15, no party to this Agreement shall be permitted to exercise any Default Right against a party that is a Covered Entity with respect to this Agreement that is related, directly or indirectly, to a BHC Act Affiliate of such party becoming subject to Insolvency Proceedings, except to the extent the exercise of such Default Right would be permitted under the creditor protection provisions of 12 C.F.R. § 252.84, 12 C.F.R. § 47.5, or 12 C.F.R. § 382.4, as applicable.
(b) After a BHC Act Affiliate of a party that is a Covered Entity has become subject to Insolvency Proceedings, if any party to this Agreement seeks to exercise any Default Right against such Covered Entity with respect to this Agreement, the party seeking to exercise a Default Right shall have the burden of proof, by clear and convincing evidence, that the exercise of such Default Right is permitted hereunder.
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| 17. | Miscellaneous. |
(a) Authority of the Representative. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by the Representative shall be binding upon the Underwriters.
Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representative at: Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, 1717 Arch Street, Floor 22, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at: Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, Inc., 10900 Nuckols Road, Suite 325, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060.
(b) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state.
(c) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(d) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(e) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
(f) USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
(g) Trial by Jury. Each of the Company (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.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
[Signature Pages Follow]
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| Very truly yours, | |||
|
SOUTHERN NATIONAL BANCORP OF VIRGINIA, INC.
| |||
| By: | /s/ Jeffrey L. Karafa | ||
| Name: | Jeffrey L. Karafa | ||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
[Signature page to Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted: August 20, 2020
JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT LLC
| By: | /s/ Matthew F.X. Veneri | |
| Name: | Matthew F.X. Veneri | |
| Title: | Authorized Signatory |
For itself and on behalf of the
Several Underwriters listed in
Schedule I hereto.
[Signature page to Underwriting Agreement]
Schedule I
| Underwriter | Aggregate Principal Amount of Securities | |||
| Janney Montgomery Scott LLC | $ | 33,000,000 | ||
| Piper Sandler & Co. | $ | 18,000,000 | ||
| Stephens Inc. | $ | 9,000,000 | ||
| Total | $ | 60,000,000 | ||
ANNEX A
Free Writing Prospectuses
| 1. | Pricing Term Sheet, dated August 20, 2020, the form attached as Annex B hereto. |
| 2. | Investor Presentation, filed with the Commission on August 19, 2020. |
ANNEX B
Filed Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration No. 333-237909
August 20, 2020
Southern National Bancorp of Virginia
$60,000,000
5.40% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030
Term Sheet
| Issuer: | Southern National Bancorp of Virginia (the “Company”) |
| Security: |
5.40% Fixed-to-Fixed Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030 (the “notes”)
A rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. Ratings may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating organization. Each rating agency has its own methodology for assigning ratings and, accordingly, each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating. |
| Aggregate Principal Amount: | $60,000,000 |
| Trade Date: | August 20, 2020 |
| Settlement Date (T+3): | August 25, 2020 |
| Reset Date: | September 1, 2025 |
| Final Maturity Date (if not previously redeemed): | September 1, 2030 |
| Coupon: | Subject to any redemption prior to the Maturity Date, the notes will bear interest (i) from and including the Issue Date to, but excluding, the Reset Date (the “fixed rate period”), at a rate of 5.40% per annum and (ii) from and including the Reset Date to, but excluding, the Maturity Date (the “floating rate period”) at a floating rate per annum equal to the Benchmark Rate (which is expected to be Three Month Term SOFR) (each as defined in the prospectus supplement under “Description of Subordinated Notes—Interest”) plus a spread of 531 basis points for each quarterly interest period during the floating rate period; provided, however, that if the Benchmark Rate is less than zero, the Benchmark Rate shall be determined to be zero. |
| Interest Payment Dates: |
Fixed rate period: March 1 and September 1 of each year, commencing on March 1, 2021.
Floating rate period: March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1 of each year, commencing on December 1, 2025. |
| Record Dates: | The 15th calendar day immediately preceding the applicable interest payment date. |
| Day Count Convention: |
Fixed rate period: 30/360
Floating rate period: 360-day year and the number of days actually elapsed. |
| Optional Redemption: |
The Company may, at its option, beginning with the interest payment date of September 1, 2025, and on any interest payment date thereafter, redeem the notes, in whole or in part, from time to time, subject to obtaining the prior approval of the Federal Reserve to the extent such approval is then required under the rules of the Federal Reserve, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of redemption. |
| Special Redemption: | The Company may redeem the notes at any time prior to the Maturity Date, including prior to September 1, 2025, in whole, but not in part, subject to obtaining the prior approval of the Federal Reserve to the extent such approval is then required under the rules of the Federal Reserve, upon the occurrence if: (i) an amendment or change or prospective amendment or change in law occurs, or an administrative or judicial action is announced or taken or there is an amendment to or change in any official position or interpretation with respect to, an administrative or judicial decision or action or a law or regulation that differs from the previously generally accepted position or interpretation, in each case that, as a result of which, in our good faith determination, there is more than an insubstantial risk that interest payable on the notes will not be deductible by the Company, in whole or in part, for United States federal income tax purposes; (ii) a subsequent event occurs that, as a result of which, there is more than an insubstantial risk that the Company would not be entitled to treat the notes as Tier 2 capital for regulatory capital purposes; or (iii) the Company is required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; in each case, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date.. |
| Denominations: | $1,000 minimum denominations and $1,000 integral multiples thereof |
| Listing and Trading Markets: | The Company does not intend to list the notes on any securities exchange or to have the Notes quoted on a quotation system. Currently there is no public market for the Notes and there can be no assurances that any public market for the Notes will develop. |
| Underwriters’ Discount: |
1.75% for notes sold to institutional investors.
3.00% for notes sold to retail investors. |
| Use of Proceeds: | The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, repaying indebtedness, providing capital to support the growth of Sonabank and the Company’s business and investments in Sonabank as regulatory capital. |
| Price to Public: | 100% |
| CUSIP/ISIN: |
843395 AB0 / US843395AB03 |
| Book-Running Managers: | Janney Montgomery Scott LLC |
| Piper Sandler & Co | |
| Co-Managers: | Stephens Inc. |
The Company has filed a registration statement including a prospectus and a prospectus supplement with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and prospectus supplement in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus and the prospectus supplement if you request them by calling Janney Montgomery Scott LLC at (404) 601-7200.
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Pricing Term Sheet have the meanings given to them in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. This Pricing Term Sheet is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. The information in this Pricing Term Sheet supplements the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and supersedes the information in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement to the extent it is inconsistent with the information in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. Other information (including other financial information) presented in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement is deemed to have changed to the extent affected by the information contained herein.
ANNEX C
SUBSIDIARIES OF SOUTHERN NATIONAL BANCORP OF VIRGINIA, INC.
| Subsidiary | State of Incorporation | |
| Sonabank | Virginia | |
| Eastern Virginia Statutory Trust I | Connecticut |
EXHIBIT A
Form of CFO Certificate
CFO Certificate
Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, Inc.
August 25, 2020
The undersigned, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, Inc. (the “Company”), hereby certifies pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, dated August 20, 2020 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), by and between the Company and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, as the Representative of the several underwriters named therein, that as of the date hereof (Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement):
1. The undersigned is responsible for oversight and supervision of the Company’s financial and accounting functions and staff and knowledgeable about the internal accounting records and accounting practices, systems, policies and procedures of the Company.
2. The undersigned has reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
3. The undersigned has carefully reviewed the figures relating to the Company contained in the pages attached hereto as Exhibit A that are included in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (the “Financial Data”).
4. The Financial Data, in each place where such information appears, (a) is correct, complete and accurate in all material respects, subject to the limitations set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (b) has been derived from the Company’s accounting and financial books and records or internal analyses of the Company and its subsidiaries and prepared using accounting principles that are materially consistent with those used to prepare the audited financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the three months ended March 31, 2020 and the year ended December 31, 2019 and (c) has been prepared in good faith based upon the assumptions that the Company’s management believes are reasonable and consistent with the Company’s internal books and records and information systems.
5. Nothing has come to my attention that would cause me to believe that the Financial Data is not correct, complete and accurate in all material respects, subject to the limitations set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
I acknowledge and agree that: (a) the Underwriters are entitled to rely on this certificate in conducting and documenting their due diligence investigation of the Company in connection with the offering of the Securities; and (b) Alston & Bird, LLP, counsel to the Company and Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, counsel to the Underwriters, are entitled to rely on this certificate in connection with the opinion letters and disclosure letters those firms will deliver pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement. This certificate may not be relied upon for any other purpose or by any other party.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate as of the date first written above.
| SOUTHERN NATIONAL BANCORP OF VIRGINIA, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Jeffrey L. Karafa | |
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
[Signature Page to CFO Certificate]
Schedule I
The underwriting discount will be 3.00% for Securities sold to retail investors and 1.75% for Securities sold to institutional investors.
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