EX-1 2 l28816bexv1.htm EX-1 EX-1
 

Exhibit 1
CASCAL N.V.
16,705,314 Common Shares
Underwriting Agreement
[          ], 2008
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,
   As Representatives of the
   several Underwriters listed
   in Schedule 1 hereto
c/o J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
277 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10172
Ladies and Gentlemen:
     Cascal N.V., a Dutch public limited company (naamloze vennootschap or N.V.) (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), and Biwater Investments Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales (the “Selling Shareholder”), propose to sell to the several Underwriters, an aggregate of 16,705,314 common shares, par value EUR 0.50 per share, of the Company (the “Underwritten Shares”), of which 7,706,213 shares are to be issued and sold by the Company and 8,999,101 shares are to be sold by the Selling Shareholder, in each case, after giving effect to the (i) split of shares from a par value of EUR 5 per share to a par value of EUR 0.50 per share, (ii) conversion from two classes of common shares (A and B) to one class of common shares, (iii) increase of the authorized share capital from EUR 100,000 to EUR 50,000,000, (iv) issues of shares in the capital of the Company to the Selling Shareholder and (v) conversion of Cascal B.V. into Cascal N.V. whereby the Company was renamed Cascal N.V., all of which was effected by execution of various notarial deeds prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement (as defined below).
     The Selling Shareholder also proposes to sell to the several Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional 2,505,797 common shares of the Company (the “Option Shares”). The Underwritten Shares and the Option Shares are herein referred to as the “Shares”. The common shares of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are herein referred to as the “Stock”. The Company and the Selling Shareholder are herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Sellers.”
     The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:


 

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     1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement (File No. 333-148508) including a prospectus, relating to the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before it becomes effective, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. 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 time when sales of the Shares were first made (the “Time of Sale”), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the pricing information set forth on Annex E, the “Time of Sale Information”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated January 23, 2008, and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex D hereto.
     2. Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters. (a) Each Seller, severally and not jointly, agrees to sell 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 such Seller the number of Underwritten Shares that bears the same proportion to the number of Underwritten Shares to be sold by such Seller as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Underwritten Shares at a price per share (the “Purchase Price”) of $[].
     In addition, the Selling Shareholder agrees to sell the Option Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Selling Shareholder the Option Shares at the Purchase Price.
     If any Option Shares are to be purchased, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Option Shares which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares being


 

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purchased by the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional Shares as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make.
     The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase the Option Shares at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, only for the purpose of covering over-allotments that may be made in connection with the offering and distribution of the Underwritten Shares, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of this Agreement, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Shareholder. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the fifth business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least two business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein.
     The Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters hereby agree that up to 200,000 of the Underwritten Shares to be purchased by Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (the “Designated Underwriter”) under this Agreement (the “Directed Shares”) shall be reserved for sale by such Designated Underwriter for the Company’s employees and friends (the “Directed Share Purchasers”) as part of the distribution of the Underwritten Shares (the “Directed Share Program”). The Underwritten Shares to be reserved and sold by the Designated Underwriter pursuant to the Directed Share Program shall be sold by such Designated Underwriter at the public offering price and shall be subject to the terms of this Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations. To the extent that such Directed Shares are not orally confirmed for purchase by such persons by the end of the first day after this Agreement, such Directed Shares will be offered to the public as part of the offering contemplated hereby. Except as expressly provided in Section 9 hereof, under no circumstances will the Designated Underwriter or any other Underwriter be liable to the Company or to any of the Directed Share Purchasers for any action taken or omitted to be taken other than any such action or inaction resulting primarily from the bad faith or willful misconduct of the Designated Underwriter in connection with the Directed Share Program.
     (b) The Sellers understand that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Shares in the United States as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Sellers acknowledge and agree that the Underwriters may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Shares purchased by it to or through any Underwriter.
     (c) Payment for the Shares to be sold by each Seller shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by such Seller to the Representatives, in the case of the Underwritten Shares, at the offices of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, New York, New York, at 10:00 A.M. New York City time on January [       ], 2008, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives and the Sellers may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Option Shares,


 

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on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representatives in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the “Closing Date”, and the time and date for such payment for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date”.
     Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on such date in definitive form registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives shall request in writing not later than two business days prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of the Shares duly paid by the applicable Seller. The certificates for the Shares will be made available for inspection and packaging by the Representatives in the City of New York not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
     (d) Each of the Sellers acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to such Seller with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, such Seller or any other person. Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Sellers or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. Each of the Sellers shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and 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 such Seller 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 Sellers.
     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, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided 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 Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus; and provided, further, 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 the Selling Shareholder furnished to the Company by the Selling Shareholder expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus (the “Selling Shareholder Information”), it being


 

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understood and agreed by the parties hereto that the Selling Shareholder Information consists solely of the following: the use of the Selling Shareholder’s net proceeds to make a payment to the trustees of Biwater’s U.K. defined benefit pension plan, the amount of underfunding of Biwater’s U.K. defined benefit pension plan, information regarding the beneficial ownership of Biwater contained in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information under the heading “Principal and selling shareholders” and elsewhere in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, the information contained in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information under the heading “Relationships and transactions with related parties,” including the description of Biwater’s request for and grant of clearance by the U.K. Pensions Regulator in connection with Biwater’s purchase of n.v. Nuon’s interest in the Company, Biwater’s plan-specific deficit as of March 31, 2007 and the agreement between Biwater and the Trustees to terminate their right to merge the Water Company Section and the Main Section, and the fact that the Selling Shareholder expressly disclaims status as an “underwriter” under Section 2(11) of the Securities Act as set forth in the Prospectus and Time of Sale Information under the heading “Principal and selling shareholders.”
     (b) Time of Sale Information. The Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale did not, and at the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 Representatives expressly for use in such Time of Sale Information; and provided, further, that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Shareholder Information . No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Time of Sale Information and no statement of material fact included in the Time of Sale Information that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.
     (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 made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, 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 Shares (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 D hereto and other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representatives. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been 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 at the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a


 

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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 each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus; and provided, further, that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Shareholder Information.
     (d) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus or any wrapper or supplement prepared in connection with the distribution of the Directed Shares will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided 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 Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto; and provided, further, that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Shareholder Information.
     (e) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and of Aguas de Panamá, S.A., included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus or any wrapper or supplement prepared in connection with the distribution of the Directed Shares comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), as applicable, and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and Aguas de Panamá, S.A. as of the respective dates indicated and the results of their respective operations and the changes in their respective cash flows for the periods specified; the financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in The Netherlands (“Dutch GAAP”) and the financial statements of Aguas de Panamá, S.A. have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and, in each case, such financial statements contain all required reconciliations to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”)


 

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as required by the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, in each case applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein; the other financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus or any wrapper or supplement prepared in connection with the distribution of the Directed Shares has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries or Aguas de Panamá, S.A., as the case may be, and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby; and the pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, in all material respects, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
     (f) No Material Adverse Change. Except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus or any wrapper or supplement prepared in connection with the distribution of the Directed Shares, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock 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, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ 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 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 material loss or interference with its business 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.
     (g) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing, where such concept is applicable, under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, 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 have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company does not own or control, directly or


 

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indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement.
     (h) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information 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 except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company will conform on the Closing Date in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; 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 (except, in the case of any foreign subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares and except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus) 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 (except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus).
     (i) Due Authorization. The Company has the corporate, 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.
     (j) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
     (k) The Shares. The Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable and will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares to be sold by the Company is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
     (l) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its 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


 

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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, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
     (m) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance (in the case of the Shares to be sold by the Company) and sale of the Shares 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, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
     (n) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, 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 issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for (i) the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act, (ii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may have been obtained from or made with the Dutch Financial Markets Authority or as may be otherwise required under Dutch securities laws, Financial Markets Supervision Act (wet financiële toezicht) and filing of financial statements with the Dutch Financial Markets Authority as set forth in the Act on Supervision of Financial Reporting (wet financieel verslaggeving) or such reporting as may be required under the Act on Financial Foreign Relations and compliance by the Company with the registration requirements in respect of the Shares issued by it with the competent Commercial Register and (iii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters and any consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification that has been obtained or made.
     (o) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information 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, to their knowledge, may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or, to their knowledge, may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would reasonably


 

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be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; 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 that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information 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 or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
     (p) No Immunity. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any of its or their properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the laws of The Netherlands or the United Kingdom.
     (q) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountants N.V., who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are 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 Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and as required by the Securities Act. PricewaterhouseCoopers, S.A., who have certified certain financial statements of Aguas de Panamá, S.A., are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to Aguas de Panamá, S.A. within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the PCAOB and as required by the Securities Act.
     (r) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property 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) would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
     (s) 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; and to the knowledge of the Company, the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of infringement or conflict with any such rights of others.
     (t) 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, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that


 

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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 Time of Sale Information.
     (u) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” or be an entity “controlled” by 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, “Investment Company Act”).
     (v) Passive Foreign Investment Company. Based on the Company’s current and projected income, assets and activities, it does not expect to be classified as a Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) within the meaning of Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for its current taxable year or for any subsequent taxable year.
     (w) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof (taking into account any extensions), except for such taxes, if any, that are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided for under the Company’s consolidated financial statements, except where the failure to file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or would reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, except for such tax deficiency that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
     (x) 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 Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information 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.
     (y) 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, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
     (z) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except for any matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect,


 

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(i) the Company and its subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries.
     (aa) Benefit Plans. Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and its affiliates has been maintained in compliance in all material respects with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations; none of the Company, its affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents has engaged in a transaction that would subject the Company or any of its subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, to a tax or civil penalty that could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, the aggregate unfunded liabilities with respect to such plans would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and, except for deficits that could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions .
     (bb) Disclosure Controls. The Company maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it will file or submit 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.
     (cc) Accounting Controls. The Company maintains a system 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, the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the Company’s board of directors, management, and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are


 

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recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with and authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
     (dd) 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 to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
     (ee) 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; or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.
     (ff) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the 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 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.
     (gg) Compliance with OFAC. 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 currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.


 

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     (hh) No Duties or Other Taxes. No stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income, value-added, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters in The Netherlands solely in connection with (A) the issuance and delivery of the Shares in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus or (B) the sale and delivery by the Underwriters of the Shares as contemplated herein and the Prospectus.
     (ii) No Restrictions on Dividends. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, and except that for statistical purposes such payments and transactions must be reported by the Company to the Dutch Central Bank, under current laws and regulations of The Netherlands and any political subdivision thereof, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Shares may be paid by the Company to the holders thereof in U.S. dollars or euros that may be converted into foreign currency and freely transferred out of The Netherlands and all such payments made to holders thereof or therein who are non-residents of The Netherlands will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under laws and regulations of The Netherlands or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in The Netherlands or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in The Netherlands or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
     (jj) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. 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, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
     (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 Shares.
     (ll) No Registration Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, 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 Shares.
     (mm) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.


 

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     (nn) Business With Cuba. The Company has complied with all provisions of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes (Chapter 92-198, Laws of Florida) relating to doing business with the Government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba.
     (oo) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus will 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 Time of Sale Information and 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. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that 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 any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in any material respect with any applicable provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and any applicable rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans.
     (ss) Status under the Securities Act. The Company is not an ineligible issuer as defined under the Securities Act at the times specified in the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Shares.
     (tt) No Dutch Filings or Stamp Taxes. In order to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability and admissibility into evidence of the this Agreement in The Netherlands, it is not necessary that this Agreement or any other instrument or document be filed or recorded with any court or other authority in The Netherlands or that any stamp, registration or similar tax be paid in The Netherlands on or in respect of this Agreement or any such other document.
     (uu) Foreign Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
     (vv) Directed Share Program. The Company has not offered, or caused the Designated Underwriter to offer, any Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products and services.
     4. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder represents and warrants to each Underwriter and the Company that:


 

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     (a) Required Consents; Authority. All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery by the Selling Shareholder of this Agreement, and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder hereunder, have been obtained; and the Selling Shareholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and will, immediately prior to the Closing Date, have full right, power and authority to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder hereunder; this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Shareholder.
     (b) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Selling Shareholder of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder and the consummation by the Selling Shareholder of the transactions herein contemplated 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 Selling Shareholder pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Shareholder is a party or by which the Selling Shareholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Selling Shareholder is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association or similar organizational documents of the Selling Shareholder 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 agency, except in the cases of clauses (i) and (iii), as would not reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation by the Selling Shareholder of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
     (c) Title to Shares. The Selling Shareholder has good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date by the Selling Shareholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; the Selling Shareholder will have, immediately prior to the Closing Date good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date by the Selling Shareholder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; and, upon execution of the notarial deed of transfer in respect of such Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder and payment therefor pursuant hereto, and assuming that the Underwriters acquire their interest in the Shares they have purchased without notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”)), such Underwriters that have purchased Shares delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, to Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) by making payment therefor, as provided herein, and that have had such Shares credited to the securities account or accounts of such Underwriters maintained with DTC will have acquired a security entitlement (within the meaning of Section 8-102(a)(17) of the UCC) to such Shares purchased by such Underwriters, and no action based on an adverse claim, may be properly asserted against such Underwriters with respect to such Shares.
     (d) No Stabilization. The Selling Shareholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
     (e) Time of Sale Information. The Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to


 

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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 such Selling Shareholder 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 Representatives expressly for use in such Time of Sale Information. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Time of Sale Information and no statement of material fact included in the Time of Sale Information that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.
     (f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Selling Shareholder (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any 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 D hereto and other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Company and the Representatives.
     (g) Registration Statement and Prospectus. As of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided the Selling Shareholder 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 Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.
     (h) Material Information. As of the date hereof, as of the Closing Date, that the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder is not and will not be prompted by any material information concerning the Company which is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus.
     (i) No Duties or Other Taxes. No stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters and the Selling Shareholder in The Netherlands solely in connection with (A) the issuance and delivery of the Shares in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus or (B) the sale and delivery by the Underwriters of the Shares as contemplated herein and the Prospectus.
     5. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:


 

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     (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 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., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request.
     (b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives, three 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 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 each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives 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 Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares 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 Shares 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, whether before or after the time that the Registration Statement becomes effective, the Company will furnish to the Representatives 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 Representatives reasonably object.
     (d) Notice to the Representatives. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed; (iv) 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; (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information 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 required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Time of


 

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Sale Information or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
     (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 required to be stated therein or 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 Representatives 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 Time of Sale Information 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, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information 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 Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Information as may be necessary so that the statements in the Time of Sale Information as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Information will comply with law.
     (f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares.
     (g) Earning Statement. The Company will timely submit such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary to make generally available within the meaning of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as reasonably 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. For a period of 180 days after the date of the initial public offering of the Shares, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, other than the Shares to be sold hereunder and any shares of Stock of the Company issued upon the exercise of options granted under existing employee stock option plans. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
     (i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares to be issued by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information 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 would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
     (k) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”).
     (l) Reports. So long as the Shares are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares generally, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national or foreign securities exchange or automatic quotation system.
     (m) 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.
     (n) Filings. The Company will file with the Commission such reports as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.
     (o) Tax Indemnity. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any documentary, stamp, registration or similar tax, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, issue and sale of the Shares by the Company to the Underwriters and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All indemnity payments to be made by the Company


 

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hereunder in respect of this Section 5(o) shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order to ensure that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made. The indemnity obligations set forth in this Section 5(o) shall be exclusive of, and in addition to, the obligations of indemnity and contribution set forth in Section 9 of this Agreement and any other obligation of the Company to pay any sum or amount set forth in this Agreement.
     (p) PFIC Status. For the period of five years from the Closing Date, the Company will monitor its PFIC status and conduct its affairs so as not to become a PFIC.
     (q) Restriction of Directed Shares. In connection with the Directed Share Program, the Company will ensure that the Directed Shares will be restricted to the extent required by the FINRA. The Designated Underwriter will notify the Company as to which potential Directed Share Purchasers, if any, will need to be so restricted.
     6. Further Agreements of the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
     (a) Clear Market. For a period of 180 days after the date of the initial public offering of the Shares, the Selling Shareholder will not (i) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (iii) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock without the prior written consent of the Representatives, in each case other than the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder hereunder or which are transferred to direct or indirect subsidiaries or joint ventures of Biwater plc.; provided, however, that it shall be a condition to any such transfer that (i) no filing by any party (transferor or transferee) with the Commission shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer during the lock-up period, as such may be extended, and (ii) the transferee agrees in writing to be bound by the restrictions set forth in this Section 6(a). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions described herein shall not apply to (A) any pledge of Shares in existence at the time of the execution and delivery of this Agreement for the


 

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purpose of securing credit facilities and that is referred to in footnote (5) to the table contained in “Principal and selling shareholders” in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information or (B) any pledge in respect of bona fide credit facilities incurred following the execution and delivery of this Agreement in any amount, the proceeds of which are to be used in connection with the business of Biwater (as defined in the Prospectus); provided, however, that it shall be a condition to the continued exclusion of any such pledge that no filing by any party (pledgor or pledgee) with the Commission shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such pledge during the lock-up period, as such may be extended; and provided, further, that it shall be a condition to any pledge described in (B) in respect of such credit facilities that do not represent the refinancing or replacement of credit facilities referred to in (A) up to the maximum amount of such credit facilities so refinanced or replaced, that any pledgee who acquires such pledge agrees in writing to be bound by the restrictions set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) of this Section 6(a).
     (b) Tax Form. It will deliver to the Representatives prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by the Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) in order to facilitate the Underwriters’ documentation of their compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated.
     (c) Tax Indemnity. The Selling Shareholder will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any documentary, stamp, registration or similar tax, including any interest and penalties, on the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder to the Underwriters and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Selling Shareholder. All indemnity payments to be made by the Selling Shareholder hereunder in respect of this Section 6(c) shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless the Selling Shareholder is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Selling Shareholder shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order to ensure that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made. The indemnity obligations set forth in this Section 6(c) shall be exclusive of, and in addition to, the obligations of indemnity and contribution set forth in Section 9 of this Agreement and any other obligation of the Selling Shareholder to pay any sum or amount set forth in this Agreement.
     7. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:
     (a) It has not used 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


 

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filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex D or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 5(c) above, 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”).
     (b) It has not distributed and will not distribute any Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus referred to in clause (a)(i) in a manner reasonably designed to lead to its broad unrestricted dissemination.
     (c) It has not used and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Shares unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission; provided that Underwriters may use a term sheet substantially in the form of Annex E hereto without the consent of the Company; provided further that any Underwriter using such term sheet shall notify the Company, and provide a copy of such term sheet to the Company, prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the first use of such term sheet.
     (d) It will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each free writing prospectus used or referred to by it, in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
     (e) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
     8. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 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 5(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.
     (b) Representations and Warranties. The respective representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholder contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers and the Selling Shareholder made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.


 

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     (c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act 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 securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (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(f) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Time of Sale Information (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 Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
     (e) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of (A) the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations set forth in Sections 3(b), 3(c) 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 such Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above and (B) of the Selling Shareholder, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, (i) confirming that the representations of the Selling Shareholder set forth in Sections 4(e), 4(f) and 4(g) hereof are true and correct and (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Selling Shareholder in this agreement are true and correct and that the Selling Shareholder has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on their part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date.
     (f) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, each of PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountants N.V. and PricewaterhouseCoopers, S.A. shall have furnished to the Representatives, 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 Representatives, 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 contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; provided, that the letters delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be shall


 

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use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
     (g) Opinions of Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received, at the Company’s request, in each case dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and in each case addressed to the Underwriters and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, (i) the written opinion of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P., special U.S. securities counsel to the Company, to the effect set forth in Annex A and (ii) the written opinion of Stibbe New York B.V. P.C., Dutch counsel to the Company, to the effect set forth in Annex B.
     (h) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholder. Herbert Smith LLP, U.K. counsel for the Selling Shareholder, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Selling Shareholder, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C hereto.
     (i) Opinions of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, (i) an opinion of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, special U.S. counsel to the Underwriters, and (ii) an opinion of De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Dutch counsel to the Underwriters, in each case with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and in each case counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may each 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 or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares.
     (k) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries listed in Annex G hereto in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing (to the extent such concept is legally relevant) as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as of a date within three business days prior to the Closing Date as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
     (l) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance.
     (m) Lock-up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between you and the parties listed on Annex F hereto relating to sales and


 

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certain other dispositions of shares of Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
     (n) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives 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.
     9. Indemnification and Contribution.
     (a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers 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) or 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 Time of Sale Information (including any Time of Sale Information that has subsequently been amended) or any wrapper or supplement prepared in connection with the distribution of the Directed Shares, 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, 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 Information (as defined below) or Selling Shareholder Information.
     (b) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers 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 to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above but only in connection with statements and omissions relating to the Selling Shareholder Information, and, 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 in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or


 

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any Time of Sale Information or any wrapper or supplement prepared in connection with the distribution of the Directed Shares, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (c) below; provided, however, that the liability of the Selling Shareholder under this Section 9 shall not exceed the product of the number of Shares sold by the Selling Shareholder and the initial public offering price of the Shares as set forth in the Prospectus.
     (c) Indemnification of the Company and the Selling Shareholder. 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 and the Selling Shareholder 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 Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information (the “Underwriter Information”), it being understood and agreed by the parties hereto that the Underwriter Information consists solely of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” and the information contained in the twelfth and thirteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting.”
     (d) Directed Shares. In connection with the offer and sale of Directed Shares, the Company agrees, promptly upon written notice, to indemnify and hold harmless the Designated Underwriter from and against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such Designated Underwriter (i) as a result of the failure of any Directed Share Purchaser, who makes an oral agreement, properly confirmed by the Underwriters, to purchase Directed Shares within twenty-four hours of establishing the public offer price, to pay for and accept delivery of the Directed Shares, and (ii) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program, other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) that, in the final nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, have resulted primarily from the bad faith or willful misconduct of the Designated Underwriter in connection with the Directed Share Program.
     (e) 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 paragraphs (a) through (d) 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 this Section 9 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 this Section 9. If any such proceeding shall be brought or


 

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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 or (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding 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 and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., 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 and any such separate firm for the Selling Shareholder shall be designated in writing by the Selling Shareholder. 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.
     (f) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) through (d) 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 Shares 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


 

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fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, 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 and the Selling Shareholder, 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 and the Selling Shareholder from the sale of the Shares 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 Shares. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, 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 and the Selling Shareholder or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
     (g) Limitation on Liability. The Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 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 (f) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (f) 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 9, 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 Shares 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. 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 9 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
     (h) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 9 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.
     10. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
     11. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholder, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or


 

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materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., 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 by authorities in the United Kingdom or The Netherlands; 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 Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
     12. Defaulting Underwriter. (a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Shares on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company and the Selling Shareholder may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company, counsel for the Selling Shareholder 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 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 12, purchases Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
     (b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholder as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
     (c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company


 

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and the Selling Shareholder as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 13 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 9 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
     (d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company, the Selling Shareholder or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
     13. Payment of Expenses. (a) 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 Shares 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 Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the costs of reproducing and distributing this Agreement; (iv) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel (including foreign counsel) and independent accountants; (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (viii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.; (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors; and (x) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.
     (b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11, (ii) the Company or the Selling Shareholder for any reason fails to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel (including foreign counsel)) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
     14. 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


 

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and directors and any controlling persons referred to in Section 9 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 Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
     15. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Shareholder or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares 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, the Selling Shareholder or the Underwriters.
     16. 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, Amsterdam or London; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
     17. Miscellaneous. (a) Authority of the Representatives. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. or Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. or Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC shall be binding upon the Underwriters.
     (b) 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 Representatives c/o J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172 (fax: (212) 622-8358); Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk and c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010 (fax: []); Attention: Investment Banking Department — Transactions Advisory Group. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at Cascal N.V., Biwater House, Station Approach, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1TZ, UK, (fax: []); Attention: []. Notices to the Selling Shareholder shall be given to it at Biwater Investments Limited, Biwater House, Station Approach, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1TZ, UK, (fax: [ ]); Attention [ ].
     (c) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
     (d) Jurisdiction. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder agrees that any suit, action or proceeding against it brought by any Underwriter, the directors, officers and employees of any Underwriter, or by any person who controls any Underwriter, arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in any federal or state court (each a “New York Court”) located in the State of New York, County of New York, and waives, to the full extent permitted by law, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the non-


 

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exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder has appointed CT Corporation System as its authorized agent (the “Authorized Agent”) upon whom process may be served in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein which may be instituted in any New York Court, by any Underwriter, the directors, officers and employees of any Underwriter, or by any person who controls any Underwriter, and expressly accepts the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder hereby represents and warrants that the Authorized Agent has accepted such appointment and has agreed to act as said agent for service of process, and each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect as aforesaid. Service of process upon the Authorized Agent shall be deemed, in every respect, effective service of process upon the Company or the Selling Shareholder, as applicable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action arising out of or based upon this Agreement may be instituted by any Underwriter, the directors, officers and employees of any Underwriter, or by any person who controls any Underwriter, in any court of competent jurisdiction in The Kingdom of the Netherlands. The provisions of this Section 17(d) shall survive any termination of this Agreement, in whole or in part.
     (e) Currency. Each reference in this Agreement to U.S. dollars (the “relevant currency”) is of the essence. To the full extent permitted by law, the obligations of each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder in respect of any amount due under this Agreement will, notwithstanding any payment in any other currency (whether pursuant to a judgment or otherwise), be discharged only to the extent of the amount in the relevant currency that the party entitled to receive such payment may, in accordance with its normal procedures, purchase with the sum paid in such other currency (after any premium and costs of exchange) on the business day immediately following the day on which such party receives such payment. If the amount in the relevant currency that may be so purchased for any reason falls short of the amount originally due, the Company or the Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, will pay such additional amounts, in the relevant currency, as may be necessary to compensate for the shortfall.
     (f) 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.
     (g) 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.
     (h) 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.


 

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     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
         
    Very truly yours,
 
       
    CASCAL N.V.
 
       
 
  By:    
 
       
 
  Title:    
 
       
 
       
    BIWATER INVESTMENTS LIMITED
 
       
 
  By:    
 
       
 
  Title:    
 
       
Accepted:                     , 2008
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC
   For themselves and on behalf of the
   several Underwriters listed
   in Schedule 1 hereto.
         
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.    
 
       
By:
       
 
       
Title:
       
 
       
 
       
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC    
 
       
By:
       
 
       
Title:
       
 
       


 

 

Schedule 1
         
Underwriter   Number of Shares
 
       
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
    7,183,285  
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
    5,679,806  
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
    2,004,638  
HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
    1,837,585  
     
Total
    16,705,314  


 

 

Annex D
Not applicable.


 

 

Annex E
Cascal N.V.
Pricing Terms
1.   Public offering price of [Underwritten] Shares: $[     ] per share
 
2.   Number of [Underwritten] Shares sold by the Company: [     ] shares
 
3.   Number of [Underwritten] Shares sold by the Selling Shareholder [ ] shares


 

 

Annex F
List of Individuals Subject to Lock-Up Agreements
     
Name   Position
 
   
Larry Magor
  Director, Chairman
Stephane Richer
  Chief Executive Officer and Director
Steve Hollinshead
  Chief Financial Officer
David Sayers
  Chief Commercial Officer
Brian Winfield
  Chief Growth Officer
Charles Auster
  Director nominee
Willy Biewinga
  Director nominee
Mitchell Sonkin
  Director nominee
Michael Wager
  Director nominee


 

 

Annex G
List of Subsidiaries of the Company
Cascal Services Ltd
Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water Holdings Ltd
Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water Plc
Pre-Heat Ltd
Cascal (Chile) S.A.
Aguas Santiago S.A.
Aguas Chacabuco S.A.
Bayesa S.A. (Biwater Aguas y Ecologia S.A.)
The Greater Nelspruit Utility Co. (Pty) Ltd
Cascal Operations (Pty) Ltd
Siza Water Co. (Pty) Ltd
Aguas de Panama, S.A.
The China Water Company Ltd
The China Water Company (Xinmin) Ltd
The China Water Company (Yanjiao) Ltd
The China Water Company (Qitaihe) Ltd
The China Water Company (Fuzhou) Ltd
CWC Water Management Co. Ltd
(Shenyang) Xinmin CWC Water Company Ltd
Sanhe Yanjiao CWC Water Company Ltd
Qitaihe CWC Water Company Ltd
Fuzhou CWC Water Company Ltd
PT Adhya Tirta Batam
Subic Water & Sewerage Co. Inc
PT Adhya Tirta Sriwijaya
Cascal BV
Biwater BV


 

 

Exhibit A
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
[], 2008
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,
   As Representatives of
   the several Underwriters listed in
   Schedule 1 to the Underwriting
   Agreement referred to below
c/o J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
277 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10172
     Re: Cascal N.V. -— Public Offering
Ladies and Gentlemen:
     The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Cascal N.V., a Dutch public limited company (naamloze vennootschap or N.V.) (the “Company”), and Biwater Investments Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales, providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”) of the common shares of the Company (the “Securities”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
     In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Securities, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. (“JPMorgan”) and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (“Credit Suisse”) on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of the common shares, $[] per share par value, of the Company (the “Common Shares”) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares (including without limitation, Common Shares that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the


 

2

rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant) or (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of JPMorgan and Credit Suisse, it will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the restrictions imposed by this Letter Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
     Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Shares (i) by bona fide gift, will or intestacy, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned or, if the undersigned is a trust, to the undersigned’s beneficiaries, provided that the trustee of the trust or the undersigned, respectively, agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (iii) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership or a limited liability company, to its shareholders, subsidiaries, partners, members or affiliates, provided that the recipient agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value; or (iv) with the prior written consent of JPMorgan and Credit Suisse on behalf of the Underwriters; provided, however, that for any transfer or distribution in each of clauses (i) through (iv) above it shall be a condition to any such transfer or distribution that no filing by any party (transferor or transferee) with the Commission shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer during the lock-up period, as such may be extended. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.
     In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.
     The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
     The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive


 

3

termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Shares to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released form all obligations under this Letter Agreement. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.
     This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.
         
  Very truly yours,
 
 
  By:      
    Name:      
    Title: