Exhibit 10.1
Dream Finders Homes, Inc.
$300,000,000 8.250% Senior Notes due 2028
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
August 8, 2023
BofA Securities, Inc.
As Representative of the Initial Purchasers
One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introductory. Dream Finders Homes, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”) and the other several Initial Purchasers named in Schedule A (the “Initial Purchasers”), acting severally and not jointly, the respective amounts set forth in such Schedule A of $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 8.250% Senior Notes due 2028 (the “Notes”). BofAS has agreed to act as the representative of the several Initial Purchasers (the “Representative”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities (as defined below).
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Securities offered hereby to repay a portion of outstanding indebtedness under its senior unsecured credit facility, dated January 25, 2021, among the Company, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and the other agents and lenders party thereto (as amended by the First Amendment and Commitment Increase Agreement to the Credit Agreement, dated September 8, 2021, the Joinder, Commitment Increase, and Reallocation Agreement to the Credit Agreement, dated September 29, 2021, as amended and restated on June 2, 2022, as amended by the second amendment and third amendment, dated July 19, 2023 and as the same may be further amended, restated, amended and restated from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) and for general corporate purposes.
The Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture, to be dated as of the Closing Date (as defined below) (the “Indenture”), by and among the Company, the guarantors party thereto from time to time and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”). The Notes will be issued only in book-entry form in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”), pursuant to a blanket letter of representations to be dated on or before the Closing Date (including the applicable Rule 144A and Regulation S riders thereto) (the “DTC Letter of Representations”), between the Company and the Depositary.
The payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on the Closing Date on a senior unsecured basis and in the respective forms contemplated by the Indenture (the “Guarantees”), jointly and severally, by (i) each of the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries that is a borrower or guarantor under the Credit Agreement as of the date of this Agreement (such subsidiaries collectively, each of which is listed on Schedule B hereto, the “Guarantors”) and (ii) any other subsidiary of the Company that executes a supplemental indenture in accordance with the terms of the Indenture. The Notes and the Guarantees are herein collectively referred to as the “Securities.”
For purposes of this Agreement, (A) the term “Transactions” refers collectively to the (i) issuance and sale of the Securities pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Indenture and the use of proceeds thereof as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (as defined below), (ii) execution of this Agreement, and the Indenture, and (iii) payment of all related fees and expenses in connection with the foregoing and (B) the term “Transaction Documents” refers to this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities.
The Company understands that the Initial Purchasers propose to make an offering of the Securities on the terms and in the manner set forth herein and in the Pricing Disclosure Package and agrees that the Initial Purchasers may resell, subject to the conditions set forth herein, all or a portion of the Securities to purchasers (the “Subsequent Purchasers”) on the terms set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package (the first time when sales of the Securities are made is referred to as the “Time of Sale”). The Securities are to be offered and sold to or through the Initial Purchasers without being registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended, the “Securities Act,” which term, as used herein, includes the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder), in reliance upon exemptions therefrom. Pursuant to the terms of the Securities and the Indenture, investors who acquire Securities shall be deemed to have agreed that Securities may only be resold or otherwise transferred, after the date hereof, if such Securities are registered for sale under the Securities Act or if an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available (including the exemptions afforded by Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Rule 144A”) or Regulation S under the Securities Act (“Regulation S”)).
The Company has prepared and delivered to each Initial Purchaser copies of a preliminary offering memorandum, dated August 7, 2023 (the “Preliminary Offering Memorandum”), and has prepared and delivered to each Initial Purchaser copies of a pricing supplement, dated August 8, 2023 (the “Pricing Supplement”), describing the terms of the Securities, each for use by such Initial Purchaser in connection with its solicitation of offers to purchase the Securities. The Preliminary Offering Memorandum and the Pricing Supplement are herein referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.” Promptly after this Agreement is executed and delivered, the Company will prepare and deliver to each Initial Purchaser a final offering memorandum dated the date hereof (the “Final Offering Memorandum”).
All references herein to the terms “Pricing Disclosure Package” and “Final Offering Memorandum” shall be deemed to mean and include all information filed by the Company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended, the “Exchange Act,” which term, as used herein, includes the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder) prior to the Time of Sale and incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package (including the Preliminary Offering Memorandum) or the Final Offering Memorandum (as the case may be), and all references herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Final Offering Memorandum shall be deemed to mean and include all information filed under the Exchange Act after the Time of Sale and incorporated by reference in the Final Offering Memorandum.
The Company and each of the Guarantors hereby confirms its agreements with the Initial Purchasers as follows:
SECTION 1.Representations and Warranties. Each of the Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Initial Purchaser that, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date (references in this Section 1 to the “Offering Memorandum” are to (x) the Pricing Disclosure Package in the case of representations and warranties made as of the date hereof and (y) the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Offering Memorandum in the case of representations and warranties made as of the Closing Date):
(a) No Registration Required. Subject to compliance by the Initial Purchasers with the representations and warranties set forth in Section 2 hereof and with the applicable procedures set forth in Section 7 hereof, it is not necessary in connection with the offer, sale and delivery of the Securities to the Initial Purchasers and to each Subsequent Purchaser in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Offering Memorandum to register the Securities under the Securities Act or to qualify the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (as amended, the “Trust Indenture Act,” which term, as used herein, includes the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder).
(b) No Integration of Offerings or General Solicitation. None of the Company, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501 under the Securities Act) (each, an “Affiliate”), or any person acting on its or any of their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to whom the Company and the Guarantors make no representation or warranty) has, directly or indirectly, solicited any offer to buy or offered to sell, or will, directly or indirectly, solicit any offer to buy or offer to sell, in the United States or to any United States citizen or resident, any security which is or would be integrated with the sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the Securities to be registered under the Securities Act. None of the Company, its Affiliates, or any person acting on its or any of their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to whom the Company and the Guarantors make no representation or warranty) has engaged or will engage, in connection with the offering of the Securities, in any form of general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502 under the Securities Act or in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. With respect to those Securities sold in reliance upon Regulation S, (i) none of the Company, the Guarantors, their respective Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to whom the Company and the Guarantors make no representation or warranty) has engaged or will engage in any directed selling efforts within the meaning of Regulation S and (ii) each of the Company, the Guarantors and their respective Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to whom the Company and the Guarantors make no representation or warranty) has complied and will comply with the offering restrictions set forth in Regulation S in connection with the offering of the Securities outside the United States and, in connection therewith, the Offering Memorandum will contain the disclosure required by Rule 902.
(c) Eligibility for Resale under Rule 144A. The Securities are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A and will not be, at the Closing Date, of the same class as securities listed on a national securities exchange registered under Section 6 of the Exchange Act or quoted in a U.S. automated interdealer quotation system.
(d) The Pricing Disclosure Package and Offering Memorandum. Neither the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Time of Sale, nor the Final Offering Memorandum, as of its date or (as amended or supplemented in accordance with Section 3(a), as applicable) as of the Closing Date, contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that this representation, warranty and agreement shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Offering Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any Initial Purchaser through the Representative expressly for use in the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Offering Memorandum or amendment or supplement thereto, as the case may be, it being acknowledged and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Initial Purchasers as aforesaid consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof. The Pricing Disclosure Package contains or incorporates by reference, and the Final Offering Memorandum will contain or incorporate by reference, all the information specified in, and meeting the requirements of, Rule 144A.
The Company and the Guarantors have not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Initial Purchasers’ distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Offering Memorandum.
(e) Company Additional Written Communications. Neither the Company, the Guarantors nor any of their agents and representatives has prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or distributed and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or distribute any written communication that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities other than (i) the Pricing Disclosure Package, (ii) the Final Offering Memorandum and (iii) any electronic road show or other written communications, in each case used in accordance with Section 3(a). Each such communication by the Company and the Guarantors or their agents and representatives pursuant to clause (iii) of the preceding sentence (each, a “Company Additional Written Communication”), when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, did not as of the Time of Sale, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that this representation, warranty and agreement shall not apply to statements in or omissions from each such Company Additional Written Communication made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any Initial Purchaser through the Representative expressly for use in any Company Additional Written Communication, it being acknowledged and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Initial Purchasers as aforesaid consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(f) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission (collectively, the “Incorporated Documents”) complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act. Each such Incorporated Document, when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, did not as of the Time of Sale and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(g) The Purchase Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantors.
(h) The DTC Letter of Representations. The DTC Letter of Representations has been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by, and will constitute a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) (the “Enforceability Exceptions”).
(i) Authorization of the Notes and the Guarantees. The Notes to be purchased by the Initial Purchasers from the Company will on the Closing Date be in the form contemplated by the Indenture, have been duly authorized by the Company for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and the Indenture and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture. The Guarantees of the Notes have been duly authorized by the
Guarantors for issuance pursuant to this Agreement and the Indenture; the Guarantees of the Notes, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by each of the Guarantors and, when the Notes have been authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and issued and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor, the Guarantees of the Notes will constitute valid and binding agreements of the Guarantors, enforceable against the Guarantors in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(j) Authorization of the Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and the Guarantors and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantors and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantors, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantors in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions.
(k) Description of the Transaction Documents. The Transaction Documents will conform in all material respects to the respective statements relating thereto contained in the Offering Memorandum.
(l) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Offering Memorandum (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Offering Memorandum, (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto): (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs, properties or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”) and (B) there have been no transactions entered into or liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, incurred by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.
(m) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who delivered its opinion with respect to the audited financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, included or incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company, as required by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(n) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements, together with the related schedules and notes, included or incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The summary financial data included or incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference therein. The statistical and market-related data and forward-looking statements included or incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum are based on or derived from sources that the Company and the Guarantors believe, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate in all material respects and represent their good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources. To the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum fairly presents in all material respects the required information and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(o) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Offering Memorandum and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Offering Memorandum and, in the case of the Guarantors, to enter into and perform its obligations under each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party. Each subsidiary of the Company is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Offering Memorandum, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (A) the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and (B) certain other subsidiaries which, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, do not constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.
(q) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum, as amended or supplemented at such date (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit or equity incentive plans referred to in the Offering Memorandum (including by incorporation by reference) or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Offering Memorandum (including by incorporation by reference)).
(r) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. None of the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound (including, without limitation, the Credit Agreement) or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of
its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, therein and in the Offering Memorandum by the Company and the Guarantors (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company and the Guarantors with their respective obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or similar action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of (A) the charter, by-laws or similar organizational document of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (B) any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity, except in the case of clause (B), as would not singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(s) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors, is imminent that would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Offering Memorandum, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or which has the subject thereof any of their respective properties or assets is, or to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors would reasonably be expected to be, subject, which might result individually or in the aggregate in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Transaction Documents or the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their respective obligations thereunder. There are no current or pending actions, suits, proceedings, inquiries or investigations before or brought by any Governmental Entity that are not described in the Offering Memorandum that are necessary to be described in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(u) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree (collectively “Consent”) of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their respective obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except (i) such Consents as are required under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and state securities or “Blue Sky” laws of any jurisdiction, (ii) such Consents as have been obtained or will be obtained prior to the Closing Date or (iii) such Consents that, if not obtained, could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or adversely impair the ability of the Company and the Guarantors to consummate the Transactions.
(v) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company, the Guarantors and their respective subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, except where the failure to so own or possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company, the Guarantors nor any of their respective subsidiaries has received any notice of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property that would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company, the Guarantors or any of their respective subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them that are material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the Offering Memorandum or (B) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Offering Memorandum, are in full force and effect, with such exceptions as would not reasonably be expected to have, singly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(y) Payment of Taxes. All United States federal income tax returns of the Company and its subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, federal, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not individually or in the aggregate result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company as applicable in accordance with GAAP. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined.
(z) Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any Guarantor is required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Offering Memorandum will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(aa) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. None of the Company or any Guarantor has reason to believe that it or any of their respective subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result singly or in the aggregate in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage that it has sought or for which it has applied.
(bb) Absence of Manipulation. None of the Company, any of the Guarantors or any of their respective affiliates has taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(cc) Solvency. Each of the Company and the Guarantors is, and immediately after the Closing Date will be, Solvent. As used herein, the term “Solvent” means, with respect to any person on a particular date, that on such date (i) the fair market value of the assets of such person is greater than the total amount of liabilities (including contingent liabilities) of such person, (ii) the present fair salable value of the assets of such person is greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liabilities of such person on its debts as they become absolute and matured, (iii) such person is able to realize upon its assets and pay its debts and other liabilities, including contingent obligations, as they mature and (iv) such person does not have unreasonably small capital.
(dd) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(ee) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, maintain a system of internal controls over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13-a15 and 15d-15 under the regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act) that is in compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and is sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum fairly present the information called for in all material respects and are prepared in all material respects in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as described in the Offering Memorandum, since the end of the most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(ff) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Offering Memorandum or as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) none of the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of, or subject to any costs, obligations or liabilities under or relating to, any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, release, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors, threatened, administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, decrees, orders, judgments, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation or liability, investigations or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective properties, and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting, or result in a violation or liability of or relating to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
(gg) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Offering Memorandum, none of the Company or any Guarantor (i) has any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Initial Purchaser or (ii) intends to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Initial Purchaser.
(hh) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company and its subsidiaries in the reports to be filed or furnished under the Exchange Act is made known to the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of the Company, and such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably effective to perform the functions for which they were established subject to the limitations of any such control system.
(ii) Regulations T, U, X. Neither the Company nor any Guarantor nor any of their respective subsidiaries nor any agent thereof acting on their behalf has taken, and none of them will take, any action that might cause this Agreement or the issuance or sale of the Securities to violate Regulation T, Regulation U or Regulation X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
(jj) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law, including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA or other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for
foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA or other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors, its Affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and the other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(kk) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors, threatened.
(ll) OFAC. None of the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, or so-called Luhansk People’s Republic or any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, and the Crimea region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other Person, to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering and sale of the Securities, whether as underwriter, initial purchaser, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company, the Guarantors and their respective subsidiaries, to their knowledge, have not engaged in and are not now engaged in any dealings or transactions with any Person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with or in any Sanctioned Country.
(nn) Cybersecurity. (A) There has been no security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s, the Guarantors’ and their respective subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company, the Guarantors and their respective subsidiaries, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company, the Guarantors and their respective subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”); (B) neither the Company, the Guarantors nor their respective subsidiaries have been notified of, and each of them have no knowledge of any event or condition that could result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data and (C) the Company, the Guarantors and their respective subsidiaries have implemented appropriate controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable regulatory standards, in each case except as would not reasonably be expected to have, singly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
The Company, the Guarantors and their respective subsidiaries are presently in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company or any Guarantor and delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Initial Purchasers shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company and the Guarantors to each Initial Purchaser as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2.Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Securities.
(a)The Securities. Each of the Company and the Guarantors agrees to issue and sell to the Initial Purchasers, severally and not jointly, all of the Securities, and, subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Initial Purchasers agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Guarantors, the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their names on Schedule A, at a purchase price of 98.50% of the principal amount thereof payable on the Closing Date, in each case, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms herein set forth.
(b)The Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Securities in definitive form to be purchased by the Initial Purchasers and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017 (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representative) at 9:00 a.m. New York City time, on August 22, 2023, or such other time and date as the Representative shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”). The Company hereby acknowledges that circumstances under which the Representative may provide notice to postpone the Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are in no way limited to, any determination by the Company or the Initial Purchasers to recirculate to investors copies of an amended or supplemented Offering Memorandum or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 17 hereof.
(c)Delivery of the Securities. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Representative for the accounts of the several Initial Purchasers certificates for the Securities at the Closing Date against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The certificates for the Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of the Depositary, pursuant to the DTC Letter of Representations, and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the Closing Date at a location in New York City, as the Representative may designate. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Initial Purchasers.
(d)Initial Purchasers as Qualified Institutional Buyers. Each Initial Purchaser severally and not jointly represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Company that:
(i) it will offer and sell Securities only to (a) persons who it reasonably believes are “qualified institutional buyers” within the meaning of Rule 144A (“Qualified Institutional Buyers”) in transactions meeting the requirements of Rule 144A or (b) upon the terms and conditions set forth in Annex I to this Agreement;
(ii) it is an institutional “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act; and
(iii) it will not offer or sell Securities by, any form of general solicitation or general advertising, including but not limited to the methods described in Rule 502(c) under the Securities Act.
SECTION 3.Additional Covenants. Each of the Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, further covenants and agrees with each Initial Purchaser as follows:
(a) Preparation of Final Offering Memorandum; Initial Purchasers’ Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements and Company Additional Written Communications. As promptly as practicable following the Time of Sale and in any event not later than the second business day following the date hereof, the Company will prepare and deliver to the Initial Purchasers the Final Offering Memorandum, which shall consist of the Preliminary Offering Memorandum as modified only by the information contained in the Pricing Supplement. The Company will not amend or supplement the Preliminary Offering Memorandum or the Pricing Supplement except as contemplated below, in which case the Company shall have previously furnished a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement to the Representative and the Representative shall not have objected. The Company will not amend or supplement the Final Offering Memorandum prior to the Closing Date unless the Representative shall previously have been furnished a copy of the proposed amendment or supplement at least two business days prior to the proposed use or filing, and shall not have objected to such amendment or supplement. Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving or distributing any Company Additional Written Communication, the Company will furnish to the Representative a copy of such written communication for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve or distribute any such written communication to which the Representative reasonably objects.
(b) Amendments and Supplements to the Final Offering Memorandum and Other Securities Act Matters. If at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which any of the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement any of the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company and the Guarantors will promptly notify the Initial Purchasers thereof and forthwith prepare and (subject to Section 3(a) hereof) furnish to the Initial Purchasers such amendments or supplements to any of the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in any of the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, be misleading or so that any of the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with all applicable law. If, prior to the completion of the placement of the Securities by the Initial Purchasers with the Subsequent Purchasers, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Final Offering Memorandum, as then amended or supplemented, in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Final Offering Memorandum is delivered to a Subsequent Purchaser, not misleading, or if in the judgment of the Representative or counsel for the Representative it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Final Offering Memorandum to comply with law, the Company and the Guarantors agree to promptly prepare (subject to Section 3 hereof), file with the Commission (solely with respect to any documents incorporated by reference) and furnish at its own expense to the Initial Purchasers, amendments or supplements to the Final Offering Memorandum so that the statements in the Final Offering Memorandum as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances at the Closing Date and at the time of sale of Securities, be misleading or so that the Final Offering Memorandum, as amended or supplemented, will comply with all applicable law.
The Company and the Guarantors hereby expressly acknowledge that the indemnification and contribution provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereof are specifically applicable and relate to each offering memorandum, amendment or supplement referred to in this Section 3.
(c) Copies of the Offering Memorandum. The Company agrees to furnish the Initial Purchasers, without charge, as many copies of the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Offering Memorandum and any amendments and supplements thereto as they shall reasonably request.
(d) Blue Sky Compliance. Each of the Company and the Guarantors shall cooperate with the Representative and counsel for the Initial Purchasers to qualify or register (or to obtain exemptions from qualifying or registering) all or any part of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities laws of the several states of the United States, the provinces of Canada or any other jurisdictions designated by the Representative, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the Company nor any Guarantor or other subsidiary of the Company shall be required to qualify as a foreign entity or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign entity. The Company will advise the Representative promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, each of the Company and the Guarantors shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(e) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Pricing Disclosure Package.
(f) The Depositary. The Company and the Guarantors will cooperate with the Initial Purchasers and use their respective best efforts to permit the Securities to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of the Depositary.
(g) Additional Issuer Information. Prior to the completion of the placement of the Securities by the Initial Purchasers with the Subsequent Purchasers, the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the NYSE all reports and documents required to be filed under Section 13 or 15 of the Exchange Act. Additionally, at any time when the Company is not subject to Section 13 or 15 of the Exchange Act, for the benefit of holders and beneficial owners from time to time of the Securities, the Company shall furnish, at its expense, upon request, to holders and beneficial owners of Securities and prospective purchasers of Securities information (“Additional Issuer Information”) satisfying the requirements of Rule 144A(d).
(h) Agreement Not To Offer or Sell Additional Securities. During the period of 90 days following the date hereof, the Company and the Guarantors will not, without the prior written consent of BofAS (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of BofAS), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1 under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any debt securities of the Company or the Guarantors or securities exchangeable for or convertible into debt securities of the Company or the Guarantors (other than as contemplated by this Agreement).
(i) Future Reports to the Initial Purchasers. At any time when the Company is not subject to Section 13 or 15 of the Exchange Act and any Securities remain outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Representative and, upon request, to each of the other Initial Purchasers information satisfying the requirements of Rule 144A(d) if such information is not contained in documents filed with the Commission.
(j) No Integration. The Company and the Guarantors agree that they will not and will cause their Affiliates not to make any offer or sale of securities of the Company or its Affiliates of any class if, as a result of the doctrine of “integration” referred to in Rule 502 under the Securities Act, such offer or sale would render invalid (for the purpose of (i) the sale of the Securities by the Company to the Initial Purchasers, (ii) the resale of the Securities by the Initial Purchasers to Subsequent Purchasers or (iii) the resale of the Securities by such Subsequent Purchasers to others) the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 4(a)(2) thereof or by Rule 144A or by Regulation S thereunder or otherwise.
(k) No General Solicitation or Directed Selling Efforts. The Company agrees that it will not and will not permit any of its Affiliates or any other person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to which no covenant is given) to (i) solicit offers for, or offer or sell, the Securities by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502(c) of Regulation D or in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act or (ii) engage in any directed selling efforts with respect to the Securities within the meaning of Regulation S, and the Company will and will cause all such persons to comply with the offering restrictions requirement of Regulation S with respect to the Securities.
(l) No Restricted Resales. The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Affiliates (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act) to, resell any of the Notes that have been reacquired by any of them.
(m) Legended Securities. Each certificate for a Note will bear the legend contained in “Transfer Restrictions” in the Preliminary Offering Memorandum for the time period and upon the other terms stated in the Preliminary Offering Memorandum.
The Representative on behalf of the several Initial Purchasers, may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company or any Guarantor of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.
SECTION 4.Payment of Expenses. Each of the Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the Transactions, including, without limitation, (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Securities (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities to the Initial Purchasers, (iii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s and the Guarantors’ counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (iv) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution (including any form of electronic distribution) of the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Offering Memorandum (including financial statements and exhibits), and all amendments and supplements thereto, and the Transaction Documents, (v) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company, the Guarantors or the Initial Purchasers in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities laws of the several states of the United States, the provinces of Canada or other jurisdictions designated by the Initial Purchasers (including, without limitation, the cost of preparing, printing and mailing preliminary and final blue sky or legal investment memoranda and any related supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Final Offering Memorandum), (vi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Securities, (vii) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Securities with the ratings agencies, (viii) all fees and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) of the Company and the Guarantors in connection with approval of the Securities by the Depositary for “book-entry” transfer, and the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their respective other obligations under this Agreement and (ix) the cost of transportation and one-half of the cost of any airplane charted by the Representative (subject,
in the case of any chartered airplane, to the prior consent of the Company), as applicable and if any, and all other expenses incident to the “road show” for the offering of the Securities, if any. Except as provided in this Section 4 and Sections 6, 8 and 9 hereof, the Initial Purchasers shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.
SECTION 5.Conditions of the Obligations of the Initial Purchasers. The obligations of the several Initial Purchasers to purchase and pay for the Securities as provided herein on the Closing Date shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the Guarantors set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as though then made and to the timely performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a)Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Initial Purchasers shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company, a “comfort letter” dated the date hereof addressed to the Initial Purchasers, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, covering the financial information in the Pricing Disclosure Package and other customary matters. In addition, on the Closing Date, the Initial Purchasers shall have received from such accountants a “bring-down comfort letter” dated the Closing Date addressed to the Initial Purchasers, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, in the form of the “comfort letter” delivered on the date hereof, except that (i) it shall cover the financial information in the Final Offering Memorandum and any amendment or supplement thereto and (ii) procedures shall be brought down to a date no more than 3 days prior to the Closing Date.
(b)No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(i) in the judgment of the Representative there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect; and
(ii) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their securities or indebtedness by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” registered under Section 15E of the Exchange Act.
(c)Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date the Initial Purchasers shall have received the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of Foley & Lardner LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
(d)Opinion of Counsel for the Initial Purchasers. On the Closing Date the Initial Purchasers shall have received the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Initial Purchasers, dated as of such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as may be reasonably requested by the Initial Purchasers.
(e)Officers’ Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Initial Purchasers shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and each Guarantor and the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer or Chief Accounting Officer of the Company and each Guarantor, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect set forth in Section 5(b)(ii) hereof, and further to the effect that:
(i) for the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date there has not occurred any Material Adverse Effect;
(ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company and the Guarantors set forth in Section 1 hereof were true and correct as of the date hereof and are true and correct as of the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of the Closing Date; and
(iii) each of the Company and the Guarantors has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date.
(f)Indenture. The Company and each of the Guarantors shall have executed and delivered the Indenture, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers, and the Representative shall have received executed copies thereof.
(g)Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Initial Purchasers and counsel for the Initial Purchasers shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Sections 4, 6, 8 and 9 hereof shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
SECTION 6.Reimbursement of Initial Purchasers’ Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 5 or clauses (i), (iv) or (v) of Section 10 hereof, including if the sale to the Initial Purchasers of the Securities on the Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, agree to reimburse the Initial Purchasers, severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket documented expenses that have been reasonably incurred by the Initial Purchasers in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Securities, including, without limitation, reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.
SECTION 7.Offer, Sale and Resale Procedures. Each of the Initial Purchasers, on the one hand, and the Company and each of the Guarantors, on the other hand, hereby agree to observe the following procedures in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities:
(a)Each such offer or sale shall only be made to persons whom the offeror or seller reasonably believes to be Qualified Institutional Buyers or non-U.S. persons outside the United States to whom the offeror or seller reasonably believes offers and sales of the Securities may be made in reliance upon Regulation S upon the terms and conditions set forth in Annex I hereto, which Annex I is hereby expressly made a part hereof.
(b)No general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Rule 502 under the Securities Act) will be used in the United States in connection with the offering of the Securities.
(c)Upon original issuance by the Company, and until such time as the same is no longer required under the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Company shall ensure that the Notes (and all securities issued in exchange therefor or in substitution thereof) shall bear the following legend:
“THE SECURITY (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) EVIDENCED HEREBY WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION THEREFROM. EACH PURCHASER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE SELLER MAY BE RELYING ON THE EXEMPTION FROM THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 OF THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144A THEREUNDER.
THE HOLDER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY THAT (A) SUCH SECURITY MAY BE RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, ONLY (1)(a) INSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A PERSON WHO THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (b) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A FOREIGN PERSON IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 903 OR RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (c) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144 THEREUNDER (IF APPLICABLE) OR (d) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANOTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AND BASED UPON AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY IF THE COMPANY SO REQUESTS), (2) TO THE COMPANY OR (3) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE JURISDICTION AND (B) THE HOLDER WILL, AND EACH SUBSEQUENT HOLDER IS REQUIRED TO, NOTIFY ANY PURCHASER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY OF THE RESALE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN CLAUSE (A) ABOVE. NO REPRESENTATION CAN BE MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF THE EXEMPTION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 FOR RESALE OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY.”
Following the sale of the Securities by the Initial Purchasers to Subsequent Purchasers pursuant to the terms hereof, the Initial Purchasers shall not be liable or responsible to the Company or any Guarantor for any losses, damages or liabilities suffered or incurred by the Company or any Guarantor, including any losses, damages or liabilities under the Securities Act, arising from or relating to any resale or transfer of any Security.
SECTION 8.Indemnification.
(a)Indemnification of the Initial Purchasers. Each of the Company and the Guarantors agrees, jointly and severally, to indemnify and hold harmless each Initial Purchaser, its Affiliates, its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Initial Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Offering Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Communication or the Final Offering Memorandum (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 8(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company or the Guarantors, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld;
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above; provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Preliminary Offering Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Communication or the Final Offering Memorandum (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the written information concerning the Initial Purchasers furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Initial Purchaser through the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 8(b) below.
(b)Indemnification of Company and the Guarantors. Each Initial Purchaser severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Guarantors, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Offering Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Communication or the Final Offering Memorandum (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Preliminary Offering Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Communication or the Final Offering Memorandum (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Initial Purchaser through the Representative expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company and any Guarantor and each such director, officer or controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by the Company or any Guarantor or such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. Each of the Company and the Guarantors hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Initial Purchasers through the Representative have furnished in writing to the Company expressly for use in the Preliminary Offering Memorandum, the Pricing Supplement, any Company Additional Written Communication or the Final Offering Memorandum (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements set forth in the fourth paragraph, the ninth paragraph and the tenth paragraph under the caption “Plan of Distribution” in the Preliminary Offering Memorandum and the Final Offering Memorandum. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Initial Purchasers may otherwise have.
(c)Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company or the Guarantors. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 8 or Section 9 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d)Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 8(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
SECTION 9.Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and of the Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions, which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the total discount received by the Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, bear to the aggregate initial offering price of the Securities.
The relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Guarantors, on the one hand, or by the Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers 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 Initial Purchasers were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 9. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 9 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Initial Purchaser shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the discount received by such Initial Purchaser in connection with the Securities distributed by it.
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 9, each person, if any, who controls an Initial Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each Initial Purchaser’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Initial Purchaser, and each director of the Company and the Guarantors, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Guarantors within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company and the Guarantors. The Initial Purchasers’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule A.
SECTION 10.Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice given to the Company if at any time: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq Stock Market or the NYSE shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such quotation system or stock exchange by the Commission or FINRA; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal, New York or Delaware authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representative is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering sale or delivery of the Securities in the manner and on the terms described in the Pricing Disclosure Package or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Representative, there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Effect; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Representative may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of (i) the Company or any Guarantor to any Initial Purchaser, except that the Company and the Guarantors shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Initial Purchasers pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof, (ii) any Initial Purchaser to the Company or any Guarantor or (iii) any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereof shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
SECTION 11.Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, the Guarantors, their respective officers and the several Initial Purchasers set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Initial Purchaser, the Company, any Guarantor or any of their partners, officers, directors, affiliates, agents, or any controlling person or other person referred to in Section 8, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
SECTION 12.Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered, couriered or emailed and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Initial Purchasers:
BofA Securities, Inc.
114 W. 47th Street, 7th Floor
NY8-114-07-01
New York, New York 10036
Attention: High Yield Legal Department
E-mail: BofA_HY_Legal_Notices@bofa.com
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Attention: Michael Kaplan and Stephen Byeff
Email: michael.kaplan@davispolk.com; stephen.byeff@davispolk.com
If to the Company or a Guarantor:
Dream Finders Homes, Inc.
14701 Phillips Highway, Suite 300
Jacksonville, Florida 32256
Attention: Robert E. Riva
Email: Robert.riva@dreamfindershomes.com
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Foley & Lardner LLP
777 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Attention: Mark Plichta and John Wolfel
Email: mplichta@foley.com; jwolfel@foley.com
Any party hereto may change the address or email for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
SECTION 13.Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the indemnified parties referred to in Sections 8 and 9 hereof, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any Subsequent Purchaser or other purchaser of the Securities as such from any of the Initial Purchasers merely by reason of such purchase.
SECTION 14.Authority of the Representative. Any action by the Initial Purchasers hereunder may be taken by BofAS on behalf of the Initial Purchasers, and any such action taken by BofAS shall be binding upon the Initial Purchasers.
SECTION 15.Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
SECTION 16. Governing Law Provisions. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN SUCH STATE WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
(a)Consent to Jurisdiction. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City and County of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for suits, actions, or proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any Specified Court in a Related Proceeding, as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of the Specified Courts in any Related Proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any Related Proceeding brought in any Specified Court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any Related Proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any Specified Court that any Related Proceeding brought in any Specified Court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
(b)Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
(c)Waiver of Immunity. With respect to any Related Proceeding, each party irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction, service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with respect to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended.
SECTION 17. Default of One or More of the Several Initial Purchasers. If any one or more of the several Initial Purchasers shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on the Closing Date, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which such defaulting Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Initial Purchasers shall be obligated, severally, in the proportions that principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names on
Schedule A bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Initial Purchasers, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Initial Purchasers with the consent of the non-defaulting Initial Purchasers, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers agreed but failed or refused to purchase on the Closing Date. If any one or more of the Initial Purchasers shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on the Closing Date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 4, 6, 8 and 9 hereof shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case either the Initial Purchasers or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Final Offering Memorandum or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.
As used in this Agreement, the term “Initial Purchaser” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Initial Purchaser under this Section 17. Any action taken under this Section 17 shall not relieve any defaulting Initial Purchaser from liability in respect of any default of such Initial Purchaser under this Agreement.
SECTION 18. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. Each of the Company and the Guarantors acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the several Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, and the Company and the Guarantors are capable of evaluating and understanding and understand and accept the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Initial Purchaser is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company and the Guarantors or their respective affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Initial Purchaser has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company and the Guarantors with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Initial Purchaser has advised or is currently advising the Company and
the Guarantors on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company and the Guarantors except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Initial Purchasers and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and the Guarantors, and the several Initial Purchasers have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any fiduciary or advisory relationship; and (v) the Initial Purchasers have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby, and the Company and the Guarantors have consulted their own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company, the Guarantors and the several Initial Purchasers, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Company and the Guarantors hereby waive and release, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company and the Guarantors may have against the several Initial Purchasers with respect to any breach or alleged breach of fiduciary duty.
SECTION 19. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a)In the event that any Initial Purchaser that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Initial Purchaser of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b)In the event that any Initial Purchaser that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Initial Purchaser becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Initial Purchaser are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
For purposes of this Section 19, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
SECTION 20. Compliance with USA PATRIOT Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law on October 26, 2001)), the Initial Purchasers are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company and the Guarantors, which information may include the name and addresses of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Initial Purchasers to properly identify their respective clients.
SECTION 21. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement by telecopier, electronic mail (including any electronic signature complying with the New York Electronic
Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law) or other electronic transmission (i.e., a “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart thereof. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
[Signature Pages Follow]
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
Dream Finders Homes, Inc.
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
GUARANTORS:
Dream Finders Homes LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: Sole Manager
H&H Constructors of Fayetteville, LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: Sole Manager
Village Park Homes LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: Sole Manager
DFH Land, LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: Sole Manager
DFH Wildwood, LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: Sole Manager
DFH Mandarin, LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: Sole Manager
Century Homes Florida, LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: Sole Manager
Dream Finders Holdings, LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
DFH Coventry, LLC
By: /s/ Patrick Zalupski
Name: Patrick Zalupski
Title: Sole Manager
The foregoing Purchase Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Initial Purchasers as of the date first above written.
BofA Securities, Inc.
By: /s/ Reagan C. Philipp
Managing Director
or
BofA Securities, Inc.
Acting on behalf of itself
and as the Representative of
the several Initial Purchasers
By: BofA Securities, Inc.
By: /s/ Reagan C. Philipp
Managing Director
SCHEDULE A
Initial Purchasers
SCHEDULE B
Guarantors
DREAM FINDERS HOMES LLC, a Florida limited liability company
H&H CONSTRUCTORS OF FAYETTEVILLE, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company
VILLAGE PARK HOMES LLC, a South Carolina limited liability company
DFH LAND, LLC, a Florida limited liability company
DFH WILDWOOD, LLC, a Florida limited liability company
DFH MANDARIN, LLC, a Florida limited liability company
CENTURY HOMES FLORIDA, LLC, a Florida limited liability company
DREAM FINDERS HOLDINGS, LLC, a Florida limited liability company
DFH COVENTRY, LLC, a Florida limited liability company
ANNEX I
Resale Pursuant to Regulation S or Rule 144A. Each Initial Purchaser understands that:
Such Initial Purchaser agrees that it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell the Securities in the United States or to, or for the benefit or account of, a U.S. person (other than a distributor), in each case, as defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S (i) as part of its distribution at any time and (ii) otherwise until 40 days after the later of the commencement of the offering of the Securities pursuant hereto and the Closing Date, other than in accordance with Regulation S or another exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Such Initial Purchaser agrees that, during such 40-day restricted period, it will not cause any advertisement with respect to the Securities (including any “tombstone” advertisement) to be published in any newspaper or periodical or posted in any public place and will not issue any circular relating to the Securities, except such advertisements as permitted by and include the statements required by Regulation S.
Such Initial Purchaser agrees that, at or prior to confirmation of a sale of Securities by it to any distributor, dealer or person receiving a selling concession, fee or other remuneration during the 40-day restricted period referred to in Rule 903 of Regulation S, it will send to such distributor, dealer or person receiving a selling concession, fee or other remuneration a confirmation or notice to substantially the following effect:
“The Securities covered hereby have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered and sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (i) as part of your distribution at any time or (ii) otherwise until 40 days after the later of the date the Securities were first offered to persons other than distributors in reliance on Regulation S and the Closing Date, except in either case in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act (or in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act or to accredited investors in transactions that are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act), and in connection with any subsequent sale by you of the Securities covered hereby in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act during the period referred to above to any distributor, dealer or person receiving a selling concession, fee or other remuneration, you must deliver a notice to substantially the foregoing effect. Terms used above have the meanings assigned to them in Regulation S under the Securities Act.”
SUCH INITIAL PURCHASER AGREES THAT THE SECURITIES OFFERED AND SOLD IN RELIANCE ON REGULATION S WILL BE REPRESENTED UPON ISSUANCE BY A GLOBAL SECURITY THAT MAY NOT BE EXCHANGED FOR DEFINITIVE SECURITIES UNTIL THE EXPIRATION OF THE 40-DAY RESTRICTED PERIOD REFERRED TO IN RULE 903 OF REGULATION S AND ONLY UPON CERTIFICATION OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SUCH SECURITIES BY NON-U.S. PERSONS OR U.S. PERSONS WHO PURCHASED SUCH SECURITIES IN TRANSACTIONS THAT WERE EXEMPT FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.