Mercury Finance Company
Underwriting Agreement
[Date]
New York, New York
To the Representatives
named in Schedule I
hereto of the Under-
writers named in
Schedule II hereto
Dear Sirs:
Mercury Finance Company, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
proposes to sell to the underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the
"Underwriters"), for whom you (the "Representatives") are acting as
representatives, the principal amount of its securities identified in Schedule I
hereto (the "Securities"), to be issued under an indenture (the "Indenture")
dated as of January 1, 1997, between the Company and Mellon Bank, N.A., as
trustee (the "Trustee"). If the firm or firms listed in Schedule II hereto
include only the firm or firms listed in Schedule I hereto, then the terms
"Underwriters" and "Representatives", as used herein, shall each be deemed to
refer to such firm or firms.
1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Company represents and
warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this
Section 1. Certain terms used in this Section 1 are defined in paragraph (c)
hereof.
(a) If the offering of the Securities is a Delayed Offering (as
specified in Schedule I hereto), paragraph (i) below is applicable and, if
the offering of the Securities is a Non-Delayed Offering (as so specified),
paragraph (ii) below is applicable.
(i) The Company meets the requirements for the use of Form S-3
under the Securities Act of
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1933 (the "Act") and has filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement (the file
number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto) on such Form,
including a basic prospectus, for registration under the Act of the
offering and sale of the Securities. The Company may have filed one
or more amendments thereto, and may have used a Preliminary Final
Prospectus, each of which has previously been furnished to you. Such
registration statement, as so amended, has become effective. The
offering of the Securities is a Delayed Offering and, although the
Basic Prospectus may not include all the information with respect to
the Securities and the offering thereof required by the Act and the
rules thereunder to be included in the Final Prospectus, the Basic
Prospectus includes all such information required by the Act and the
rules thereunder to be included therein as of the Effective Date. The
Company will next file with the Commission pursuant to Rules 415 and
424(b)(2) or (5) a final supplement to the form of prospectus included
in such registration statement relating to the Securities and the
offering thereof. As filed, such final prospectus supplement shall
include all required information with respect to the Securities and
the offering thereof and, except to the extent the Representatives
shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive
respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or,
to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, shall contain only
such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that
contained in the Basic Prospectus and any Preliminary Final
Prospectus) as the Company has advised you, prior to the Execution
Time, will be included or made therein.
(ii) The Company meets the requirements for the use of Form S-3
under the Act and has filed with the Commission a registration
statement (the file number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto)
on such Form, including a basic prospectus, for registration under the
Act of the offering and sale of the Securities. The Company may have
filed one or more amendments thereto, including a Preliminary Final
Prospectus,each of
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which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will next
file with the Commission either (x) a final prospectus supplement
relating to the Securities in accordance with Rules 430A and 424(b)(1)
or (4), or (y) prior to the effectiveness of such registration
statement, an amendment to such registration statement, including the
form of final prospectus supplement. In the case of clause (x), the
Company has included in such registration statement, as amended at the
Effective Date, all information (other than Rule 430A Information)
required by the Act and the rules thereunder to be included in the
Final Prospectus with respect to the Securities and the offering
thereof. As filed, such final prospectus supplement or such amendment
and form of final prospectus supplement shall contain all Rule 430A
Information, together with all other such required information, with
respect to the Securities and the offering thereof and, except to the
extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification,
shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you
prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the
Execution Time, shall contain only such specific additional
information and other changes (beyond that contained in the Basic
Prospectus and any Preliminary Final Prospectus) as the Company has
advised you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made
therein.
(b) On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement did or will,
and when the Final Prospectus is first filed (if required) in accordance
with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus (and any
supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the
applicable requirements of the Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the "Exchange Act") and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the "Trust
Indenture Act") and the respective rules thereunder; on the Effective Date,
the Registration Statement did not or will not contain any untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not
misleading; on the Effective Date and on the Closing Date the Indenture did
or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Trust
Indenture
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Act and the rules thereunder; and, on the Effective Date, the Final
Prospectus, if not filed pursuant to Rule 424(b), did not or will not, and
on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date,
the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not,
include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (i)
that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the
Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) under the Trust
Indenture Act of the Trustee or (ii) the information contained in or
omitted from the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus (or any
supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter
through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration
Statement or the Final Prospectus (or any supplement thereto).
(c) The terms which follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have
the meanings indicated. The term "the Effective Date" shall mean each date
that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or
amendments thereto became or become effective and each date after the date
hereof on which a document incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement is filed. "Execution Time" shall mean the date and time that
this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto. "Basic
Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus referred to in paragraph (a) above
contained in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date including, in
the case of a Non-Delayed Offering, any Preliminary Final Prospectus.
"Preliminary Final Prospectus" shall mean any preliminary prospectus
supplement to the Basic Prospectus which describes the Securities and the
offering thereof and is used prior to filing of the Final Prospectus.
"Final Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus supplement relating to the
Securities that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Execution
Time, together with the Basic Prospectus or, if, in the case of a
Non-Delayed Offering, no filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) is required, shall
mean the form of final prospectus relating to the Securities, including the
Basic
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Prospectus, included in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date.
"Registration Statement" shall mean the registration statement referred to
in paragraph (a) above, including incorporated documents, exhibits and
financial statements, as amended at the Execution Time (or, if not
effective at the Execution Time, in the form in which it shall become
effective) and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes
effective prior to the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), shall also
mean such registration statement as so amended. Such term shall include
any Rule 430A Information deemed to be included therein at the Effective
Date as provided by Rule 430A. "Rule 415", "Rule 424", "Rule 430A" and
"Regulation S-K" refer to such rules or regulation under the Act.
"Rule 430A Information" means information with respect to the Securities
and the offering thereof permitted to be omitted from the Registration
Statement when it becomes effective pursuant to Rule 430A. Any reference
herein to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary
Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and
include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12
of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the
Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Basic
Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as
the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms "amend", "amendment"
or "supplement" with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic
Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall
be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the
Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the
issue date of the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the
Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by
reference. A "Non-Delayed Offering" shall mean an offering of securities
which is intended to commence promptly after the effective date of a
registration statement, with the result that, pursuant to Rules 415 and
430A, all information (other than Rule 430A Information) with respect to
the securities so offered must be included in such registration statement
at the effective date thereof. A "Delayed Offering" shall mean an offering
of securities pursuant to Rule 415 which does not commence promptly after
the effective date of a registration statement, with the
6
result that only information required pursuant to Rule 415 need be included
in such registration statement at the effective date thereof with respect
to the securities so offered. Whether the offering of the Securities is a
Non-Delayed Offering or a Delayed Offering shall be set forth in Schedule I
hereto.
2. PURCHASE AND SALE. Subject to the terms and conditions and in
reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company
agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and
not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price set forth in
Schedule I hereto the principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite such
Underwriter's name in Schedule II hereto, except that, if Schedule I hereto
provides for the sale of Securities pursuant to delayed delivery arrangements,
the respective principal amounts of Securities to be purchased by the
Underwriters shall be as set forth in Schedule II hereto less the respective
amounts of Contract Securities determined as provided below. Securities to be
purchased by the Underwriters are herein sometimes called the "Underwriters'
Securities" and Securities to be purchased pursuant to Delayed Delivery
Contracts as hereinafter provided are herein called "Contract Securities".
If so provided in Schedule I hereto, the Underwriters are authorized
to solicit offers to purchase Securities from the Company pursuant to delayed
delivery contracts ("Delayed Delivery Contracts"), substantially in the form of
Schedule III hereto but with such changes therein as the Company may authorize
or approve. The Underwriters will endeavor to make such arrangements and, as
compensation therefor, the Company will pay to the Representatives, for the
account of the Underwriters, on the Closing Date, the percentage set forth in
Schedule I hereto of the principal amount of the Securities for which Delayed
Delivery Contracts are made. Delayed Delivery Contracts are to be with
institutional investors, including commercial and savings banks, insurance
companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable
institutions. The Company will enter into Delayed Delivery Contracts in all
cases where sales of Contract Securities arranged by the Underwriters have been
approved by the Company but, except as the Company may otherwise agree, each
such Delayed Delivery Contract must be for not less than the minimum principal
amount set forth in Schedule I hereto and the aggregate principal amount of
Contract Securities may not
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exceed the maximum aggregate principal amount set forth in Schedule I hereto.
The Underwriters will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or
performance of Delayed Delivery Contracts. The principal amount of Securities
to be purchased by each Underwriter as set forth in Schedule II hereto shall be
reduced by an amount which shall bear the same proportion to the total principal
amount of Contract Securities as the principal amount of Securities set forth
opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the aggregate principal amount
set forth in Schedule II hereto, except to the extent that you determine that
such reduction shall be otherwise than in such proportion and so advise the
Company in writing; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the total principal amount of
Securities to be purchased by all Underwriters shall be the aggregate principal
amount set forth in Schedule II hereto less the aggregate principal amount of
Contract Securities.
3. DELIVERY AND PAYMENT. Delivery of and payment for the
Underwriters' Securities shall be made on the date and at the time specified
in Schedule I hereto (or such later date not later than five business days
after such specified date as the Representatives shall designate), which date
and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the
Company or as provided in Section 8 hereof (such date and time of delivery
and payment for the Underwriters' Securities being herein called the "Closing
Date"). Delivery of the Underwriters' Securities shall be made to the
Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters
against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of
the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Company by wire
transfer payable in immediately available funds to an account specified by
the Company. Delivery of the Underwriters' Securities shall be made in
book-entry form through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company.
Global certificates for the Underwriters' Securities shall be registered in
the name of the nominee of the Depository Trust Company.
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4. AGREEMENTS. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters
that:
(a) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the
Registration Statement, if not effective at the Execution Time, and any
amendment thereto, to become effective. Prior to the termination of the
offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the
Registration Statement or supplement (including the Final Prospectus or any
Preliminary Final Prospectus) to the Basic Prospectus unless the Company
has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file
any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object.
Subject to the foregoing sentence, the Company will cause the Final
Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed with
the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within
the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the
Representatives of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise
the Representatives (i) when the Registration Statement, if not effective
at the Execution Time, and any amendment thereto, shall have become
effective, (ii) when the Final Prospectus, and any supplement thereto,
shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b),
(iii) when, prior to termination of the offering of the Securities, any
amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become
effective, (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment of the
Registration Statement or supplement to the Final Prospectus or for any
additional information, (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop
order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the
institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (vi) of
the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the
suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any
jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such
purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the
issuance of any such stop order and, if issued, to obtain as soon as
possible the withdrawal thereof.
(b) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is
required to be delivered under the Act, any event occurs as a result of
which the Final
9
Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the
statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration
Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act or the
Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, the Company promptly will
(i) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the second sentence of
paragraph (a) of this Section 4, an amendment or supplement which will
correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance and
(ii) supply any supplemented Prospectus to you in such quantities as you
may reasonably request.
(c) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available
to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the
provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act.
(d) The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for
the Underwriters, without charge, copies of the Registration Statement
(including exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an
Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act, as many copies of any
Preliminary Final Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and any supplement
thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will
pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating
to the offering.
(e) The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Securities
for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may
designate, will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required
for the distribution of the Securities.
(f) Until the business date set forth on Schedule I hereto, the
Company will not, without the consent of the Representatives, offer, sell
or contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or
announce the offering of, any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the
Company (other than the Securities).
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5. CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS. The
obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Underwriters' Securities shall
be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of
the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time and the Closing Date, to
the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant
to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations
hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) If the Registration Statement has not become effective prior to
the Execution Time, unless the Representatives agree in writing to a later
time, the Registration Statement will become effective not later than
(i) 6:00 PM New York City time, on the date of determination of the public
offering price, if such determination occurred at or prior to 3:00 PM New
York City time on such date or (ii) 12:00 Noon on the business day
following the day on which the public offering price was determined, if
such determination occurred after 3:00 PM New York City time on such date;
if filing of the Final Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required
pursuant to Rule 424(b), the Final Prospectus, and any such supplement,
shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by
Rule 424(b); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that
purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.
(b) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives the
opinion of ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, general counsel for the Company, dated the
Closing Date, to the effect that:
(i) the Company and each of its Significant Subsidiaries (as
defined in Rule 1-02(a) of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Act)
(individually a "Subsidiary" and collectively the "Subsidiaries") has
been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is
chartered or organized, with full corporate power and authority to own
its properties and conduct its business as described in the Final
Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign
corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each
jurisdiction which requires such qualifi-
11
cation wherein it owns or leases material properties or conducts
material business except, in any case, where the failure to be so
qualified or in good standing would not have a material adverse effect
on the business or financial condition of the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(ii) all the outstanding shares of capital stock of each
Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are
fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in
the Final Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Subsidiaries are owned by the Company either directly or through
wholly owned subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security
interest and, to the knowledge of such counsel, after due inquiry, any
other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances;
(iii) to the best knowledge of such counsel, there is no pending
or threatened action, suit or proceeding before any court or
governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, of a character required to be
disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not adequately
disclosed in the Final Prospectus, and there is no franchise, contract
or other document of a character required to be described in the
Registration Statement or Final Prospectus, or to be filed as an
exhibit, which is not described or filed as required; and the
statements included or incorporated in the Final Prospectus describing
any legal proceedings or material contracts or agreements relating to
the Company fairly summarize such matters;
(iv) no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or
governmental agency or body is required for the consummation of the
transactions contemplated herein or in any Delayed Delivery Contracts,
except such as have been obtained under the Act and such as may be
required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection
with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the
Underwriters and such other
12
approvals (specified in such opinion) as have been obtained;
(v) neither the execution and delivery of the Indenture, the
issue and sale of the Securities, nor the consummation of any other of
the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms
hereof or of any Delayed Delivery Contracts will conflict with, result
in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under any law or
the charter or by-laws of the Company or the terms of any indenture or
other agreement or instrument known to such counsel and to which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound or any
judgment, order or decree known to such counsel to be applicable to
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body,
administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except in
each case (other than with respect to the charter or by-laws) where
such default would not have material adverse effect on the business or
the financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a
whole; and
(vi) no holders of securities of the Company have rights to the
registration of such securities under the Registration Statement.
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters
involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the States
of Delaware and Illinois or the United States, to the extent deemed proper
and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion of other counsel of good
standing believed to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for
the Underwriters and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent deemed
proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public
officials. References to the Final Prospectus in this paragraph (b)
include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.
(c) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives the
opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Will & ▇▇▇▇▇, special counsel for the Company, dated
the Closing Date, to the effect that:
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(i) the Company is validly existing as a corporation in good
standing under the laws of the State of Delaware;
(ii) The Company's authorized equity capitalization is as set
forth in the Final Prospectus; the Securities conform to the
description thereof contained in the Final Prospectus; and, if the
Securities are to be listed on any securities exchange, authorization
therefor has been given, subject to official notice of issuance and
evidence of satisfactory distribution, or the Company has filed a
preliminary listing application and all required supporting documents
with respect to the Securities with such securities exchange and such
counsel has no reason to believe that the Securities will not be
authorized for listing, subject to official notice of issuance and
evidence of satisfactory distribution;
(iii) the Indenture has been duly authorized executed and
delivered by the Company, has been duly qualified under the Trust
Indenture Act, and constitutes a legal, valid and binding instrument
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms (subject,
as to enforcement of remedies, to applicable bankruptcy,
reorganization, insolvency, moratorium or other laws affecting
creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect); and the
Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and
authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and
delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to this
Agreement, in the case of the Underwriters' Securities, or by the
purchasers thereof pursuant to Delayed Delivery Contracts, in the case
of any Contract Securities, will constitute legal, valid and binding
obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture
(subject, as to enforcement of remedies, to applicable bankruptcy,
reorganization, insolvency, moratorium or other laws affecting
creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect);
(iv) the Registration Statement has become effective under the
Act; any required filing of
14
the Basic Prospectus, and Preliminary Final Prospectus and the Final
Prospectus, and any supplements thereto, pursuant to Rule 424(b) has
been made in the manner and within the time period required by
Rule 424(b); to the best knowledge of such counsel, no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been
issued, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or
threatened, and the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus
(other than the financial statements and other financial and
statistical information contained therein as to which such counsel
need express no opinion) appeared on their face to be appropriately
responsive in all material respects with the applicable requirements
of the Act, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the
respective rules thereunder;
(v) no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or
governmental agency or body is required for the consummation of the
transactions contemplated herein or in any Delayed Delivery Contracts,
except such as have been obtained under the Act and such as may be
required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection
with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the
Underwriters and such other approvals (specified in such opinion) as
have been obtained; and
(vi) this Agreement and any Delayed Delivery Contracts have been
duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters
involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the States
of Delaware and Illinois or the United States, to the extent deemed proper
and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion of other counsel of good
standing believed to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for
the Underwriters and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent deemed
proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public
officials. References to the Final Prospectus in this paragraph (b)
include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.
15
Such counsel shall also state that it has no reason to believe that at the
Effective Date the Registration Statement contained any untrue statement of
a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that
the Final Prospectus includes any untrue statement of a material fact or
omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(d) The Representatives shall have received from Cravath, Swaine &
▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the
Closing Date, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the
Indenture, any Delayed Delivery Contracts, the Registration Statement, the
Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related
matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company
shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the
purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(e) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a
certificate of the Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board or the
President and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company,
dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate
have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus,
any supplement to the Final Prospectus and this Agreement and that:
(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this
Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on and as of
the Closing Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing Date
and the Company 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;
(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that
purpose have been instituted or, to the Company's knowledge,
threatened; and
16
(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements
included in the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement
thereto), there has been no material adverse change in the condition
(financial or other), earnings, business or properties of the Company
and its subsidiaries, whether or not arising from transactions in the
ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in
the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(f) At the Closing Date, KPMG Peat Marwick LLP shall have furnished
to the Representatives a letter or letters (which may refer to letters
previously delivered to one or more of the Representatives), dated as of
the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Representatives, confirming that they are independent accountants within
the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective applicable
published rules and regulations thereunder and stating in effect that:
(i) in their opinion the audited financial statements and
financial statement schedules and any pro forma financial statements
included or incorporated in the Registration Statement and the Final
Prospectus and reported on by them comply in form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and
the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations;
(ii) on the basis of a reading of the latest unaudited financial
statements made available by the Company and its subsidiaries; their
performance of the procedures specified by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants for the review of interim financial
information as described in SAS No. 71, Interim Financial Information;
carrying out certain specified procedures (but not an examination in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) which would not
necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the
comments set forth in such letter; a reading of the minutes of the
meetings of the stockholders and directors (including committees) of
the Company and the Subsidiaries; and inquiries of certain officials
17
of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting
matters of the Company and its subsidiaries as to transactions and
events subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial
statements in or incorporated in the Final Prospectus, nothing came to
their attention which caused them to believe that:
(1) any unaudited financial statements included or
incorporated in the Registration Statement and the Final
Prospectus do not comply in form in all material respects with
applicable accounting requirements and with the published rules
and regulations of the Commission with respect to financial
statements included or incorporated in quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; and said unaudited financial
statements are not in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles applied on a basis substantially consistent
with that of the audited financial statements included or
incorporated in the Registration Statement and the Final
Prospectus;
(2) with respect to the period subsequent to the date of the
most recent financial statements (other than any capsule
information), audited or unaudited, in or incorporated in the
Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus, there were any
changes, at a specified date not more than five business days
prior to the date of the letter, in the long-term debt of the
Company and its subsidiaries or common or preferred stock of the
Company or decreases in the consolidated net current assets or
stockholders' equity of the Company as compared with the amounts
shown on the most recent consolidated balance sheet included or
incorporated in the Registration Statement and the Final
Prospectus, or for the period from the date of the most recent
financial statements included or incorporated in the Registration
Statement and the Final Prospectus to such specified date there
were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in
the preceding year in consolidated
18
net sales or income before income taxes and extraordinary charge
or in total or per share amounts of net income of the Company and
its subsidiaries, except in all instances for changes or
decreases set forth in such letter, in which case the letter
shall be accompanied by an explanation by the Company as to the
significance thereof unless said explanation is not deemed
necessary by the Representatives; or
(3) the amounts included in any unaudited "capsule"
information included or incorporated in the Registration
Statement and the Final Prospectus do not agree with the amounts
set forth in the unaudited financial statements for the same
periods or were not determined on a basis substantially
consistent with that of the corresponding amounts in the audited
financial statements included or incorporated in the Registration
Statement and the Final Prospectus;
(iii) they have performed certain other specified procedures as a
result of which they determined that certain information of an
accounting, financial or statistical nature (which is limited to
accounting, financial or statistical information derived from the
general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries) set
forth in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus and in
Exhibit 12 to the Registration Statement, including the information
specified by the Representative which is included or incorporated in
Items 1, 2, 6 and 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K,
incorporated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and the
information included in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included or
incorporated in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q,
incorporated in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus,
agrees with the accounting records of the Company and its
subsidiaries, excluding any questions of legal interpretation; and
19
(iv) if unaudited pro forma financial statements are included or
incorporated in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus,
on the basis of a reading of the unaudited pro forma financial
statements, carrying out certain specified procedures, inquiries of
certain officials of the Company and the acquired company who have
responsibility for financial and accounting matters, and proving the
arithmetic accuracy of the application of the pro forma adjustments
to the historical amounts in the pro forma financial statements,
nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that the
pro forma financial statements do not comply in form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of Rule 11-02 of
Regulation S-X or that the pro forma adjustments have not been
properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of such
statements.
References to the Final Prospectus in this paragraph (e) include any
supplement thereto at the date of the letter.
In addition, at the Execution Time, KPMG Peat Marwick LLP shall have
furnished to the Representatives a letter or letters, dated as of the
Execution Time, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to
the effect set forth above.
(f) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of
which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any
amendment thereof) and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement
thereto), there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in
the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 5 or
(ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or
affecting the business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries
the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above,
is, in the judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to
make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery
of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive
of any amendment
20
thereof) and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(g) Subsequent to the Execution Time, there shall not have been any
decrease in the rating of any of the Company's debt securities by any
"nationally recognized statistical rating organization" (as defined for
purpose of Rule 436(g) under the Act) or any notice given of any intended
or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any
such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.
(h) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to
the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as
the Representatives may reasonably request.
(i) The Company shall have accepted Delayed Delivery Contracts in any
case where sales of Contract Securities arranged by the Underwriters have
been approved by the Company.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not have
been fulfilled in all material respects when and as provided in this Agreement,
or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this
Agreement shall not be in all material respects reasonably satisfactory in form
and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this
Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at,
or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of
such cancelation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or
telegraph confirmed in writing.
The documents required to be delivered by this Section 5 shall be
delivered at the location specified in Schedule I hereto.
6. REIMBURSEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS' EXPENSES. If the sale of the
Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the
obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 5 hereof is not satisfied,
because of any termination pursuant to Section 9 hereof or because of any
refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any
agreement herein or comply with
21
any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the
Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally upon demand
for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and
disbursements of counsel) that shall have actually been incurred by them in
connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.
7. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION. (a) The Company agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees
and agents of each Underwriter and each person who controls any Underwriter
within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all
losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any
of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or
state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in the registration statement for the registration of
the Securities as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in the Basic
Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, or in any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and
agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any reasonable
legal or other expenses actually incurred by them in connection with
investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the
extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based
upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through
the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity
agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise
have.
(b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the
Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the
meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as
22
the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with
reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the
Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter through the Representatives
specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing
indemnity. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which
any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that the
statements set forth in the last paragraph of the cover page, under the heading
"Underwriting" or "Plan of Distribution" and, if Schedule I hereto provides for
sales of Securities pursuant to delayed delivery arrangements, in the last
sentence under the heading "Delayed Delivery Arrangements" in any Preliminary
Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus constitute the only information
furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion
in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity, and you, as the
Representatives, confirm that such statements are correct.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this
Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party
will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party
under this Section 7, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the
commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party
(i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless
and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure
results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and
defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from
any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification
obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall
be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party's choice at the
indemnifying party's expense to represent the indemnified party in any action
for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall
not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel
retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below);
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the
indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party's election to appoint
counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party
shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and
the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of
such
23
separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to
represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of
interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such
action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the
indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal
defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different
from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the
indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to
the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable
time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying
party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the
reasonable expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not,
without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or
compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending
or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which
indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the
indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action)
unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release
of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action,
suit or proceeding.
(d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a) or (b)
of this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an
indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters agree to
contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or
defending same) (collectively "Losses") to which the Company and one or more of
the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
the relative benefits received by the Company and by the Underwriters from the
offering of the Securities; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no case shall any
Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters
relating to the offering of the Securities) be responsible for any amount in
excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Securities
purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. If the allocation provided by the
immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and
the Underwriters shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect
24
not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and
of the Underwriters in connection with the statements or omissions which
resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net
proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses), and benefits received by
the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts
and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Final
Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether any
alleged untrue statement or omission relates to information provided by the
Company or the Underwriters. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it
would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata
allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of
this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the
meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any
person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of
this Section 7, each person who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of
either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and
agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such
Underwriter, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of
either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have
signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have
the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the
applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).
8. DEFAULT BY AN UNDERWRITER. If any one or more Underwriters shall
fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by
such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall
constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this
Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up
and pay for (in the respective proportions which the amount of Securities set
forth opposite their names in Schedule II hereto bears to the aggregate amount
of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters)
the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but
failed to purchase; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event that the aggregate
amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but
failed to purchase
25
shall exceed 10% of the aggregate amount of Securities set forth in Schedule II
hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but
shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities, and if
such nondefaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this
Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter or
the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this
Section 8, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding
seven days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required
changes in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus or in any other
documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement
shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the
Company and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default
hereunder.
9. TERMINATION. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in
the absolute discretion of the Represenatatives, by notice given to the Company
prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if prior to such time
(i) trading in the Company's Common Stock shall have been suspended by the
Commission or the New York Stock Exchange or trading in securities generally on
the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited or minimum
prices shall have been established on such Exchange, (ii) a banking moratorium
shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities or
(iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities,
declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or other
calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make
it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to
proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the
Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
10. REPRESENTATIONS AND INDEMNITIES to Survive. The respective
agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the
Company or its officers and of the Underwriters 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 Underwriter or the Company or any of
the officers, directors or controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof,
and will survive delivery of and payment for the
26
Securities. The provisions of Sections 6 and 7 hereof shall survive the
termination or cancelation of this Agreement.
11. NOTICES. All communications hereunder will be in writing and
effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed,
delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to them, at the address specified in
Schedule I hereto; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or
telegraphed and confirmed to it at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇.
12. SUCCESSORS. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be
binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers
and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and no
other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
13. APPLICABLE LAW. This Agreement will be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our
agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof,
whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement
among the Company and the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours,
Mercury Finance Company
By:
....................
[Title]
27
The foregoing Agreement is
hereby confirmed and accepted
as of the date specified in
Schedule I hereto.
By:
By:
.....................
For themselves and the other
several Underwriters, if any,
named in Schedule II to the
foregoing Agreement.
or
By:
.....................
For itself and the other
several Underwriters, if any,
named in Schedule II to the
foregoing Agreement.
28
SCHEDULE I
Underwriting Agreement dated
Registration Statement No.
Representative(s):
Title, Purchase Price and Description of Securities:
Title:
Principal Amount:
Purchase price (include accrued
interest or amortization, if
any):
Sinking fund provisions:
Redemption provisions:
Other provisions:
Closing Date, Time and Location:
Type of Offering: [Delayed Offering or Non-Delayed
Offering]
Delayed Delivery Arrangements:
Fee:
Minimum principal amount of each contract: $
Maximum aggregate principal amount of all contracts: $
Date referred to in Section 4(f) after which the Company may offer or sell debt
securities issued or guaranteed by the Company without the consent of the
Representative(s):
29
SCHEDULE II
Underwriters Principal Amount
------------ of Securities to
be Purchased
----------------
$
-----------------------
Total . . . . . . . . . . . $
-----------------------
-----------------------
