Equifax Inc S-3ASR, filed Jul 22, 2022
Equifax Inc (EFX)
Table of Contents
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 22, 2022.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Equifax Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
| Georgia | 58-0401110 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
1550 Peachtree Street, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 885-8000
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
John J. Kelley III, Esq.
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Equifax Inc.
1550 Peachtree Street, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
(404) 885-8000
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
with copies to:
Eve N. Howard, Esq.
Hogan Lovells US LLP
555 Thirteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
(202) 637-5600
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one)
| Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||
| Emerging growth company | ☐ | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
Table of Contents
PROSPECTUS
DEBT SECURITIES
COMMON STOCK
PREFERRED STOCK
WARRANTS
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more series:
| • | senior and/or subordinated debt securities; |
| • | common stock; |
| • | preferred stock; and |
| • | warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities. |
We may sell any combination of these securities in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. These securities may also be offered and sold by one or more selling securityholders to be identified in the future.
Each time securities are offered pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement and attach it to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will contain specific information about the terms of the offering and the offered securities and may also add, update or change the information in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EFX.”
This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell any securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is July 22, 2022
Table of Contents
| Page | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
Table of Contents
This prospectus is part of a shelf registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. By using a shelf registration statement, we or any selling securityholder may sell, at any time and from time to time, in one or more offerings, debt securities, common stock, preferred stock or warrants.
Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that contains specific information about the terms of those securities and the offering, and this prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless accompanied by the applicable prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with the additional information described below in the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
We may also prepare free writing prospectuses to describe the terms of particular securities, which terms may vary from those described in any prospectus supplement. You therefore should carefully review any free writing prospectus in connection with your review of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, including any information that we incorporate by reference, or any free writing prospectus that we distribute. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and we do not take any responsibility for, or provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. You should not assume that the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or a prospectus supplement or contained in any free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document. We are not making an offer of securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
Throughout this prospectus, when we use the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and similar terms, we are referring to Equifax Inc. and its subsidiaries, collectively, as the context requires.
1
Table of Contents
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
The registration statement that we have filed with the SEC registers the securities offered by this prospectus under the Securities Act. The registration statement, including the exhibits to it, contains additional relevant information about us. The rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit some information included in the registration statement from this prospectus.
In addition, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy and information statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings, including the registration statement, are available to the public from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. We also make available free of charge on our website, www.equifax.com, all materials that we file electronically with the SEC, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, Section 16 reports and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to other documents filed separately with the SEC. These other documents contain important information about us, our financial condition and our results of operations. The information incorporated by reference is considered part of this prospectus from the date we file that document. Information that we file later with the SEC and that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus will automatically update and may supersede information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.
We incorporate by reference in this prospectus the documents and portions of documents listed below and any future filings made with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act (other than, in each case, information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):
| • | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed on February 24, 2022 (including information specifically incorporated by reference into our Form 10-K from our Definitive Proxy Statement relating to our 2022 annual meeting of shareholders, filed on March 24, 2022); |
| • | our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed on April 21, 2022 and July 21, 2022; |
| • | our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 11, 2022; and |
| • | the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 10/A filed on July 30, 2010 (Amendment No. 1), and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
You may obtain any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the SEC through the SEC’s website at the address provided above. You may also request and we will provide, free of charge, a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus (excluding exhibits to such document unless an exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference in the document) by visiting our internet website at www.equifax.com or by writing or calling us at the following address and telephone number: Equifax Inc., Corporate Secretary, 1550 Peachtree Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30309, telephone (404) 885-8000.
2
Table of Contents
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sales of the securities as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of any securities to be offered will be passed upon for us by our counsel, Hogan Lovells US LLP. With respect to certain legal matters relating to Georgia law, Hogan Lovells US LLP has relied upon the opinion of John J. Kelley III, Esq., Chief Legal Officer of Equifax Inc. Any underwriters will be represented by their own legal counsel.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The consolidated financial statements of Equifax Inc. appearing in Equifax Inc.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2021, and the effectiveness of Equifax Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 (excluding the internal control over financial reporting of Kount Inc. and Appriss Insights), have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in its reports thereon, which as to the report on the effectiveness of Equifax Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting contains an explanatory paragraph describing the above referenced exclusion of Kount Inc. and Appriss Insights from the scope of such firm’s audit of internal control over financial reporting, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule are, and audited consolidated financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the reports of Ernst & Young LLP pertaining to such financial statements (to the extent covered by consents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
3
Table of Contents
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| Item 14. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution. |
The following table sets forth the estimated expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered other than underwriting discounts and commissions. All such expenses will be borne by the Registrant.
| SEC registration fee |
$ | (1) | ||
| Legal fees and expenses |
(2) | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses |
(2) | |||
| Trustees’ fees and expenses |
(2) | |||
| Rating agencies fees |
(2) | |||
| Printing expenses |
(2) | |||
| Miscellaneous |
(2) | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
$ | (2) | ||
|
|
|
| (1) | The Company is registering an indeterminate amount of securities under this Registration Statement and in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the Company is deferring payment of any registration fee until the time the securities are sold under this Registration Statement pursuant to a prospectus supplement. |
| (2) | These fees are calculated based on the number of issuances and amount of securities offered and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time. |
| Item 15. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
Set forth below is a description of certain provisions of the amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Registrant and the Georgia Business Corporation Code, or the GBCC, as such provisions relate to the indemnification of the directors and officers of the Registrant. This description is intended only as a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Registrant’s amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws and the GBCC.
Section 14-2-851 of the GBCC provides that a corporation may indemnify an individual made a party to a proceeding because he or she is or was a director against liability incurred in the proceeding if: (1) such individual conducted himself or herself in good faith; and (2) such individual reasonably believed: (a) in the case of conduct in his or her official capacity, that such conduct was in the best interests of the corporation; (b) in all other cases, that such conduct was at least not opposed to the best interests of the corporation; and (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, that the individual had no reasonable cause to believe such conduct was unlawful. Section 14-2-851 further provides that a corporation may not indemnify a director: (1) in connection with a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation, except for reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the proceeding if it is determined that the director has met the relevant standard of conduct; or (2) in connection with any proceeding with respect to conduct for which he or she was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by him or her, whether or not involving action in his or her official capacity.
Section 14-2-852 of the GBCC provides that a corporation shall indemnify a director who was wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which the director was a party because he or she was a director of the corporation against reasonable expenses incurred by the director in connection with the proceeding.
Additionally, Section 14-2-854 of the GBCC provides that the court conducting the proceeding or another court of competent jurisdiction, upon application by a director, may order indemnification or advance for expenses
II-1
Table of Contents
(1) if the director is entitled to indemnification or advance for expenses pursuant to the GBCC or (2) if, in consideration of all relevant circumstances, the court determines that the individual is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, whether or not the standard of conduct set forth above was met and even if the director has been adjudged liable; provided, however, that if the director has been adjudged so liable, the indemnification is limited to reasonable expenses incurred.
Section 14-2-857 of the GBCC provides that a corporation may indemnify and advance expenses to an officer of the corporation (1) to the same extent as a director; and (2) if he or she is not a director, to such further extent as may be provided by the articles of incorporation, the bylaws, a resolution of the board of directors, or contract, except for liability arising out of conduct that constitutes: (a) appropriation of any business opportunity of the corporation; (b) acts or omissions that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (c) unlawful distribution; or (d) receipt of an improper personal benefit. Section 14-2-857 further provides that an officer of the corporation who is not a director is entitled to mandatory indemnification under Section 14-2-852 and may apply to a court under Section 14-2-854 for indemnification or advances for expenses, in each case to the same extent to which a director may be entitled to indemnification or advances for expenses under those provisions.
The amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Registrant provide for indemnification of directors, officers, employees and agents and advancement of expenses to the fullest extent permitted under the GBCC.
Section 14-2-202(b)(4) of the GBCC provides that a corporation may, in its articles of incorporation, eliminate or limit the liability of a director to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for any action taken, or any failure to take any action, as a director, except liability for: (1) any appropriation, in violation of his or her duties, of any business opportunity of the corporation; (2) acts or omissions which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (3) unlawful distributions; or (4) any transaction from which the director received an improper personal benefit, provided that no such provision shall eliminate or limit the liability of a director for any act or omission occurring prior to the date when such provision becomes effective.
The Registrant’s amended and restated articles of incorporation limit the personal liability of directors to the same extent as the GBCC.
The Registrant’s amended and restated articles of incorporation also provide that the indemnification rights contained therein shall not be exclusive of any additional indemnification that the board of directors may deem advisable or of any rights to which those indemnified may otherwise be entitled. The Registrant has purchased and maintains liability insurance to protect its directors and officers against any liability asserted against them or incurred by them as permitted by its amended and restated articles of incorporation and Section 14-2-858 of the GBCC. The insuring of the directors and officers is permitted whether or not the Registrant would have the power to indemnify that director or officer under its amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws or the terms of the GBCC.
These indemnification provisions may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of the Registrant’s directors and officers for liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.
II-2
Table of Contents
| Item 16. | List of Exhibits. |
II-3
Table of Contents
| * | If applicable, to be filed as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated by reference herein or by a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement in connection with a specific offering of securities. |
| ** | Filed herewith. |
| Item 17. | Undertakings. |
(a) Rule 415 Offering. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement: (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement; and (iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement; provided, however, that clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the Registration Statement;
(2) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;
(3) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;
(4) that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(A) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the Registration Statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the Registration Statement; and
(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the Registration Statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the Registration Statement or prospectus that was part of the Registration Statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; and
II-4
Table of Contents
(5) that, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(A) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(B) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;
(C) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and
(D) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.
(b) Filings Incorporating Subsequent Exchange Act Documents by Reference. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Request for Acceleration of Effective Date or Filing of Registration Statement Becoming Effective Upon Filing. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(d) Qualification of Trust Indenture Under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 for Delayed Offerings. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act.
II-5
Table of Contents
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, on July 22, 2022.
| EQUIFAX INC. | ||
| By:
|
/s/ Mark W. Begor | |
| Mark W. Begor Chief Executive Officer | ||
Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints John W. Gamble, Jr., John J. Kelley III, and James M. Griggs, and each of them (so long as each such individual is an employee or affiliate of Equifax Inc.), any of whom may act without the joinder of the others, as his or her lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him or her and in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments or post-effective amendments to this registration statement and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto such attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or her substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Mark W. Begor Mark W. Begor |
Director and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | July 22, 2022 | ||
| /s/ John W. Gamble, Jr. John W. Gamble, Jr. |
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | July 22, 2022 | ||
| /s/ James M. Griggs James M. Griggs |
Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) | July 22, 2022 | ||
| /s/ Mark L. Feidler Mark L. Feidler |
Director and Independent Chairman | July 15, 2022 | ||
| /s/ G. Thomas Hough G. Thomas Hough |
Director | July 19, 2022 | ||
| /s/ Robert D. Marcus Robert D. Marcus |
Director | July 17, 2022 | ||
| /s/ Scott A. McGregor Scott A. McGregor |
Director | July 16, 2022 | ||
II-6
Table of Contents
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ John A. McKinley John A. McKinley |
Director | July 15, 2022 | ||
| /s/ Robert W. Selander Robert W. Selander |
Director | July 15, 2022 | ||
| /s/ Melissa D. Smith Melissa D. Smith |
Director | July 20, 2022 | ||
| /s/ Audrey Boone Tillman Audrey Boone Tillman |
Director | July 18, 2022 | ||
| /s/ Heather H. Wilson Heather H. Wilson |
Director | July 15, 2022 | ||
II-7
Exhibit 5.1
|
|
Hogan Lovells US LLP Columbia Square 555 Thirteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20004 T +1 202 637 5600 F +1 202 637 5910 www.hoganlovells.com |
July 22, 2022
Board of Directors
Equifax Inc.
1550 Peachtree Street, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30309
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are acting as counsel to Equifax Inc., a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the proposed public offering of an indeterminate amount of one or more series of the following securities of the Company: (i) debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), (ii) shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Preferred Shares”), (iii) shares of common stock, $1.25 par value per share (the “Common Shares”), (iv) warrants to purchase Debt Securities (the “Debt Warrants”); (v) warrants to purchase Preferred Shares (the “Preferred Stock Warrants”); and (vi) warrants to purchase Common Shares (the “Common Stock Warrants” and, together with the Debt Securities, Preferred Shares, Common Shares, Debt Warrants and Preferred Stock Warrants, the “Securities”), all of which may be sold from time to time and on a delayed or continuous basis, as set forth in the prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement, and as to be set forth in one or more supplements to the prospectus. This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K, 17 C.F.R. § 229.601(b)(5), in connection with the Registration Statement.
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined copies of such agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed. In our examination of the aforesaid documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all documents submitted to us, the authenticity of all original documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies (including pdfs). As to all matters of fact, we have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the documents so reviewed, and we have not independently established the facts so relied on. This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed that (i) the issuance, sale, amount and terms of any Securities of the Company to be offered from time to time will have been duly authorized and established by proper action of the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee of such board (“Board Action”) consistent with the procedures and terms described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the Company’s charter and bylaws and
Hogan Lovells US LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in the District of Columbia. “Hogan Lovells” is an international legal practice that includes Hogan Lovells US LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP, with offices in: Alicante Amsterdam Baltimore Beijing Birmingham Boston Brussels Colorado Springs Denver Dubai Dusseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hong Kong Houston Johannesburg London Los Angeles Luxembourg Madrid Mexico City Miami Milan Minneapolis Monterrey Moscow Munich New York Northern Virginia Paris Perth Philadelphia Rome San Francisco São Paulo Shanghai Silicon Valley Singapore Sydney Tokyo Warsaw Washington, D.C. Associated Offices: Budapest Jakarta Riyadh Shanghai FTZ Ulaanbaatar Zagreb. Business Service Centers: Johannesburg Louisville. Legal Services Center: Berlin. For more information see www.hoganlovells.com
| Board of Directors |
||||
| Equifax Inc. |
- 2 - | July 22, 2022 |
applicable Georgia corporate law, in a manner that does not violate any law, government or court-imposed order or restriction or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company or otherwise impair the legal or binding nature of the obligations represented by the applicable Securities; (ii) at the time of offer, issuance and sale of any Securities, the Registration Statement will have been declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and no stop order suspending its effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect; (iii) any Debt Securities will be issued pursuant to the Indenture dated as of May 12, 2016, between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), filed as Exhibit 4.3 to the Registration Statement and as amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms (the “Indenture”); (iv) any Debt Warrants will be issued under one or more debt warrant agreements, each to be between the Company and a financial institution identified therein as a warrant agent; (v) any Preferred Stock Warrants will be issued under one or more equity warrant agreements, each to be between the Company and a financial institution identified therein as a warrant agent; (vi) any Common Stock Warrants will be issued under one or more equity warrant agreements, each to be between the Company and a financial institution identified therein as a warrant agent; (vii) prior to any issuance of Preferred Shares, appropriate articles of amendment will be accepted for record by the Secretary of State of the State of Georgia; (viii) if being sold by the issuer thereof, the Securities will be delivered against payment of valid consideration therefor and in accordance with the terms of the applicable Board Action authorizing such sale and any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement and as contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the applicable prospectus supplement; and (ix) the Company will remain a Georgia corporation.
To the extent that the obligations of the Company with respect to the Securities may be dependent upon such matters, we assume for purposes of this opinion that the other party under the Indenture and under the warrant agreement for any Debt Warrants, Preferred Stock Warrants or Common Stock Warrants, namely, the Trustee or the warrant agent, respectively, is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; that such other party is duly qualified to engage in the activities contemplated by the Indenture or such warrant agreement, as applicable; that the Indenture or such warrant agreement, as applicable, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the other party and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the other party enforceable against the other party in accordance with its terms; that such other party is in compliance with respect to performance of its obligations under the Indenture or such warrant agreement, as applicable, with all applicable laws, rules and regulations; and that such other party has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under the Indenture or such warrant agreement, as applicable.
This opinion letter is based as to matters of law solely on the applicable provisions of laws of the State of New York (but not including any laws, statutes, ordinances, administrative decisions, rules or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level), as currently in effect. We express no opinion herein as to any other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations (and in particular, we express no opinion as to any effect that such other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations may have on the opinion expressed herein). Insofar as the opinions expressed herein relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by Georgia law, we have relied, without independent investigation, upon, and our opinions expressed herein are subject to all of the qualifications, assumptions and limitations expressed in, the opinion dated July 22, 2022 of John J. Kelley III, Chief Legal Officer of the Company, filed as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement.
Based upon, subject to and limited by the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
2
| Board of Directors |
||||
| Equifax Inc. |
- 3 - | July 22, 2022 |
(a) The Debt Securities (including any Debt Securities duly issued upon the exercise of Debt Warrants), upon authentication by the Trustee and due execution and delivery on behalf of the Company in accordance with the Indenture and any supplemental indenture relating thereto, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
(b) The Preferred Shares (including any Preferred Shares that are duly issued upon the exercise of Preferred Stock Warrants and receipt by the Company of any additional consideration payable upon such exercise), upon due execution and delivery on behalf of the Company of certificates therefor, including global certificates, or the entry of the issuance thereof in the books and records of the Company, as the case may be, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(c) The Common Shares (including any Common Shares duly issued upon the exchange or conversion of Debt Securities or Preferred Shares that are exchangeable for or convertible into Common Shares or upon the exercise of Common Stock Warrants and receipt by the Company of any additional consideration payable upon such conversion, exchange or exercise), upon due execution and delivery on behalf of the Company of certificates therefor, including global certificates, or the entry of the issuance thereof in the books and records of the Company, as the case may be, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(d) The Debt Warrants, upon due execution and delivery of a debt warrant agreement relating thereto on behalf of the Company and the warrant agent named therein and due authentication of the Debt Warrants by such warrant agent, and upon due execution and delivery of the Debt Warrants on behalf of the Company, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
(e) The Preferred Stock Warrants, upon due execution and delivery of an equity warrant agreement relating thereto on behalf of the Company and the warrant agent named therein and due authentication of the Preferred Stock Warrants by such warrant agent, and upon due execution and delivery of the Preferred Stock Warrants on behalf of the Company, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
(f) The Common Stock Warrants, upon due execution and delivery of an equity warrant agreement relating thereto on behalf of the Company and the warrant agent named therein and due authentication of the Common Stock Warrants by such warrant agent, and upon due execution and delivery of the Common Stock Warrants on behalf of the Company, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
The opinions expressed in Paragraphs (a), (d), (e) and (f) above with respect to the valid and binding nature of obligations may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies (including, without limitation, the effect of statutory and other law regarding fraudulent conveyances and fraudulent, preferential or voidable transfers) and by the exercise of judicial discretion and the application of principles of equity, good faith, fair dealing, reasonableness, conscionability and materiality (regardless of whether the Securities are considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), including, without limitation, principles limiting the availability of specific performance and injunctive relief.
3
| Board of Directors |
||||
| Equifax Inc. |
- 4 - | July 22, 2022 |
This opinion letter has been prepared for use in connection with the Registration Statement. We assume no obligation to advise of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the effective date of the Registration Statement.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Hogan Lovells US LLP
HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP
4
Exhibit 5.2
| 1550 Peachtree Street, N.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30309 |
July 22, 2022
Board of Directors
Equifax Inc.
1550 Peachtree Street, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Equifax Inc., a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the proposed public offering of an indeterminate amount of one or more series of the following securities of the Company: (i) debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), (ii) shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Preferred Shares”), (iii) shares of common stock, $1.25 par value per share (the “Common Shares”), (iv) warrants to purchase Debt Securities (the “Debt Warrants”); (v) warrants to purchase Preferred Shares (the “Preferred Stock Warrants”); and (vi) warrants to purchase Common Shares (the “Common Stock Warrants” and, together with the Debt Securities, Preferred Shares, Common Shares, Debt Warrants and Preferred Stock Warrants, the “Securities”), all of which may be sold from time to time and on a delayed or continuous basis, as set forth in the prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement, and as to be set forth in one or more supplements to the prospectus. This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K, 17 C.F.R. § 229.601(b)(5), in connection with the Registration Statement.
For purposes of this opinion letter, I, or attorneys in the legal department of the Company under my direction, have examined copies of such agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed.
In rendering the opinion set forth below, I have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the accuracy and completeness of all documents submitted to me, the authenticity of all original documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to me as copies (including pdfs). I have also assumed the legal capacity for all purposes relevant hereto of all natural persons and, with respect to all parties to agreements or instruments relevant hereto other than the Company, that such parties had the requisite power and authority (corporate or otherwise) to execute, deliver and perform such agreements or instruments, that such agreements or instruments have been duly authorized by all requisite action (corporate or otherwise), executed and delivered by such parties and that such agreements or instruments are the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of all parties thereto. I have further assumed that (i) the issuance, sale, amount and terms of any Securities of the Company to be offered from time to time will have been duly authorized and established by proper action of the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee of such board (“Board Action”) consistent with the procedures and terms described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the Company’s charter and bylaws and applicable Georgia corporate law, in a manner that does not violate any law, government or court-imposed order or restriction or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company or otherwise impair the legal or binding nature of the obligations represented by the applicable Securities; (ii) at the time of offer, issuance and sale of any Securities, the Registration Statement will have been declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and no stop order suspending its effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect; (iii) prior to any issuance of Preferred Shares, appropriate articles of amendment will be accepted for record by the Secretary of State of the State of Georgia; and (iv) if being sold by the issuer thereof, the Securities will be delivered against payment of valid consideration therefor and in accordance with the terms of the applicable Board Action authorizing such sale and any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement and as contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the applicable prospectus supplement. As to questions of fact material to my opinion, I have relied upon certificates of officers of the Company and of public officials. This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.
I, or attorneys in the legal department of the Company under my direction, have also reviewed such questions of law as I have considered necessary and appropriate for the purposes of this opinion.
This opinion is limited in all respects to the laws of the State of Georgia, and no opinion is expressed with respect to the laws of any other jurisdiction or any effect which such laws may have on the opinion expressed herein. This opinion is limited to the matters stated herein, and no opinion is implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein.
Based upon, subject to and limited by the foregoing, I am of the opinion that (i) the Company is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Georgia, (ii) the Company has the corporate power under Georgia law to execute and deliver the Securities, (iii) the Preferred Shares (including any Preferred Shares that are duly issued upon the exercise of Preferred Stock Warrants and receipt by the Company of any additional consideration payable upon such exercise), upon due execution and delivery on behalf of the Company of certificates therefor, including global certificates, or the entry of the issuance thereof in the books and records of the Company, as the case may be, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and (iv) the Common Shares (including any Common Shares duly issued upon the exchange or conversion of Debt Securities or Preferred Shares that are exchangeable for or convertible into Common Shares or upon the exercise of Common Stock Warrants and receipt by the Company of any additional consideration payable upon such conversion, exchange or exercise), upon due execution and delivery on behalf of the Company of certificates therefor, including global certificates, or the entry of the issuance thereof in the books and records of the Company, as the case may be, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
This opinion letter has been prepared for use in connection with the filing by the Company of the Registration Statement and speaks as of the date hereof. I assume no obligation to advise of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the delivery of this opinion letter.
I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this opinion under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, I do not hereby admit that I am an “expert” within the meaning of the Act. Hogan Lovells US LLP may rely on the opinion expressed herein, insofar as it relates to the Georgia General Corporation Law, for purposes of delivering its legal opinion in connection with the validity of the Securities.
[signature page follows]
2
| Very truly yours, |
| /s/ John J. Kelley III |
| John J. Kelley III |
| Corporate Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary |
Signature Page to 5.2 Opinion
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in the Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of Equifax Inc. for the registration of the offering to sell from time to time, in one or more series, senior and/or subordinated debt securities, common stock, preferred stock and warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities and to the incorporation by reference therein of our reports dated February 24, 2022, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Equifax Inc., and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Equifax Inc., included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Atlanta, Georgia
July 22, 2022