SHC 8-K
Sotera Health Co (SHC)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.12b-2).
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 8.01 | Other Events |
On March 4, 2026, Sotera Health Company (the “Company”), certain stockholders named in Schedule 2 thereto (the “Selling Stockholders”) and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as underwriter (the “Underwriter”), entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) relating to the sale of 25,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”) by the Selling Stockholders, at a price of $15.270 per share, subject to and upon the terms and conditions set forth therein. On March 6, 2026, the Selling Stockholders sold the Shares to the Underwriter pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement. The Company did not issue or sell any shares of Common Stock in that transaction and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Shares by the Selling Stockholders. None of the Company’s executive officers participated in the sale of the Shares in the offering.
The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 1.1 and is incorporated herein by reference. The opinion of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, relating to the validity of the Shares, is filed as Exhibit 5.1 hereto.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit Number |
Description | |
| 1.1 | Underwriting Agreement, dated March 4, 2026, among the Company, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as underwriter, and the selling stockholders named in Schedule 2 thereto. | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. | |
| 23.1 | Consent of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). | |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Sotera Health Company | ||||||
| (Registrant) | ||||||
| Date: March 6, 2026 | By: | /s/ Jonathan M. Lyons | ||||
| Jonathan M. Lyons | ||||||
| Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||||
Exhibit 1.1
SOTERA HEALTH COMPANY
25,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
Underwriting Agreement
March 4, 2026
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
500 West 33rd Street
New York, New York 10001
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Certain stockholders named in Schedule 2 hereto (the “Selling Stockholders”) of Sotera Health Company, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), propose to sell to the several underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), an aggregate of 25,000,000 shares (the “Underwritten Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Company. The Underwritten Shares are herein referred to as the “Shares.” The shares of Common Stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are referred to herein as the “Stock.” In the event only one underwriter is listed in Schedule 1 hereto, any references in this Agreement to the “Underwriters” shall be deemed to refer to the sole underwriter in the singular form listed in such Schedule 1.
The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby confirm their agreement with the Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-277418), including a prospectus, relating to the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus, including any preliminary prospectus supplement, included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before effectiveness, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any reference in this underwriting
agreement (this “Agreement”) to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend”, “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the pricing information set forth on Annex A, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated March 4, 2026 and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex A hereto.
“Applicable Time” means 4:50 P.M., New York City time, on March 4, 2026.
2. Purchase of the Shares.
(a) Each of the Selling Stockholders agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell the Underwritten Shares to the Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase at a price per share of $15.27 (the “Purchase Price”) from each of the Selling Stockholders the number of Underwritten Shares (to be adjusted by the Underwriters so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be sold by each of the Selling Stockholders as set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule 2 hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be purchased by all the Underwriters from all of the Selling Stockholders hereunder.
(b) The Selling Stockholders understand that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Shares, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package. The Selling Stockholders acknowledge and agree that the Underwriters may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.
(c) Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by each of the Selling Stockholders to the Underwriters in the case of the Underwritten Shares, via teleconference at 10:00 A.M. New York City time on March 6, 2026, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Underwriters and each of the Selling Stockholders may agree upon in writing. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”
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Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date shall be made against delivery to the Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on such date with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Shares duly paid by the Selling Stockholders. Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Underwriters shall otherwise instruct.
(d) Each of the Company and each Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company and the Selling Stockholders with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company, the Selling Stockholders or any other person. Additionally, no Underwriter is advising the Company, the Selling Stockholders or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall consult with their own advisors concerning such matters and each shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and no Underwriter shall have any responsibility or liability to the Company or the Selling Stockholders with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company or the Selling Stockholders. Moreover, each Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that, although the Underwriters may be required or choose to provide certain Selling Stockholders with certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures in connection with the offering, the Underwriters are not making a recommendation to any Selling Stockholder to participate in the offering, enter into a “lock-up” agreement, or sell any Shares at the price determined in the offering, and nothing set forth in such disclosures is intended to suggest that any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter and each Selling Stockholder that:
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(d) hereof.
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(b) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(d) hereof. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package and no statement of material fact included in the Pricing Disclosure Package that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Underwriters. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complies in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of the Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(d) hereof.
(d) [Reserved].
(e) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications and (ii) has not authorized anyone to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications. “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on either Section 5(d) of, or Rule 163B under, the Securities Act. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
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(f) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(d) hereof.
(g) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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(h) Financial Statements. The historical financial statements (including the related notes and supporting schedules) and the other financial data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of operations and the changes in cash flows of the entities purported to be shown thereby, at the dates and for the periods indicated, and have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as otherwise stated therein; the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby; all disclosures included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable; and to the extent included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements, in all material respects, of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(i) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the grant or forfeiture of equity awards under equity incentive plans described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), any material change in the short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in the case of clause (i) – (iii) above, as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(j) Organization and Good Standing. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly organized, is validly existing and in good standing as a corporation or other business entity under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, is duly qualified to do business and in good standing as a foreign corporation or other business entity in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its businesses requires such qualification, and has all requisite corporate and other organizational power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the businesses in which it is engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority could not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”). There are no significant subsidiaries of the Company that are not listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on February 24, 2026.
(k) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Description of Common Stock – Authorized Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company (including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders) have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, except in the case of any foreign subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party (except as (i) would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect and (ii) described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus).
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(l) Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) and other equity awards granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code so qualifies, (ii) each such grant was duly authorized no later than the date on which each such grant was by its terms to be effective (the “Grant Date”) by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including the rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market (the “Nasdaq Market”) and any other exchange on which Company securities are traded, and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company and included in the disclosures in the Company’s filings with the Commission in accordance with the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws to the extent required to be disclosed. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Stock Options or other equity awards prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Stock Options or other equity awards with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its subsidiaries or their results of operations or prospects.
(m) Due Authorization. The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and all corporate action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.
(n) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(o) [Reserved].
(p) Description of the Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(q) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(r) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, impose any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or its subsidiaries, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (iii) result in any violation of any law or statute applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any judgment, order, decree, rule or regulation of any court or arbitration or governmental or regulatory agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets, except, with respect to clauses (i) and (iii), as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, registration or qualification with any U.S. court or governmental agency or body, or to the knowledge of the Company, any non-U.S. court or governmental agency or body, having jurisdiction over the Company, any of the subsidiaries of the Company or any of their respective properties or assets is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, except for (i) the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act, (ii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters, (iii) as shall have been obtained or made prior to the Closing Date and (iv) where the failure to obtain any such consent, approval, authorization, order, license, registration or qualification would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be reasonably expected to become a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be reasonably expected to become the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance by the Company of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby; and no such Actions are threatened in writing by any governmental or regulatory authority or by
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others or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or by others; and (i) there are no current or pending Actions that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement and no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(u) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, who has audited certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, whose report is included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and who have delivered the initial letter referred to in Section 8(f) hereof, is an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(v) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or lease all such real and personal property necessary to the conduct of their respective businesses, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) Intellectual Property. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) own or otherwise possess, or can acquire on commercially reasonable terms, adequate rights to use all patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, domain names, copyrights, know-how and systems (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures and other intellectual property) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted, (ii) do not, through the conduct of their respective businesses, infringe or violate any intellectual property rights of others and (iii) have not received any written notice of any claim of infringement or violation of any intellectual property rights of others.
(x) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, executive officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.
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(y) Investment Company Act. The Company is not an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).
(z) Taxes. Except, in each case, as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed by them through the date hereof, subject to permitted extensions, and have paid all taxes required to be paid by them, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, and (ii) the Company does not have any knowledge of any tax deficiencies that have been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company and its subsidiaries, except, in the case of either (i) or (ii), for any items being contested in good faith for which adequate reserves for taxes have been established in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
(aa) Licenses and Permits. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have such permits, licenses, approvals, clearances, exemptions, authorizations, consents, franchises, certificates, registrations, supplements, amendments and other approvals or authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over the Company and its subsidiaries (“Permits”) as are necessary under applicable law to own their respective properties and conduct their respective businesses in the manner described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for any of the foregoing that could not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any proceedings related to the revocation, suspension or modification of any such Permits that, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(bb) No Labor Disputes. Except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, no labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(cc) Certain Environmental Matters. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries (x) are, and, to the knowledge of the Company, for the past five years were, in compliance with any and all applicable U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, or the use, transport, manufacture, treatment, storage, disposal or release of hazardous, toxic or radioactive materials, substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (y) have received and are in compliance with all permits,
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licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals, and have obtained all financial assurances, required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous, toxic or radioactive materials, substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge that any such notice is threatened, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries or the conduct of their respective businesses, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such failure to comply, or failure to receive, or cost or liability, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) (x) there are no proceedings that are pending, or that are known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $1,000,000 or more will be imposed, and (y) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is aware of any issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous, toxic or radioactive materials, substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or have a material effect on the capital expenditures or earnings of the Company and its subsidiaries.
(dd) Compliance with ERISA. Except, in each case, as would not have a Material Adverse Effect or as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (A) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (B) no failure to satisfy the “minimum funding standard” (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code), whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (C) the fair market value of the assets under each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan), and (D) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); (iv) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; and (v) with respect to (A) each employee
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benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA, whether or not subject to ERISA) that is not subject to US law and (B) each employee benefit arrangement mandated by non-US law, in each case of (A) and (B), that is maintained, contributed to, or required to be contributed to, by the Company or any member of its Controlled Group or any other entity related to a member of its Controlled Group on a controlled group basis or for which the Company, any member of its Controlled Group or any such other entity has liability (as to (A) and (B), a “Foreign Plan” and “Foreign Benefit Arrangement,” respectively), (x) there has been no failure to timely make, fund, reserve, secure by way of an insurance policy or, if applicable, accrue in accordance with normal accounting practices, any employer or employee contributions, and any insurance premium payments (if applicable), required by applicable law or by the terms of such Foreign Plan or Foreign Benefit Arrangement, (y) there has been no failure to register or loss of good standing with applicable regulatory authorities of any such Foreign Plan or Foreign Benefit Arrangement required to be registered and if any such Foreign Plan or Foreign Benefit Arrangement is intended to qualify for special tax treatment, it meets all applicable requirements to qualify for such tax treatment, and (z) there has been no failure of any Foreign Plan or Foreign Benefit Arrangement to comply with any material provisions of applicable law and regulations or with the material terms of such Foreign Plan or Foreign Benefit Arrangement; and (vi) no proceeding, audit, assessment, complaint or examination has been made, commenced or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened with respect to any Plan, Foreign Plan or Foreign Benefit Arrangement (other than routine claims for benefits payable in the ordinary course of business).
(ee) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(ff) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or
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specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (v) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Based on the Company’s most recent evaluation of its internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Rule 13a-15(c) of the Exchange Act, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
(gg) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are insured against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged or as required by law.
(hh) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets, equipment, systems, networks, software, hardware, computers, websites, applications and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data, including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Data”) used in connection with their businesses, and (ii) there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to the same, except for those that have been remedied, nor any incidents currently under internal review or investigations relating to the same. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all applicable judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data collected, stored, processed, transferred, disclosed or used by the Company or its subsidiaries.
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(ii) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries when acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, when acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or controlled affiliate thereof has in the past five years (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) taken any action, directly or knowingly indirectly, that would result in a violation by such person of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder (“FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, the Canadian Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act or any other applicable anti-corruption or anti-bribery statute or regulation of any jurisdiction in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries operate (collectively, the “Anti-Corruption Laws”); or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment or benefit, in each case if such would result in a violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, and maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to promote continued compliance with the Anti-Corruption Laws.
(jj) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Cannabis Laws. In the past five years, the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada), the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency with jurisdiction over the Company (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”).
The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted for each of the last three years (i) in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 801 et seq) related to cannabis, including cannabis that meets the definition of “marihuana” under 21 U.S.C. § 802(16), and all rules, regulations, and orders related thereto as well as (ii) in material compliance with all other applicable laws, statutes, rules, and regulations concerning cannabis in all jurisdictions in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate ((i) and (ii) collectively, “Cannabis Laws”).
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No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws or Cannabis Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
The proceeds from the offering of the Shares will not be lent, used, or otherwise made available in any way that would cause a material violation of Anti-Money Laundering Laws or a violation of Cannabis Laws by the Company or its subsidiaries.
(kk) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any directors or officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any employee, agent or controlled affiliate thereof, is (i) currently a person with whom dealings are prohibited under any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State) the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or Canada (collectively, “Sanctions”) (“Sanctioned Person”) or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions that broadly prohibit dealings with such country or territory (currently, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran and North Korea (each, a “Sanctioned Jurisdiction”)). The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, (i) for the purpose of financing the activities of any person that is, at the time of such financing, a Sanctioned Person or located in a Sanctioned Jurisdiction or (ii) in any other manner that would result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with or involving any individual or entity that is the subject or target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Jurisdiction. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, and maintain, policies and procedures designed to promote continued compliance with Sanctions.
(ll) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. No subsidiary of the Company, excluding any joint venture, is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or instrument to which it is party, from paying any cash dividends to the Company, from making any other cash distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s cash assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(mm) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that could give rise to a valid claim against any of them or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
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(nn) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission except for such rights that are described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(oo) No Stabilization. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to activities by the Underwriters, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(pp) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included or incorporated by reference in any of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(qq) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reasonably reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(rr) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(ss) Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” and is a “well-known seasoned issuer”, in each case as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. The Company has paid the registration fee for this offering pursuant to Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act or will pay such fee within the time period required by such rule (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
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(tt) Compliance with Healthcare Laws. In the past three years, the Company and its subsidiaries (i) are and at all times have been in material compliance with all statutes, rules or regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and other comparable governmental or regulatory authorities and contractual requirements applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing (including by sterilizing or irradiating), use, distribution, labeling, storage, import, export or disposal of any article tested, developed, manufactured, packaged, processed or distributed by the Company (collectively, the “Food and Drug Laws”); (ii) have not received written notice that the FDA, HHS, DEA or any comparable governmental or regulatory authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any licenses, certificates, approvals, clearances, exemptions, authorizations, permits, registrations and supplements or amendments required by the FDA, HHS, DEA or any comparable governmental or regulatory authority (“Authorizations”) and have no knowledge that the FDA, HHS, DEA or any comparable governmental or regulatory authority is considering such action and have no reason to believe that any such Authorizations will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) have not received any FDA Form 483, notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or written notice from FDA, HHS, DEA, or any comparable governmental or regulatory authority alleging or asserting noncompliance with applicable statutes, rules and regulations, except for such FDA Form 483s, notices of adverse finding, warning letters, untitled letters or other correspondence or written notices that have been resolved as of the date hereof or as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Additionally, none of the Company, its subsidiaries, or their respective employees, officers, directors, or, to the Company’s knowledge, agents, has been excluded, suspended, debarred or disqualified from participation in any U.S. federal health care program or human clinical research or, to the knowledge of the Company or its subsidiaries, is subject to a governmental inquiry, claim, investigation, proceeding, or other similar action that would reasonably be expected to result in any such exclusion, suspension, debarment or disqualification or has engaged in any conduct that would reasonably be expected to result in any such exclusion, suspension, debarment or disqualification, except in the case of the employees of the Company or its subsidiaries, as would not have a material effect on the Company or its subsidiaries. In the past three years, the Company has complied with DEA instructions with respect to the irradiation of cannabis in the United States, including cannabis that meets the definition of “marihuana” under 21 U.S.C. § 802(16).
(uu) Clinical Data and Regulatory Compliance. (i) The tests, studies, and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of or sponsored by the Company or its subsidiaries (“Studies”), or in which any of the Company or its subsidiaries has participated, were and, if still ongoing, are being conducted in accordance with protocols, procedures and controls designed and approved for such tests, studies, and clinical trials and with accepted professional medical and scientific research procedures and standards and all applicable Food and Drug Laws, and Authorizations of the jurisdiction in which such Studies are being conducted in all material respects; and (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any material written notices, correspondence or other communications from the FDA, HHS, DEA or DOJ or any governmental or regulatory authority or similar entity requiring or threatening the termination or suspension of any Studies or with respect to the performance of such Studies, except for such notices, correspondence or communications that have been resolved as of the date hereof or as
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would not have an adverse effect on the Company. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any director, officer, employee, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or its subsidiaries has committed any act, made any statement or failed to make any statement that would reasonably be expected to provide a basis for the FDA or any other governmental or regulatory authority to invoke its policy with respect to “Fraud, Untrue Statements of Material Facts, Bribery, and Illegal Gratuities,” or similar policies.
(vv) eXtensible Business Reporting Language. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders. Each of the Selling Stockholders severally and not jointly represents and warrants to each Underwriter and the Company that:
(a) Required Consents; Authority. Except (i) as may be required under foreign or state securities (or Blue Sky) laws or by FINRA or by the Nasdaq Market in connection with the purchase and distribution of Shares by the Underwriters and (ii) as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to impair such Selling Stockholder’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement in any material respect, all consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement hereinafter referred to, and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder; this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder.
(b) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder and the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated herein will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of such Selling Stockholder pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property, right or asset of such Selling Stockholder is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of such Selling Stockholder or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory agency applicable to such Selling Stockholder, except in the case of (i) and (iii), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to impair such Selling Stockholder’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement in any material respect.
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(c) Title to Shares. Such Selling Stockholder has good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; such Selling Stockholder will have, immediately prior to the Closing Date good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date by such Selling Stockholder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; and upon payment for the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Shares, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by DTC, registration of such Shares in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the crediting of such Shares on the books of DTC to the securities account of the Underwriters, as provided herein (assuming that neither DTC nor the Underwriters has notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”)) to such Shares), (A) the Underwriters will, under Section 8-501 of the UCC, acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Shares and (B) no action based on any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC) to such Shares may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement.
(d) No Stabilization. Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(e) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that such Selling Stockholder’s representation under this Section 4(e) shall only apply to any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Selling Stockholder furnished to the Company in writing by such Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by each Selling Stockholder consists of (A) the legal name and address of such Selling Stockholder and the other information about such Selling Stockholder set forth in the footnote relating to such Selling Stockholder under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders,” (B) the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by such Selling Stockholder before and after the offering (excluding percentages) that appears in the table (and corresponding footnotes) under the caption “Selling Stockholders” and (C) the information about such Selling Stockholder under the caption “Summary—Principal Stockholders” (collectively, the “Selling Stockholder Information”).
(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, such Selling Stockholder (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Company and the Underwriters.
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(g) Registration Statement and Prospectus. As of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that such Selling Stockholder’s representation under this Section 4(g) shall apply only to any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Stockholder Information.
(h) Use of Proceeds. Such Selling Stockholder will not use, directly or knowingly indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable Anti-Corruption Laws; and such Selling Stockholder will not directly or knowingly indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to a subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Jurisdiction or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.
(i) Organization and Good Standing. Such Selling Stockholder has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its respective jurisdictions of organization.
(j) ERISA. Such Selling Stockholder is not (i) an employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) a plan as defined in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code that is subject to Section 4975 of the Code or (iii) an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” of any such plan or account under Section 3(42) of ERISA, 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-101, or otherwise.
(k) Stamp Taxes. No stamp duties or other issuance or transfer taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters in the United States or, in each case, any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof in connection with (A) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, (B) the sale and the delivery to the Underwriters of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus or (C) the sale and delivery by the Underwriters to the initial purchasers thereof of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder as contemplated herein and in the Prospectus.
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(l) Enforcement of Foreign Judgments. Any final judgment for a fixed or determined sum of money rendered by any U.S. federal or New York State court located in the State of New York having jurisdiction under its own laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against such Selling Stockholder based upon this Agreement would be declared enforceable against such Selling Stockholder by the courts of such Selling Stockholder’s jurisdiction of organization (if other than the United States), without reconsideration or reexamination of the merits.
(m) Valid Choice of Law. The choice of laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of such Selling Stockholder’s jurisdiction of organization (if other than the United States) and will be honored by the courts of such Selling Stockholder’s jurisdiction of organization (if other than the United States). The Selling Stockholder has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 18(c) of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each New York State and United States federal court sitting in the City of New York and has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in such court.
(n) Currency. To the extent any payment is to be made by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement, such Selling Stockholder has access, subject to the laws of such Selling Stockholder’s jurisdiction of organization (if other than the United States), to the internal currency market in such Selling Stockholder’s jurisdiction of organization (if other than the United States) and, to the extent necessary, valid agreements with commercial banks of such Selling Stockholder’s jurisdiction of organization (if other than the United States) for purchasing U.S. dollars to make payments of amounts which may be payable under this Agreement.
5. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and the Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement (or such later time as may be agreed by the Company and the Underwriters) in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company will pay the registration fee for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
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(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Underwriters, two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and documents incorporated by reference therein; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) upon request of the Underwriters and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus) as the Underwriters may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether before or after the time that the Registration Statement becomes effective, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Underwriters reasonably object in a timely manner.
(d) Notice to the Underwriters. The Company will advise the Underwriters promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the
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Pricing Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and (viii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(e) Ongoing Compliance. (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Underwriters may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus (or any document to be filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein) as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented (or any document to be filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein) will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Underwriters may designate such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package (or any document to be filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein) as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with law.
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(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Underwriters as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement, provided that the Company will be deemed to have complied with such requirement by filing such earnings statement on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system (or any successor system) (“EDGAR”).
(h) Clear Market. For a period of 30 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or publicly file with, the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or publicly disclose the intention to undertake any of the foregoing (provided that the Company shall provide written notice to the Underwriters at least two business days prior to any confidential or non-public submission of a registration statement described in this clause (i)), or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, other than the Shares to be sold hereunder.
The restrictions described above do not apply to (i) the issuance of shares of Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of Stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities or the exercise of warrants or options (including net exercise) or the settlement of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) or performance stock units (including net settlement), in each case outstanding on the date of this Agreement and described in the Prospectus; (ii) grants of stock options, stock awards, restricted stock, RSUs, performance stock units, or other equity awards and the issuance of shares of Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Stock (whether upon the exercise of stock options, settlement of RSUs or otherwise), in each case, pursuant to or subject to the terms of an equity compensation plan in effect as of the Closing Date and described in the Prospectus (the “Compensation Plans”), provided that such recipients that are executive officers or directors of the Company enter into a lock-up agreement with the Underwriters substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto; (iii) entry into one or more agreements
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providing for, and the issuance of, up to 10% of the outstanding shares of Stock, or securities convertible into, exercisable for, or which are otherwise exchangeable for, Stock, immediately following the Closing Date, in acquisitions of the securities, business, property or assets of another person or entity, joint ventures, commercial relationships or other similar strategic transactions or pursuant to any employee benefit plan assumed by the Company in connection with any such acquisition, provided that such recipients enter into a lock-up agreement with the Underwriters; or (iv) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 relating to securities granted or to be granted pursuant to any Compensation Plan described in the Prospectus or any assumed benefit plan pursuant to an acquisition or similar strategic transaction.
(i) [Reserved].
(j) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to the activities by the Underwriters, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Stock.
(k) Exchange Listing. For so long as the Company is a reporting company pursuant to Section 12 or 15 of the Exchange Act, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the Shares on the Nasdaq Market.
(l) Reports. For a period of two years from the date of this Agreement, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Underwriters to the extent they are filed on EDGAR.
(m) Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
(n) Shelf Renewal. If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Shares remain un-sold by the Underwriters, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Shares, in a form satisfactory to the Underwriters. If the Company is not eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Shares, in a form satisfactory to the Underwriters, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the issuance and sale of the Shares to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Shares. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.
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6. Further Agreements of the Selling Stockholders. Each of the Selling Stockholders severally covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) No Stabilization. Such Selling Stockholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Stock.
(b) Tax Form. It will deliver to the Underwriters prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 or Form W-8 (or other applicable form or statement specified by the Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) in order to facilitate the Underwriters’ documentation of their compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated.
(d) Use of Proceeds. It will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to a subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Jurisdiction or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.
7. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:
(a) It has not used, authorized use of, referred to or participated in the planning for use of, and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) (including through incorporation by reference) that was not included in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex A or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(f) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).
(b) It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Shares unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission.
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(c) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company and the Selling Stockholders if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
8. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Underwriters.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The respective representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date; and the statements of the Company and its officers and of each of the Selling Stockholders and their officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any debt securities, convertible securities or preferred stock issued, or guaranteed by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined under Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any such debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
(d) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(i) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Underwriters makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(e) Officer’s Certificate. The Underwriters shall have received on and as of the Closing Date (x) a certificate, which shall be delivered on behalf of the Company and not the signatories in their individual capacity, of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations of the Company set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(f) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above and (y) a certificate of each of the Selling Stockholders, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, (A) confirming that the representations of such Selling Stockholder set forth in Sections 4(A)(e), 4(A)(f) and 4(A)(g) hereof is true and correct and (B) confirming that the other representations and warranties of such Selling Stockholder in this agreement are true and correct and that the such Selling Stockholder has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on their part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.
(f) Comfort Letters. (i) On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date Ernst & Young LLP shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date.
(ii) On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(g) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex B-1 hereto.
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(h) Opinion of Delaware Counsel for the Company. Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Delaware counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex B-2 hereto.
(i) Opinion of General Counsel for the Company. Alexander Dimitrief, Senior Vice President, General Counsel to the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Company, his written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters to the effect set forth in Annex B-3 hereto.
(j) Opinion of Counsel for the Warburg Selling Stockholders. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, counsel for Bull Holdco, L.P. and Bull Co-Invest L.P. (collectively, the “Warburg Selling Stockholders”), shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Warburg Selling Stockholders, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex B-4 hereto.
(k) Opinion of Counsel for the GTCR Selling Stockholders. Kirkland & Ellis LLP, counsel for GTCR Fund XI/A LP, GTCR Fund XI/C LP and GTCR Co-Invest XI LP (collectively, the “GTCR Selling Stockholders”), shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the GTCR Selling Stockholders, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex B-5 hereto.
(l) Opinion of Delaware Counsel for the GTCR Selling Stockholders. Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Delaware counsel for the GTCR Selling Stockholders, shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the GTCR Selling Stockholders, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex B-6 hereto.
(m) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Underwriters shall have received on and as of the Closing Date an opinion and 10b-5 statement, addressed to the Underwriters, of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(n) No Legal Impediment to Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date prevent the sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date prevent the sale of the Shares.
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(o) Good Standing. The Underwriters shall have received on and as of the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing in such other jurisdictions as the Underwriters may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
(p) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Market, subject to official notice of issuance.
(q) Lock-up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between the Underwriters and executive officers and directors of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, listed on Exhibit B hereto relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Stock or certain other securities, delivered to the Underwriters on or before the date hereof, shall be full force and effect on the Closing Date.
(r) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further certificates and documents as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
9. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and other reasonable expenses incurred and documented in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”) or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged
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untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in paragraph (d) below.
(b) Indemnification of the Selling Stockholders by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Selling Stockholder from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and other reasonable expenses incurred and documented in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”) or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, the Selling Stockholder Information.
(c) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Selling Stockholders. Each of the Selling Stockholders severally in proportion to the number of Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, in each case to the extent, and only to the extent, that such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any Selling Stockholder Information relating to such Selling Stockholder in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package.
(d) Indemnification of the Company and the Selling Stockholders by the Underwriters. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each of the Selling Stockholders to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any road show or any Pricing
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Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: information contained in the third, fourth, eleventh and twelfth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting.”
(e) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person, upon request of the Indemnified Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 9 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such reasonable and documented fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Underwriters and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company and any such separate firm for the Selling Stockholders shall be designated in writing by the Selling Stockholders selling a majority of the Shares under this Agreement. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the
33
foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
(f) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) or (d) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Stockholders from the sale of the Shares and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Selling Stockholders or by the Underwriters, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(g) Limitation on Liability. The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph (f) above were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (f) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (f) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations
34
set forth above, any reasonable legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (f) and (g), in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Shares exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to paragraphs (f) and (g) are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
(h) Selling Stockholder Liability. The liability of each Selling Stockholder under the indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Sections 9(c) and 9(f) shall not exceed the aggregate gross proceeds after underwriting commissions and discounts, but before expenses, to such Selling Stockholder from the sale of the Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement.
(i) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 9 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies that may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
10. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above.
11. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Underwriters, by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Underwriters, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
12. Defaulting Underwriter.
(a) If, on the Closing Date any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be
35
entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons reasonably satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Shares on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company and the Selling Stockholders may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company, counsel for the Selling Stockholders or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 12, purchases Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 13 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 9 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company, the Selling Stockholders or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
13. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its and the Selling Stockholders’ obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and, subject to the last sentence of this paragraph, any stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the
36
preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants, and the fees and expenses of counsel to the Selling Stockholders pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 19, 2020 by and among the Company and certain stockholders, or as otherwise approved by the Company; (iv) the reasonable fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters may designate with the prior approval of the Company (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to this clause (iv) which shall not exceed $10,000); (v) the cost of preparing stock certificates, if applicable; (vi) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (vii) all reasonable expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, FINRA (such application fees and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to this clause (vii) shall not exceed $25,000); (viii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors; and (ix) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Nasdaq Market. It is, however, understood that except as provided in this Section 13 or Section 9 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay all of their own costs and expenses, including, without limitation, the fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any Shares by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they make. Each Selling Stockholder further agrees with the Underwriters to pay (directly or by reimbursement) any stock transfer taxes, stamp duties and other similar taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters hereunder.
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11, (ii) the Company or the Selling Stockholders for any reason fail to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
14. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein, and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 9 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
15. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters or the directors, officers, controlling persons or affiliates referred to in Section 9 hereof.
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16. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act ; and (d) the term “significant subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.
17. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company and the Selling Stockholders, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
18. Miscellaneous.
(a) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 500 West 33rd Street, New York, New York, 10001, Attention: Equity Syndicate, fax no. 212-214-5918 (with such fax or other electronic communication to be confirmed by telephone to 212-214-6144).
(b) Governing Law. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(c) Submission to Jurisdiction. Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and New York state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders waive any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit or proceeding in such courts. Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders agree that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and each Selling Stockholder, as applicable, and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which Company and each Selling Stockholder, as applicable, is subject by a suit upon such judgment.
(d) Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
(e) Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
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(i) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(ii) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
As used in this Section 18(e):
“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(f) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement or any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means.
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(g) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(h) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| SOTERA HEALTH COMPANY | ||
| By: | /s/ Jonathan M. Lyons | |
| Name: | Jonathan M. Lyons | |
| Title: | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | |
[Signature Page to Sotera Health Company Underwriting Agreement]
| SELLING STOCKHOLDERS | ||
| BULL HOLDCO, L.P. | ||
| By: WP Bull Holdco GP LLC, its general partner | ||
| By: Warburg Pincus Private Equity XI, L.P., its sole and managing member
By: Warburg Pincus XI, L.P., its general partner
By: WP Global LLC, its general partner
By: Warburg Pincus Partners II, L.P., its managing member
By: Warburg Pincus Partners GP LLC, its general partner
By: Warburg Pincus & Co., its managing member | ||
| By: | /s/ David Sreter | |
| Name: David Sreter Title: Partner, Warburg Pincus & Co. | ||
| BULL CO-INVEST L.P. | ||
| By: WP Bull Manager, LLC, its general partner | ||
| By: Warburg Pincus & Co., its sole member | ||
| By: | /s/ David Sreter | |
| Name: David Sreter Title: Partner, Warburg Pincus & Co. | ||
[Signature Page to Sotera Health Company Underwriting Agreement]
| GTCR FUND XI/A LP | ||
| By: GTCR Partners XI/A&C LP, its general partner | ||
| By: GTCR Investment XI LLC, its general partner | ||
| By: | /s/ Sean L. Cunningham | |
| Name: Sean L. Cunningham | ||
| Title: Manager | ||
| GTCR FUND XI/C LP | ||
| By: GTCR Partners XI/A&C LP, its general partner | ||
| By: GTCR Investment XI LLC, its general partner | ||
| By: | /s/ Sean L. Cunningham | |
| Name: Sean L. Cunningham | ||
| Title: Manager | ||
| GTCR CO-INVEST XI LP | ||
| By: GTCR Investment XI LLC, its general partner | ||
| By: | /s/ Sean L. Cunningham | |
| Name: Sean L. Cunningham | ||
| Title: Manager | ||
[Signature Page to Sotera Health Company Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted: As of the date first written above
WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
For itself and on behalf of the
Underwriters listed
in Schedule 1 hereto.
| By: |
/s/ Ryan Haney | |
| Name: Ryan Haney Title: Managing Director |
[Signature Page to Sotera Health Company Underwriting Agreement]
Schedule 1
| Underwriter |
Number of Underwritten Shares |
|||
| Wells Fargo Securities, LLC |
25,000,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
25,000,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
Schedule 2
| Selling Stockholders |
Number of Underwritten Shares: |
|||
| Bull Holdco, L.P. |
12,004,206 | |||
| Bull Co-Invest L.P. |
2,995,794 | |||
| GTCR Fund XI/A LP |
7,936,780 | |||
| GTCR Fund XI/C LP |
1,999,610 | |||
| GTCR Co-Invest XI LP |
63,610 | |||
Annex A
| a. | Pricing Disclosure Package |
None.
| b. | Pricing Information Provided Orally by Underwriters |
Underwritten Shares: 25,000,000
The public offering price per share for the shares of Common Stock of the Company shall be $15.27
Trade Date: March 4, 2026
Settlement Date: March 6, 2026
Annex B-1
Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Company
| 1. | The Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. |
| 2. | The Company has corporate power to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, and the Company has corporate power to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and to perform its obligations thereunder. |
| 3. | The Securities have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, have been validly issued by the Company and are fully paid and nonassessable; and the holders of outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are not entitled to any preemptive rights to subscribe for the Securities under the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. |
| 4. | The statements under the heading “Description of Capital Stock” in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain provisions of the Securities and the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, provide a fair summary of such provisions; the statements under the heading “Underwriting” in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain provisions of the Underwriting Agreement, provide a fair summary of such provisions; and the statements under the heading “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders” in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain federal income tax laws of the United States, constitute a fair summary of the principal U.S. federal income tax consequences to Non-U.S. Holders (as defined therein) of an investment in the Securities. |
| 5. | The execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company. |
| 6. | The performance by the Company of its obligations in the Underwriting Agreement will not, (a) require any consent, approval, authorization, registration or qualification of or with any governmental authority of the United States or the State of New York that in our experience normally would be applicable to general business entities with respect to performance, except such as have been obtained or effected under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (but we express no opinion relating to any state securities or Blue Sky laws), (b) result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, any of the agreements of the Company filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, or a violation of the Certificate of |
| Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company or (c) result in a violation of any United States federal or New York State law or published rule or regulation that in our experience normally would be applicable to general business entities with respect to such performance (but we express no opinion relating to the United States federal securities laws or any state securities or Blue Sky laws). |
| 7. | The Company is not required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. |
Form of 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company
| 1. | The Registration Statement (except the financial statements and schedules and other financial data included therein, as to which we express no view), at the time it became effective, and the Final Prospectus (except as aforesaid), as of the date thereof, appeared on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder. |
| 2. | No information has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the Registration Statement (except the financial statements and schedules and other financial data included therein, as to which we express no view), at the time it became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. |
| 3. | No information has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the Pricing Prospectus, considered together with the amount and the price to the public of the Securities on the front cover of the Final Prospectus (except in each case the financial statements and schedules and other financial data included therein, as to which we express no view), at [• p.m.] (Eastern time) on March [•], 2026, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. |
| 4. | No information has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the Final Prospectus (except the financial statements and schedules and other financial data included therein, as to which we express no view), as of the date thereof or hereof, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. |
Annex B-2
Form of Opinion of Delaware Counsel for the Company
| 1. | The execution and delivery by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement and the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement will not violate the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws or any Delaware law, rule or regulation. |
| 2. | No authorization, approval, consent or order of any Delaware court or Delaware governmental authority is required to be obtained by the Company solely in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement and the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement. |
Annex B-3
Form of Opinion of General Counsel for the Company
| 1. | Each subsidiary of the Company listed on Schedule I hereto has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its respective jurisdiction of organization. |
| 2. | To the best of my knowledge, the statements set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain legal and regulatory matters, provide a fair summary of such matters. |
| 3. | To the best of my knowledge, (a) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus and that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and (b) there are (i) no contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that have not been so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement and (ii) no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus that have not been so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus. |
| 4. | All outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 5. | To the best of my knowledge, from January 1, 2021 to the present the Company, on a consolidated basis, has complied in all material respects with the Food and Drug Laws with respect to its activities and services regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), as applicable, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus. “Food and Drug Laws” means the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, the federal Controlled Substances Act, the applicable rules or regulations of the FDA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the DEA, including those in Titles 21, 42, and 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the applicable laws and regulations of other comparable governmental or regulatory authorities applicable to the testing, manufacture, processing (including by sterilizing or irradiating) or storage of any article tested, manufactured, processed or stored by the Company, on a consolidated basis. |
Annex B-4
Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Warburg Selling Stockholders
| 1. | Each of the WP Selling Stockholders is validly existing and in good standing as a limited partnership under the law of the State of Delaware. |
| 2. | Each of the WP Selling Stockholders has limited partnership power to sell the Securities, to execute and deliver the Underwriting Agreement and to perform its obligations thereunder. |
| 3. | The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary limited partnership action of each WP Selling Stockholder, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each WP Selling Stockholder under the law of the State of New York. |
| 4. | The sale of the Securities by the WP Selling Stockholders to the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement does not, and the execution, delivery and performance by the WP Selling Stockholders of their obligations in the Underwriting Agreement will not, (a) require any consent, approval, authorization, registration or qualification of or with any governmental authority of the United States or the State of New York or pursuant to the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, in each case, that in our experience normally would be applicable to general business entities with respect to such sale, execution, delivery or performance, except such as have been obtained or effected under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (but we express no opinion relating to any state securities or Blue Sky laws), or (b) result in a violation of the Certificate of Limited Partnership or the Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of any of the WP Selling Stockholders or other agreement or instrument identified on Annex I hereto, or (c) result in a violation of any United States federal or New York State law or published rule or regulation thereunder or the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act that in our experience normally would be applicable to general business entities with respect to such sale or performance (but we express no opinion relating to the United States federal securities laws or any state securities or Blue Sky laws). |
| 5. | Assuming that (a) The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) is a “clearing corporation” as defined in Section 8-102(a)(5) of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect on the date hereof in the State of New York (the “UCC”), and (b) each of the Underwriters acquires its interest in the Securities it has purchased without notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC), each Underwriter that has purchased Securities from the WP Selling Stockholders delivered on the date hereof to DTC, made payment therefor pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and had such Securities credited to a securities account of such Underwriter maintained with DTC will have acquired a securities entitlement (within the meaning of Section 8-102(a)(17) of the UCC) to such Securities, and no action based on an adverse claim may be asserted against such Underwriter with respect to such security entitlement. |
Annex B-5
Form of Opinion of Counsel for the GTCR Selling Stockholders
| 1. | The Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of each Selling Stockholder under the law of the State of New York. |
| 2. | The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement by each Selling Stockholder, and the sale by each Selling Stockholder of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder in accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement, do not and will not (i) violate or conflict with any of the terms or provisions of the certificate of limited partnership, limited partnership agreement and/or other organizational document of such Selling Stockholder, (ii) result in any breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, any agreement listed on the Specified Contracts Schedule (the “Specified Contracts”), it being expressly understood that in each case we express no opinion as to compliance with any financial covenant or test or cross-default provision in any Specified Contract, (iii) violate or conflict with any judgment, decree or order identified to us by such Selling Stockholder (we note that none were identified) of any court or any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder, or (iv) violate any Specified Law, except in each of the cases of clause (ii), for any such violation, conflict, breach or default which has been waived by the party or parties with power to waive such violation, conflict, breach or default. |
| 3. | No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required to be obtained by any Selling Stockholder under any Specified Law with respect to the sale of the Shares by such Selling Stockholder and the performance by such Selling Stockholder of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement. |
| 4. | Upon payment for the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders to the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, delivery of such Shares, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Shares in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the crediting of such Shares on the records of DTC to securities accounts of such Underwriters: (A) under Section 8-501 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York (the “UCC”), such Underwriters will acquire a “security entitlement” (within the meaning of Section 8-102(a)(17) of the UCC) in respect of such Shares; and (B) assuming such Underwriters have so acquired such security entitlement without notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Sections 8-102(a)(1) and 8-105 of the UCC) to such Shares, no action based on any adverse claim (within the meaning of Sections 8-102(a)(1) and 8-105 of the UCC) to such Shares may be asserted against such Underwriters with respect to such security entitlements. For purposes of our opinion in this paragraph 4, we have assumed that when such payment, delivery, registration and crediting occur, (x) the Shares being sold by the Selling Stockholders will have been registered in the name of Cede or such other nominee as may be designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, by-laws and applicable law, (y) DTC will be a “clearing corporation” and thus a “securities intermediary” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC and its jurisdiction for purposes of Article 8 of the UCC will be the State of the New York and (z) appropriate entries to the securities account or accounts in the name of such Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC. |
Annex B-6
Form of Opinion of Delaware Counsel for the GTCR Selling Stockholders
1. The Main Fund General Partner and each Fund has been duly formed and is validly existing in good standing as a limited partnership under the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (6 Del. C. §17-101, et seq.) (the “LP Act”). The Co-Invest General Partner has been duly formed and is validly existing in good standing as a limited liability company under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (6 Del. C. §18-101, et seq.).
2. Under the LP Act and its Fund Agreement, each Fund has the requisite partnership power and authority to execute and deliver, and perform its obligations under, the Transaction Documents to which it is a party.
3. Under the LP Act and its Fund Agreement, the execution and delivery by each Fund of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, and the performance by each Fund of its obligations thereunder, have been duly authorized by all requisite partnership action on the part of such Fund. Each Fund has duly executed the Transaction Documents to which it is a party.
4. No authorization, consent, approval or order of any Delaware court or any Delaware governmental or administrative body is required to be obtained by a Fund solely as a result of the execution and delivery by such Fund of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, or the performance by such Fund of its obligations thereunder.
5. The execution, delivery and performance by each Fund of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party do not violate (i) any Delaware law, rule or regulation, or (ii) its Fund Agreement or its Fund Certificate.
Exhibit A
[FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT]
[•], 2026
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
500 West 33rd Street
New York, New York 10001
| Re: | SOTERA HEALTH COMPANY — Public Offering |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as the several underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (as defined below) (the “Underwriters”), propose to enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Sotera Health Company (the “Company”) and the Selling Stockholders listed on Schedule 2 to the Underwriting Agreement, providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the Underwriters, of shares of the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Company (such shares to be sold in the Public Offering, the “Securities”). In the event only one underwriter is listed in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement, any references in this Agreement to the “Underwriters” shall be deemed to refer to the sole underwriter in the singular form listed in such Schedule 1. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Securities, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, and will not cause any direct or indirect affiliate (provided, that any “portfolio company” (as such term is customarily used among institutional investors) of the undersigned, or any entity controlled by any such portfolio company, shall not be considered an affiliate of the undersigned) to, during the period beginning on the date of this letter agreement (this “Letter Agreement”) and ending at the close of business on the date that is 30 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”) (such period, the “Restricted Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant) (collectively with the Common Stock, the “Lock-Up Securities”), (2) enter into any hedging, swap or other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or
otherwise, (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any Lock-Up Securities, except as those demands or exercises that do not involve any public disclosure or filing during the Restricted Period (provided that the Company shall provide written notice to the Underwriters at least two business days prior to any confidential or non-public submission of a registration statement made during the Restricted Period) or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing.
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing precludes the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transactions or arrangements (including, without limitation, any short sale or the purchase or sale of, or entry into, any put or call option, or combination thereof, forward, swap or any other derivative transaction or instrument, however described or defined) designed or intended, or which could reasonably be expected to lead to or result in, a sale, loan, pledge or other disposition or transfer (whether by the undersigned or any other person) of any economic consequences of ownership, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, of any Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction or arrangement (or instrument provided for thereunder) would be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise, or to publicly disclose the intention to undertake any of the foregoing. The undersigned represents and warrants that the undersigned is not, has not caused or directed any of its affiliates to be or become, and is not aware of any of its affiliates (provided, that any “portfolio company” (as such term is customarily used among institutional investors) of the undersigned, or any entity controlled by any such portfolio company, shall not be considered an affiliate of the undersigned) being, currently a party to any agreement or arrangement that is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in any activity prohibited by this Letter Agreement during the Restricted Period.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may:
(a) transfer the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities:
(i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, or for bona fide estate planning purposes,
(ii) upon death or by will, testamentary document or intestacy,
(iii) to any member of the undersigned’s immediate family (as defined below), any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, or if the undersigned is a trust, to a trustor or beneficiary of the trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust (for purposes of this Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, current or former marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin),
(iv) to a partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the undersigned and the immediate family of the undersigned are the legal and beneficial owner of all of the outstanding equity securities or similar interests,
(v) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (A) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned, or to any investment fund or other entity controlling, controlled by, managing or managed by or under common control with the undersigned or affiliates of the undersigned (including, for the avoidance of doubt, where the undersigned is a partnership, to its general partner or a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership), or (B) as part of a distribution to members, partners, shareholders or other equity holders of the undersigned,
(vi) to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (i) through (v) above,
(vii) by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order, divorce settlement, divorce decree or separation agreement,
(viii) to the Company from an employee of the Company upon death, disability or termination of employment, in each case, of such employee,
(ix) as part of a sale of the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities acquired in open market transactions after the closing date for the Public Offering,
(x) to the Company in connection with the vesting, settlement, or exercise of restricted stock units, performance stock units, shares of restricted stock, options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares of Common Stock (including, in each case, by way of “net” or “cashless” exercise), including for the payment of exercise price and tax (including estimated taxes) and remittance payments due as a result of the vesting, settlement, or exercise of such restricted stock units, performance stock units, shares of restricted stock, options, warrants or rights, provided that any such shares of Common Stock received upon such exercise, vesting or settlement shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement, and provided further that any such restricted stock units, performance stock units, shares of restricted stock, options, warrants or rights are held by the undersigned pursuant to an agreement or equity awards granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan, each such agreement or plan which is described in or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as applicable,
(xi) pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and made to all holders of the Company’s capital stock involving a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company (for purposes hereof, “Change of Control” shall mean the transfer (whether by tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons, of shares of capital stock if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (or the surviving entity)); provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction is not completed, the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities shall remain subject to the provisions of this Letter Agreement;
(xii) pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency (for purposes hereof, a “court or regulatory agency” means any domestic or foreign, federal, state or local government, including any political subdivision thereof, any governmental or quasi-governmental authority, department, agency or official, any court or administrative body, and any national securities exchange or similar self-regulatory body or organization, in each case of competent jurisdiction) related to the undersigned’s ownership of the Lock-Up Securities;
(xiii) to the Company pursuant to the call or put provisions of existing employment agreements and equity grant documents, in each case in existence as of the date hereof; or
(xiv) by pledging, hypothecating or otherwise granting a security interest in any Lock-Up Securities to one or more lending institutions as collateral or security for any loan, advance or extension of credit and any transfer upon foreclosure upon such Lock-Up Securities; provided that the undersigned or the Company, as the case may be, shall provide the Underwriters prior written notice informing it of any required public filing, report or announcement to be made by or on behalf of the Company or the undersigned with respect thereto;
provided that (A) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii), such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value and each donee, devisee, transferee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Underwriters a lock-up letter in the form of this Letter Agreement, (B) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) and (vi), no filing by any party (donor, donee, devisee, transferor, transferee, distributer or distributee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or other public announcement showing a reduction in ownership shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution during the Restricted Period, and if any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution shall be legally required during the Restricted Period, such filing, report or announcement shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto the nature and conditions of such transfer, including the applicable circumstances that cause the applicable exception to this Letter Agreement to apply, to the extent permitted, (C) in the case of any transfer pursuant to clause (a)(ix), no filing by the undersigned or any party (transferor or transferee) under the Exchange Act, or other public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer, and if the undersigned is required to file a report under the Exchange Act in connection with such transfer during the Restricted Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that the filing relates to the transfer or disposition of any shares of Lock-Up Securities purchased by the undersigned, or any of its affiliates, in the Public Offering or in open market transactions following the Public Offering, and (D) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(vii), (viii), (x), (xii), (xiii) and (xiv), it shall be a condition to such transfer that no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made and if any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution shall be legally required during the Restricted Period, such filing, report or announcement shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto the nature and conditions of such transfer, including the applicable circumstances that cause the applicable exception to this Letter Agreement to apply, to the extent permitted;
(b) exercise outstanding options, settle restricted stock units, performance stock units or other equity awards or exercise warrants pursuant to plans described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided that any Lock-Up Securities received upon such exercise, vesting or settlement shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement; and
(c) establish trading plans pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Lock-Up Securities; provided that (1) such plans do not provide for the transfer of Lock-Up Securities during the Restricted Period and (2) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company in connection with such trading plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Lock-Up Securities may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the Underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Public Offering of the Securities and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that, although the Underwriters may be required or choose to provide certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures to you in connection with the Public Offering, the Underwriters are not making a recommendation to you to participate in the Public Offering, enter into this Letter Agreement or sell any Shares at the price determined in the Public Offering, and nothing set forth in such disclosures is intended to suggest that any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.
The undersigned understands that, if (i) prior to entering into the Underwriting Agreement, the Company notifies the Underwriters in writing that the Company does not intend to proceed with the Public Offering, (ii) the Company files an application to withdraw the registration statement related to the Public Offering, (iii) the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective by March 31, 2026 or (iv) if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.
This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| [NAME OF STOCKHOLDER] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Exhibit B
List of Lock-Up Signatories
Bull Holdco, L.P.
Bull Co-Invest L.P.
GTCR Fund XI/A LP
GTCR Fund XI/C LP
GTCR Co-Invest XI L.P.
Michael B. Petras, Jr.
Jonathan M. Lyons
Michael P. Rutz
Alexander Dimitrief
Ruoxi Chen
Sean L. Cunningham
Karen A. Flynn
Ann R. Klee
Robert B. Knauss
Richard G. Kyle
Constantine S. Mihas
James C. Neary
Vincent K. Petrella
Christopher A. Simon
David E. Wheadon
Exhibit 5.1
CLEARY GOTTLIEB STEEN & HAMILTON
| AMERICAS | One Liberty Plaza | EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST | ||
| NEWYORK | New York, NY 10006-1470 | ABU DHABI | ||
| SAN FRANCISCO | T: +1212 225 2000 | BRUSSELS | ||
| SÃO PAULO | F: +1212 225 3999 | COLOGNE | ||
| SILICON VALLEY WASHINGTON, D.C.
ASIA HONGKONG SEOUL |
clearygottlieb.com D: +1 212 225 2130 |
LONDON MILAN PARIS ROME |
March 6, 2026
Sotera Health Company
9100 South Hills Blvd, Suite 300
Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147
| Re: | Sotera Health Company Registration Statement on Form S-3 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Sotera Health Company, a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware (the “Company”), in connection with the offering by certain investment funds and entities affiliated with Warburg Pincus and certain investment funds and entities affiliated with GTCR (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”) pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 (333-277418) of 25,000,000 of the Company’s shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Securities”). Such registration statement, as amended as of its most recent effective date (March 4, 2026) insofar as it relates to the Securities (as determined for purposes of Rule 430B(f)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)), including the documents incorporated by reference therein, is herein called the “Registration Statement;” the related prospectus dated February 27, 2024, included in the Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, is herein called the “Base Prospectus;” the preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 4, 2026, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, is herein called the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement;” and the related prospectus supplement dated March 4, 2026, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, is herein called the “Final Prospectus Supplement.” The Base Prospectus and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement together are herein called the “Pricing Prospectus,” and the Base Prospectus and the Final Prospectus Supplement together are herein called the “Final Prospectus.”
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP or an affiliated entity has an office in each of the locations listed above.
Sotera Health Company, p. 2
In arriving at the opinions expressed below, we have reviewed the following documents:
| (a) | an executed copy of the Underwriting Agreement dated March 4, 2026 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) among the Company, the Selling Stockholders and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as the underwriter; |
| (b) | the Registration Statement; |
| (c) | the Pricing Prospectus; |
| (d) | the Final Prospectus; |
| (e) | a certificate of Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as registrar and transfer agent for the Securities, certifying that the Securities have been duly registered or otherwise established in the systems of The Depository Trust Company; and |
| (f) | the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. |
In addition, we have reviewed the originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction of all such corporate records of the Company and such other documents, and we have made such investigations of law, as we have deemed appropriate as a basis for the opinions expressed below.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. In addition, we have assumed and have not verified the accuracy as to factual matters of each document we have reviewed (including, without limitation, the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholders in the Underwriting Agreement).
Based on the foregoing and subject to the further assumptions and qualifications set forth below, it is our opinion that the Securities have been validly issued by the Company and are fully paid and nonassessable.
Insofar as the foregoing opinion relates to the validity, binding effect or enforceability of any agreement or obligation of the Company, (a) we have assumed that the Company and each other party to such agreement or obligation has satisfied those legal requirements that are applicable to it to the extent necessary to make such agreement or obligation enforceable against it (except no such assumption is made as to the Company regarding matters of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware that in our experience normally would be applicable to general business entities with respect to such agreement or obligation) and (b) such opinion is subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general principles of equity.
The foregoing opinion is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, including the applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting such laws.
Sotera Health Company, p. 3
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated March 6, 2026. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The opinion expressed herein is rendered on and as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to advise you or any other person, or to make any investigations, as to any legal developments or factual matters arising subsequent to the date hereof that might affect the opinion expressed herein.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| CLEARY GOTTLIEB STEEN & HAMILTON LLP | ||
| By |
/s/ Lillian Tsu | |
| Lillian Tsu, a Partner | ||