Exhibit 1.1

 

[____] Shares of Common Stock

 

ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

[________], 2017

 

SANDLER O’NEILL & PARTNERS, L.P.

1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor

New York, New York 10020

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), Esquire Bank, National Association, a national banking association (the “Bank”) and the persons listed in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”), confirm their respective agreements with Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. (the “Underwriter”) with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, acting severally and not jointly, and the purchase by the Underwriter of an aggregate of [●] shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”), in the respective amounts set forth in Schedule A hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriter of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of [●] additional shares¹ of Common Stock. The aforesaid [●] shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriter and all or any part of the [●] shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are hereinafter called, collectively, the “Securities”.

 

The Company and the Selling Stockholders understand that the Underwriter proposes to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Underwriter deems advisable after this Underwriting Agreement has been executed and delivered.

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-218372), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectus covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A (“Rule 430A”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement

 

1

Amount to be equal to 15% of the Initial Securities.

 

 

at the time it became effective pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A is referred to as “Rule 430A Information.” Each prospectus used in connection with the offer of the Securities before such registration statement became effective, and any prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used in connection with the offer of the Securities after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement, is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.” Such registration statement, including the amendments thereto, the exhibits and any schedules thereto, if any, at the time it became effective and including the Rule 430A Information is herein called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein referred to as the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The final prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriter for use in connection with the offering of the Securities or in the form first made available to the Underwriter by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the 1933 Act is herein called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Underwriting Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).

 

As used in this Underwriting Agreement:

 

“Applicable Time” means [●] [a.m./p.m.] (Eastern time) on [●] or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Underwriter.

 

“General Disclosure Package” means the Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the preliminary prospectus relating to the Securities dated [●], all considered together.

 

“Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (ii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

“Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.

 

“Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus. The term Issuer Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus also includes any “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433, that is made available without restriction pursuant to Rule 433(d)(8)(ii), even though not required to be filed with the Commission.

 

 

SECTION 1.        Representations and Warranties and Agreements.

 

(a)          Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with the Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)          Compliance with Registration Requirements. (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, and (B) at the date hereof, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”). Each of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has been issued and any post-effective amendment thereto under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission to the Company for additional information has been complied with.

 

At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the General Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, nor the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto at the time the Prospectus as of its date or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will 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. The representations and warranties in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood that the only written information that the Underwriter has furnished to the Company specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Underwriting” and the information contained under the caption “Underwriting – Stabilization”(such information being referred to herein as the “Underwriter Information”).

 

Each preliminary prospectus and the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriter for

 

 

use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

As of the Applicable Time, neither (x) the General Disclosure Package nor (y) any individual Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(ii)         Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

(iii)        Emerging Growth Company. From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined below)) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company”, as defined in Section 2(a) of the 1933 Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the 1933 Act.

 

(iv)        Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Underwriter and with entities that are either (1) qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or (2) institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the 1933 Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Underwriter to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Underwriter has been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications (defined below) other than those listed on Schedule B hereto.

 

“Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act. Any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package, complied in all material respects with the 1933 Act, and when taken together with the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Time and as of each Date of Delivery (if any), as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the

 

 

circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(v)         Independent Accountants. Crowe Horwath LLP, the accounting firm that certified the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Crowe Horwath LLP is a registered public accounting firm, as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, whose registration to the knowledge of the Company has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn. With respect to the Company, , to the Company’s knowledge, Crowe Horwath LLP is not and has not been in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and the related rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

(vi)        Financial Statements. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiary at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiary for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the books and records of the Company. No other financial statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. To the extent applicable, all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“1934 Act”), the rules and regulations of the 1934 Act (the “1934 Act Regulations”) and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act, as applicable.

 

(vii)       No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiary considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiary, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which

 

 

are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiary considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

 

(viii)      Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the state of Maryland and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Underwriting Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ix)         Good Standing of Subsidiary. The Bank is the only subsidiary of the Company. The Company’s subsidiary (for purposes of this Underwriting Agreement, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is directly owned by the Company free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary. The Bank has no subsidiaries.

 

(x)          Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter from the Selling Stockholders, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter from the Selling Stockholders, was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of

 

 

the outstanding shares of capital stock of any subsidiary was issued in violation of any preemptive or similar right of any securityholder of such subsidiary.

 

(xi)         Authorization of Agreement. This Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(xii)        Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriter pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; the Common Stock conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same; no holder of the Securities will be subject to personal liability for the debts of the Company by reason of being such a holder; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

(xiii)       Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor its subsidiary is (A) in violation of its articles of incorporation, charter or by-laws or (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or its subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Underwriting Agreement by the Company and the Bank and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company and the Bank with their obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness or obligation of the Company or its subsidiary (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness or obligation by the Company or the subsidiary.

 

 

(xiv)      Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xv)       Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Underwriting Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or its subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xvi)      Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(xvii)     Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiary own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures and excluding generally commercially available “off the shelf” software programs licensed pursuant to shrink wrap or “click and accept” licenses), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor its subsidiary has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or its subsidiary therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xviii)    Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, state securities laws or rules and regulations of FINRA.

 

 

(xix)       Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiary possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure to have such Governmental Licenses would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and its subsidiary are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor its subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor its subsidiary has failed to file with applicable regulatory authorities any statement, report, information or form required by any applicable law, regulation or order, except where the failure to be so in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, all such filings were in material compliance with applicable laws when filed and no material deficiencies have been asserted by any regulatory commission, agency or authority with respect to any such filings or submissions.

 

(xx)        Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiary have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiary and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or its subsidiary; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiary, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or its subsidiary holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or its subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

(xxi)       [Reserved]

 

(xxii)      Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

 

(xxiii)     Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor its subsidiary is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any applicable judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiary have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or its subsidiary and (D) to the Company’s knowledge, there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or its subsidiary relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(xxiv)    Taxes. The Company and its subsidiary has (a) timely filed all material foreign, United States federal, state and local tax returns, information returns, and similar reports that are required to be filed (taking into account valid extensions), and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, all tax returns are true, correct and complete, (b) paid in full all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, except for any such tax assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) established on the most recent balance sheet reserves that are adequate for the payment of all taxes not yet due and payable.

 

(xxv)     Insurance. The Company and its subsidiary carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes are adequate for the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiary and the value of their properties and as are customary in the business in which the Company and its subsidiary are engaged; neither the Company nor its subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Company has no reason to believe that they will not be able to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxvi)    Statistical and Market Data. The statistical and market related data contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, are reliable and accurate and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived. To the

 

 

extent required, the Company has obtained written consent to the use of such data from the relevant third party sources.

 

(xxvii)   Relationship. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or its subsidiary, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or its subsidiary, on the other, that is required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and that is not so described.

 

(xxviii)  Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company and its subsidiary maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (II) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(xxix)     Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company and its subsidiary employ disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act), which (A) are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiary is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within the Company and its subsidiary to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure, and (B) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Based on the evaluation of the Company’s and each subsidiary’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, the Company is not aware of (1) any significant deficiency in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls or (2) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls. Since the most recent evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls.

 

(xxx)     Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company is, or immediately upon consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will be, in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder applicable to it.

 

 

(xxxi)      Pending Procedures and Examinations. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

(xxxii)     Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor its subsidiary nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or its subsidiary has (A) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (B) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (C) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or (D) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

 

(xxxiii)   No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or its subsidiary to register any securities for sale under the 1933 Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities to be sold by the Company hereunder, except for such rights as have been duly waived in writing and are described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus. All such waivers are in full force and effect on the date hereof.

 

(xxxiv)   No Preemptive Rights. There are no authorized or outstanding preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or its subsidiary except for such rights as have been duly waived and are described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus. All such waivers are in full force and effect on the date hereof.

 

(xxxv)    No Stabilization or Manipulation. Neither the Company nor its subsidiary, nor any affiliates of the Company or subsidiary, has taken, 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 Securities.

 

(xxxvi)  No Unauthorized Use of Prospectus. The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (i) the Closing Time and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute any prospectus (as such term is defined in the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act Regulations and approved by the Underwriter.

 

(xxxvii) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

 

(xxxviii) Lock-up Agreements. Each of the Company’s executive officers and directors and certain stockholders, in each case as listed on Schedule D hereto, has executed and delivered lock-up agreements as contemplated by Section 5(l) hereof.

 

(xxxix)     Fees. Other than as contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or any subsidiary any brokerage or finder’s fee or any other fee, commission or payment as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement.

 

(xl)        ERISA. The Company and its subsidiary or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”); no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or its subsidiary or ERISA Affiliates would have any liability; the Company and its subsidiary or their ERISA Affiliates have not incurred and do not expect to incur liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively the “Code”); and each “employee benefit plan” for which the Company and its subsidiary or any of their ERISA Affiliates would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing as occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 400(b) of ERISA of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member.

 

(xliii)        Bank Holding Company Act; Banking Regulation. The Company is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Bank holds the requisite authority to do business as a national banking association under the laws of the United States.

 

(xliv)     No Regulatory Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor its subsidiary is a party to or subject to any order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding or similar agreement with, or a condition of approval, commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar submission to, any federal, state or local court or governmental entity (each a “Governmental Entity”) charged with the supervision or regulation of depository institutions or engaged in the insurance of deposits (including the FDIC) or the supervision or regulation of the Company or its subsidiary and neither the Company nor its subsidiary has been advised by any such Governmental Entity that such Governmental Entity is contemplating issuing or requesting (or is considering the appropriateness of issuing or requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding or similar agreement, or a condition of approval, commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar submission.

 

 

(xlv)        Compliance with Applicable Laws. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or where the failure to be in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiary conduct their respective businesses in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign statutes, laws, rules, regulations, decisions, condition, directives and orders applicable to them (including, without limitation, all applicable regulations and orders of, or agreements with, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department, the Community Reinvestment Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, all other applicable fair lending laws or other laws relating to discrimination, the Bank Secrecy Act, Title III of the USA Patriot Act, the Currency and Foreign Transaction Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, and the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations, bulletins (including the OCC Bulletin on Third Party Relationships and Risk Management) or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity). Neither the Company nor its subsidiary has received any communication from any Governmental Entity asserting that the Company or any subsidiary is not in compliance with any statute, law, rule, regulation, decision, directive or order, except where the asserted failure to comply would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xlvi)      Deposit Insurance. The deposit accounts of the Bank are insured by the FDIC up to the legal maximum, the Bank has paid all premiums and assessments required by the FDIC and the regulations thereunder and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xlvii)     OFAC. Neither the Company nor its subsidiary, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or its subsidiary, is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not, and will cause its subsidiary not to, knowingly directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiaries, joint venture partner or other person or entity, towards any sales or operations in any country sanctioned by OFAC or for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

(xlviii)     Investment Securities. Each of the Company and its subsidiary has good and marketable title to all securities held by it (except securities sold under repurchase agreements or held in any fiduciary or agency capacity) free and clear of any lien, claim, charge, option, encumbrance, mortgage, pledge or security interest or other restriction of any kind, except to the extent such securities are pledged in the ordinary course of business consistent with prudent business practices to secure obligations of the Company or its subsidiary and except for such defects in title or liens, claims, charges, options, encumbrances, mortgages, pledges or security interests or other restrictions of any kind that would not be material to the Company and its subsidiary. Such securities are valued on the books of the Company and its subsidiary in accordance with GAAP.

 

 

(xlix)      Derivative Securities. Except as has or would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, all material swaps, caps, floors, futures, forward contracts, option agreements (other than employee stock options) and other derivative financial instruments, contracts or arrangements, whether entered into for the account of the Company or its subsidiary or for the account of a customer of the Company or its subsidiary, were entered into in the ordinary course of business and in accordance and in all material respects with applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of all applicable regulatory agencies and with counterparties believed to be financially responsible at the time. The Company and its subsidiary have duly performed in all material respects all of their obligations thereunder to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued. Neither the Company nor its subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, is in breach of its material obligations under any such agreement or arrangement.

 

(l)           Bank Dividend Restrictions. Except as disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the subsidiary of the Company is not currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any order of the Federal Reserve Board (other than orders applicable to bank holding companies and their subsidiaries generally), under any applicable law, or under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

 

(b)          Representations and Warranties by the Bank.         The Bank represents and warrants to the Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with the Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)            The Bank has been duly chartered and is validly existing as a national banking association in good standing under the laws of the United States. The Bank has no subsidiaries.

 

(ii)           The Bank is not (A) in violation of its charter, bylaws or other organizational or governing documents or (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Bank is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Bank is subject (collectively, “Bank Instruments”), except, solely with respect to this clause (B), for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(iii)          The execution, delivery and performance of this Underwriting Agreement by the Bank, compliance by the Bank with all of the provisions of this Underwriting Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated do not and will not (A) contravene, conflict with, or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any Bank Instrument, except, solely with respect to this clause (A), for such conflicts breaches or defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect or (B) contravene, conflict

 

 

with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Bank or any statute, order, rule or regulation of any court or Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over the Bank or any of its properties.

 

(c)          Representations and Warranties by the Selling Stockholders. Each Selling Stockholder severally represents and warrants to the Underwriter as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Time, and agrees with the Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)          Accurate Disclosure. Such Selling Stockholder has reviewed and is familiar with the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectuses and the Prospectus and (i) the Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the General Disclosure Package and the Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectuses do not, and at the time of each sale of the Securities in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Time (as defined in Section 2), the General Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, 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, and (iii) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, 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; provided that the representations and warranties set forth in this Section 1(c)(i) are limited to statements or omissions made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information relating to such Selling Stockholder furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto (as applicable), it being understood and agreed that such information consists only of the legal name and address of such Selling Stockholder and the information relating to its holdings of Common Stock (and corresponding footnotes) under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto (as applicable) (the “Selling Stockholder Information”). Such Selling Stockholder is not prompted to sell the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder by any information concerning the Company or any subsidiary of the Company which is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto (as applicable).

 

(ii)         Authorization of Agreements. Each Selling Stockholder has the full right, power and authority to enter into this Underwriting Agreement and a Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement (the “Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement”) and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder. The execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement and the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement and the sale and delivery of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and compliance by such Selling Stockholder with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by such Selling Stockholder and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or

 

 

constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any tax, lien, charge or encumbrance upon the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder or any property or assets of such Selling Stockholder pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or other organizational instrument of such Selling Stockholder, if applicable, or any applicable treaty, law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or any of its properties.

 

(iii)        Good and Marketable Title. Such Selling Stockholder has and will at the Closing Time have good and marketable title to the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of any kind, other than pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement; and upon delivery of such Securities and payment of the purchase price therefor as herein contemplated, assuming the Underwriter has no notice of any adverse claim, the Underwriter will receive good and marketable title to the Securities purchased by it from such Selling Stockholder, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of any kind.

 

(iv)        Due Execution of Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement. Such Selling Stockholder has duly executed and delivered, in the form heretofore furnished to the Underwriter, the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement with Andrew C. Sagliocca and Eric S. Bader, , or any of them, as attorney(s)-in-fact (the “Attorney(s)-in-Fact”) and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as custodian (the “Custodian”); the Custodian is authorized to deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and to accept payment therefor; and each Attorney-in-Fact is authorized to execute and deliver this Underwriting Agreement and the certificate referred to in Section 5(f) on behalf of such Selling Stockholder, to sell, assign and transfer to the Underwriter the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, to determine the purchase price to be paid by the Underwriter to such Selling Stockholder, as provided in Section 2(a) hereof, to authorize the delivery of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, to accept payment therefor, and otherwise to act on behalf of such Selling Stockholder in connection with this Underwriting Agreement.

 

(v)         Absence of Manipulation. Such Selling Stockholder has not taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(vi)        Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the performance by each Selling Stockholder of its obligations hereunder or in the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, or in connection with the sale and delivery of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement.

 

 

(vii)       Restriction on Sale of Securities. Such Selling Stockholder has executed and delivered a lock-up agreement as contemplated by Section 5(l) hereof.

 

(viii)      Certificates Suitable for Transfer. The Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement are certificated securities in registered form and are not held in any securities account or by or through any securities intermediary within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York (the “UCC”). Certificates for all of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement, in suitable form for transfer by delivery or accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment in blank with signatures guaranteed, have been placed in custody with the Custodian with irrevocable conditional instructions to deliver such Securities to the Underwriter pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement.

 

(ix)         Deliveries of Securities. Upon payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement, delivery of such Securities, as directed by the Underwriter, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Securities in the name of Cede or such other nominee, and the crediting of such Securities on the books of DTC to the securities account of the Underwriter (assuming that neither DTC nor the Underwriter has notice of any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Sections 8-102 and 8-105 of the UCC, to such Securities), (A) DTC shall be a “protected purchaser,” within the meaning of Section 8-303 of the UCC, of such Securities and will acquire its interest in the Securities (including, without limitation, all rights that such Selling Stockholder had or has the power to transfer in such Securities) free and clear of any “adverse claim” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, (B) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriter will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Securities and (C) no action (whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien or other theory) based on any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Securities may be asserted against the Underwriter with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, such Selling Stockholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (x) such Securities will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its articles of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (y) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC and (z) appropriate entries to the accounts of the Underwriter on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC.

 

(x)          FINRA Matters. All of the information provided to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter by such Selling Stockholder, its counsel, its officers and directors in connection with the offering of the Securities is true, complete, correct and compliant with the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and any letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rules or NASD Conduct Rules is true, complete and correct.

 

(xi)         Selling Stockholder Free Writing Prospectuses; Written Testing-the-Waters Communications. Each Selling Stockholder represents and agrees that, without the prior written

 

 

consent of the Underwriter, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 (any such “free writing prospectus” of any Selling Stockholder, a “Selling Stockholder Free Writing Prospectus”), and it has not used, referred to, or distributed, and will not use, refer to or distribute, any such Selling Stockholder Free Writing Prospectus. Any Selling Stockholder Free Writing Prospectus consented to by the Underwriter is hereinafter referred to as a “Selling Stockholder Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” Each Selling Stockholder represents that it has treated or agrees that it has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Selling Stockholder Permitted Free Writing Prospectus of such Selling Stockholder, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.

 

Other than the Registration Statement, each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, such Selling Stockholder (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriter in its capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the 1933 Act or Rule 134 under the 1933 Act or (ii) the documents listed on Schedule B hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Company and the Underwriter.

 

(b)          Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or its subsidiary delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby; and any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholders as such and delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter pursuant to the terms of this Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Stockholder to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 2.          Sale and Delivery to Underwriter; Closing.

 

(a)          Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, agree to sell to the Underwriter, and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company and each Selling Stockholder, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of the Company or such Selling Stockholder, as the case may be.

 

(b)          Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grant(s) an option to the Underwriter to purchase up to an additional [●] shares of Common Stock, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time upon notice by the Underwriter to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the Underwriter is then exercising the

 

 

option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Underwriter, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined.

 

(c)          Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, One Embarcadero Center, 30^th Floor, San Francisco, California, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Company and the Selling Stockholders, at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Company and the Selling Stockholders (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

 

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriter, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Underwriter to the Company and the Selling Stockholders.

 

Payment shall be made to the Company and the Selling Stockholders by wire transfer of immediately available funds to bank account(s) designated by the Company and the Custodian pursuant to each Selling Stockholder’s Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, as the case may be, against delivery to the Underwriter for the account of the Underwriter of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter.

 

(d)          Denominations; Registration. Certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriter may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, will be made available for examination and packaging by the Underwriter in The City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be.

 

SECTION 3.          Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with the Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)          Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A and will notify the Underwriter immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness

 

 

of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424(b) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to promptly obtain the lifting thereof.

 

(b)          Filing of Amendments. The Company will give the Underwriter notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)), or any amendment, supplement or revision to either any preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective) or to the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish the Underwriter with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Underwriter or counsel for the Underwriter shall reasonably object.

 

(c)          Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter, without charge, as many signed copies as the Underwriter may reasonably request of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and as many signed copies as the Underwriter may reasonably request of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Underwriter, without charge, as many conformed copies as the Underwriter may reasonably request of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits). The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriter will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(d)          Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to the Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to the Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriter will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)          Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Underwriting

 

 

Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus in order that such preliminary prospectus or Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriter such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriter may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or contained or would contain an untrue statement of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Underwriter and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Underwriter and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(f)          Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriter, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Underwriter may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for as long as may be necessary to complete distribution of the Securities ; provided that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect for as long as may be necessary to complete distribution of the Securities . The Company will also supply the Underwriter with such information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdiction as the Underwriter may request.

 

 

(g)          Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

 

(h)          Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds”.

 

(i)           Listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Securities on the NASDAQ Capital Market (“NASDAQ”).

 

(j)           Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 180 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, (i) directly or indirectly, 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 or otherwise transfer or dispose of any share of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or 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. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to employee benefit plans of the Company disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided that such options shall not be vested and exercisable within the 180-day period referred to above, or (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan; provided that, the Company may file with the Commission registration statements on Form S-8 for any of the plans set forth in clauses (B) and (C) above during the restrictive period set forth in this Section 3(j).

 

(k)          Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

 

(l)           Lock-up Agreements. The Company agrees to enforce its rights under its existing registration rights agreements and stockholders’ agreement to restrict the transfer of securities within the 180-day period following the Closing Date.

 

(m)         Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Underwriter, it has not made and will not make any offer relating

 

 

to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Underwriter and the Company is hereinafter referred to as an “Issuer Permitted Free Writing Prospectus” and, collectively with any Selling Stockholder Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, the “Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.” The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.

 

(n)          Lock-up Release.         If the Underwriter agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a “lock-up” agreement described in Section 3(j) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver of any lock-up restrictions of any officer or director of the Company by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Underwriter to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.

 

(o)          Registration Rights, Preemptive Rights and Other Rights.         The Company agrees that it shall not release any party from a waiver of registration rights, or from a waiver of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or its subsidiary, during the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 3(j) hereof.

 

(p)          No Security Interest in Bank Common Stock. During the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the fifth anniversary of the Closing Time or the date on which the Underwriter receives full payment in satisfaction of any claim for indemnification or contribution to which they may be entitled pursuant to Sections 6 and 7 of this Underwriting Agreement, neither the Company nor the Bank shall, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, take or permit to be taken any action that could result in the Bank’s common stock becoming subject to any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien or encumbrance; provided, however, that this covenant shall be null and void if the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC or any federal or state bank regulator or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Bank, by regulation, policy statement or interpretive release or by written order or written advice addressed to the Bank and specifically addressing the provisions of Sections 6 and 7 hereof, permits indemnification of the Underwriter by the Bank as contemplated by such provisions.

 

(q)          Emerging Growth Company. The Company will promptly notify the Underwriter if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of Securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 3(j) hereof.

 

 

SECTION 4.          Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)          Expenses. The Company and the Selling Stockholders will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Underwriting Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriter of this Underwriting Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriter, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriter, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriter of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto (including any costs associated with electronic delivery of these materials), (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriter of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations in connection with testing-the-waters meetings or on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of testing-the-waters or road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the testing-the-waters presentations or road show, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the testing-the-waters presentations or road show, (x) the costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriter in connection with determining their compliance with the rules and regulations of FINRA related to the Underwriter’s participation in the offering and distribution of the Securities, including any related filing fees and the legal fees of, and disbursements by, counsel to the Underwriter, (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on NASDAQ, and (xii) all costs and expenses of the Underwriter, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter.

 

(b)          Expenses of the Selling Stockholders. The Selling Stockholders, jointly and severally, will pay all expenses incident to the performance of their respective obligations under, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement, including (i) the fees and expenses of any custodian or attorney-in-fact and expenses associated with communications with and collection of documents from Selling Stockholders, (ii) any stamp duties, capital duties and stock transfer taxes, if any, payable upon the sale of the Securities to the Underwriter, and (iii) the fees and disbursements of their respective counsel, accountants and other advisors.

 

 

(c)          Termination of Agreement. If this Underwriting Agreement is terminated by the Underwriter in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a) or Section 10 hereof, the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall reimburse the Underwriter for all of its out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter.

 

(d)          Allocation of Expenses. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement that the Company and the Selling Stockholders may make for the sharing of such costs and expenses.

 

SECTION 5.          Conditions of Underwriter’s Obligations. The Underwriter’s obligations hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or on behalf of any Selling Stockholder delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

 

(a)          Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission to the Company for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriter. A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A).

 

(b)          Opinion of Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Luse Gorman, PC, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

 

(c)          Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholders. At Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Luse Gorman, PC, counsel for the Selling Stockholders, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request.

 

(d)          Opinion of Counsel for Underwriter. At Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received the opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter.

 

(e)          Officers’ Certificate. At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as of the execution of this Underwriting Agreement or the Applicable Time, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or

 

 

otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiary considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiary considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or are, to their knowledge contemplated by the Commission.

 

(f)          Certificate of Selling Stockholders. At Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of an Attorney-in-Fact on behalf of each Selling Stockholder, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of each Selling Stockholder contained in Section 1(c) hereof are true and correct in all respects with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time and (ii) each Selling Stockholder has complied in all material respects with all agreements and all conditions on its part to be performed under this Underwriting Agreement at or prior to Closing Time.

 

(g)          Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Underwriting Agreement, the Underwriter shall have received from Crowe Horwath LLP a letter dated the date hereof, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and General Disclosure Package.

 

(h)          Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received from Crowe Horwath LLP a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Prospectus.

 

(i)          CFO Certificate. At each of the time of the execution of this Agreement and the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of the Company executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company in the form of Exhibit C hereto.

 

(j)          Approval of Listing. At Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on NASDAQ under the symbol “ESQ”, subject only to official notice of issuance and upon consummation of the offering contemplated hereby the Company will be in compliance with the designation and maintenance criteria applicable to NASDAQ issues.

 

 

(k)          No Objection. FINRA shall have confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

(l)           Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Underwriting Agreement, the Underwriter shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule D hereto.

 

(m)          Delivery of Prospectus. The Company shall have complied with the provisions hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses, in electronic or printed format, on the New York business day next succeeding the date of this Underwriting Agreement.

 

(n)          No Termination Event. On or after the date hereof, there shall not have occurred any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section 9(a).

 

(o)          Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission, in compliance with Rule 462(b), on the date of this Underwriting Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.

 

(p)          Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriter exercises its option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company, any subsidiary of the Company and the Selling Stockholders hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Underwriter shall have received:

 

(i)          Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

(ii)         Opinion of Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion of Luse Gorman, PC, counsel for the Company, form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.

 

(iii)        Opinion of Counsel for Underwriter. The favorable opinion of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(d) hereof.

 

(iv)        Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from Crowe Horwath LLP in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 5(h) hereof,

 

 

except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than five days prior to such Date of Delivery.

 

(v)         CFO Certificate. A certificate of the Company executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company in the form of Exhibit C hereto.

 

(vi)        No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred prior to the Date of Delivery any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section 9(a).

 

(q)          Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery counsel for the Underwriter shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained, or other such documents, certificates and opinions as may reasonably be requested; and all proceedings taken by the Company and the Selling Stockholders in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter.

 

(r)          Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Underwriting Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the Underwriter to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Underwriter by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 6.          Indemnification.

 

(a)          Indemnification of Underwriter by Company. The Company and the Bank, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act) (“Affiliates”), its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

(i)          against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing

 

 

of the offering of the Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(ii)         against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(e) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

 

(iii)        against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Underwriter), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by or before any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

 

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnification provided in this Section 6 shall not apply to the Bank if a Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over the Bank by written communication addressed to the Bank or its board of directors, including in connection with any examination of the Bank, informs the Bank or its board of directors in writing that (A) such Governmental Entity has determined that such indemnification violates Sections 23A or 23B of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended, or (B) such indemnification would give rise to civil money penalties against the Bank or the members of its board of directors. The Company and the Bank agree to notify the Underwriter immediately upon receipt of such written advisement or notice.

 

The obligations of the Company and the Bank under this Section and Section 7 below shall be in addition to any liability which the Company or the Bank may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to the Underwriter, its Affiliates, its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act; and the obligations the Underwriter under this Section and Section 7 below shall be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company), each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement and to each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Bank, as the case may be, within the meaning of the 1933 Act.

 

(b)          Indemnification of Underwriter by Selling Stockholders. Each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its Affiliates,

 

 

selling agents, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (a)(i), (ii) and (iii) above; provided that each Selling Stockholder shall be liable only with respect to the Selling Stockholder Information relating to and provided by such Selling Stockholder and only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Marketing Materials in reliance upon and in conformity with such Selling Stockholder Information; provided, further, that the aggregate liability under this subsection of each Selling Stockholder shall be limited to an amount equal to the aggregate gross proceeds received by such Selling Stockholder from the sale of Securities sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder.

 

(c)          Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers and Selling Stockholders. The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and each Selling Stockholder against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

(d)          Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) and 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Underwriter, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(c) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or

 

 

compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by or before any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(e)          Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

(f)          Other Agreements with Respect to Indemnification. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Stockholders with respect to indemnification.

 

SECTION 7.          Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and of the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount and commissions received by the Underwriter, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

 

The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Stockholders or by the Underwriter and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, the Underwriter shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total discounts, fees and commissions received by it exceeds the amount of any damages which the Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

The Selling Stockholders’ obligations to contribute as provided in this Section 7 are several in proportion to the gross proceeds received by them respectively from the sale of the Securities under this Underwriting Agreement and not joint and shall be subject to the limitations on aggregate liability set forth in the last proviso of Section 6(b).

 

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and the Underwriter’s Affiliates, its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company or such Selling Stockholder, as the case may be.

 

The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Stockholders with respect to contribution.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the contribution obligations in this Section 7 shall not apply to the Bank if a Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over the Bank by written communication

 

 

addressed to the Bank or its board of directors, including in connection with any examination of the Bank, informs the Bank or its board of directors in writing that (A) such Governmental Entity has determined that such contribution obligations violates Sections 23A or 23B of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended, or (B) such contribution obligations would give rise to civil money penalties against the Bank or the members of its board of directors. The Company and the Bank agree to notify the Underwriter immediately upon receipt of such written advisement or notice.

 

SECTION 8.          Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Underwriting Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or its subsidiary or the Selling Stockholders submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any (i) investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter, its Affiliates, its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

SECTION 9.          Termination of Underwriting Agreement.

 

(a)          Termination; General. The Underwriter may terminate this Underwriting Agreement, by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Underwriting Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiary considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, including without limitation as a result of terrorist activities, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriter, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or NASDAQ, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on NASDAQ has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear Systems in Europe, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

 

(b)          Liabilities. If this Underwriting Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 9, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

 

SECTION 10.         Default by one or more of the Selling Stockholders or the Company.

 

(a)          Default by one or more of the Selling Stockholders. If one or more Selling Stockholders shall fail at Closing Time or at a Date of Delivery to sell and deliver the number of Securities which such Selling Stockholder or Selling Stockholders are obligated to sell hereunder, and the remaining Selling Stockholders do not exercise the right hereby granted to increase, pro rata or otherwise, the number of Securities to be sold by them hereunder to the total number to be sold by all Selling Stockholders as set forth in Schedule A hereto, then the Underwriter may, at its option, by notice to the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Stockholders, either (a) terminate this Underwriting Agreement without any liability on the fault of any non-defaulting party except that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect or (b) elect to purchase the Securities which the non-defaulting Selling Stockholders and the Company have agreed to sell hereunder. No action taken pursuant to this Section 10 shall relieve any Selling Stockholder so defaulting from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

In the event of a default by any Selling Stockholder as referred to in this Section 10, the Underwriter, the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Stockholders shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or Date of Delivery for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required change in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.

 

(b)         Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at Closing Time or at the Date of Delivery to sell and deliver the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Underwriting Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any nondefaulting party; provided that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company or the Bank from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

SECTION 11.        Covenant of the Underwriter. The Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission.

 

SECTION 12.         Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriter shall be directed to Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P., 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10020, attention of the General Counsel; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc., 100 Jericho Quadrangle, Suite 100, Jericho, New York 11753, attention of Andrew C. Sagliocca; and notices to the Selling Stockholders shall be directed to Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc., 100 Jericho Quadrangle, Suite 100, Jericho, New York 11753, attention of Andrew C. Sagliocca.

 

SECTION 13.         Parties. This Underwriting Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriter, the Company, the Bank and the Selling Stockholders and their

 

 

respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Underwriting Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriter, the Company, the Bank and the Selling Stockholders and their respective successors and the controlling persons, officers and directors and other persons or entities referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Underwriting Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Underwriting Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriter, the Company, the Bank and the Selling Stockholders and their respective successors, and said controlling persons, officers and directors and other persons or entities and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from the Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

SECTION 14.         No Fiduciaries. Each of the Company and the Bank, severally and not jointly, and each Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction the Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, the Bank, any Selling Stockholder, or their respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other third party, (iii) the Underwriter has not assumed nor will the Underwriter assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company, the Bank or any Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company, the Bank or any such Selling Stockholder on other matters) and the Underwriter has no obligation to the Company, the Bank or any Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Underwriting Agreement, (iv) the Underwriter and its affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, the Bank or any Selling Stockholder, and (v) the Underwriter has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company, the Bank and each Selling Stockholder has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

SECTION 15.      GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

SECTION 16.         General Provisions. This Underwriting Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Underwriting Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Underwriting Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Underwriting Agreement and of signature pages by

 

 

facsimile or other electronic means shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement by the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original signature pages to this Underwriting Agreement for all purposes. This Underwriting Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us four counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by the Underwriter, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement among the Underwriter, the Company, the Bank and the Selling Stockholders. Any person executing and delivering this Agreement as Attorney-in-Fact for a Selling Stockholder represents by so doing that he or she has been duly appointed as Attorney-in-Fact by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to a validly existing and binding Power-of-Attorney which authorizes such Attorney-in-Fact to take such action.

 

	Very truly yours,
	ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC.
	By:
		Name:
		Title:
	ESQUIRE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
	By:
		Name:
		Title:
	THE SELLING STOCKHOLDERS NAMED IN SCHEDULE A HERETO
	By:
		Name:
		As Attorney-in-Fact acting on behalf of the Selling
		Stockholders named in Schedule B hereto

 

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:
SANDLER O’NEILL & PARTNERS, L.P.
By:	Sandler O’Neill & Partners Corp.,
	the sole general partner
By:
	Name:
	Title:

 

 

SCHEDULE A

 

Issuer/Selling Stockholder		Number of Initial Securities to be Sold		Maximum Number of Option Securities to Be Sold
Esquire Financial Holding, Inc.
Adela Kahn
Arthur Luxenberg
D&D Funding II, LLC
Edith Kahn Living Trust
Howard Golden
Jeff Cohen
Jeffrey Keswin
Kevin Wyman
MAJA Realty LLC
Marc Bern
Michael Borch
Net Return Asset Management
Nick Finegold
Nob Hill Capital Associates, L.P
Nob Hill Capital Partners, L.P.
Paul Napoli & Marie Napoli
PaymentWorld LLC
PKBT Holdings, LLC
Perry Weitz
Sanford Rubenstein
The AJ Trust Dated 9/23/1985
Uzi  Zucker
Total

 

 

SCHEDULE B

 

Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus

 

Free Writing Prospectus filed with the SEC on June 19, 2017

 

[List]

 

[Written Testing-the-Waters Communications]

 

[List]

 

 

SCHEDULE C

 

ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC.

[●] Shares of Common Stock

(Par Value $0.01 Per Share)

 

1.          The initial public offering price per share for the Securities, determined as provided in said Section 2, shall be $[●].

 

2.          The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the Underwriter shall be $[●], being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $[●] per share; provided that the purchase price per share for any Option Securities purchased upon the exercise of the option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.

 

 

SCHEDULE D

 

Andrew C. Sagliocca

Eric S. Bader

Dennis Shields

Anthony Coelho

Todd Deutsch

Marc D. Grossman

Russ M. Herman

Janet Hill

Robert J. Mitzman

John Morgan

Richard T. Powers

Jack Thompson

Kevin C. Waterhouse

Selig Zises

Parag Tandon

Ari P. Kornhaber

CJA Private Equity Financial Restructuring Master Fund I, LP

Wolfson Equities, LLC

 

Adela Kahn

Arthur Luxenberg

D&D Funding II, LLC

Edith Kahn Living Trust

Howard Golden

Jeff Cohen

Jeffrey Keswin

Kevin Wyman

MAJA Realty LLC

Marc Bern

Michael Borch

Net Return Asset Management

Nick Finegold

Nob Hill Capital Associates, L.P.

Nob Hill Capital Partners, L.P.

Paul Napoli & Marie Napoli

PaymentWorld LLC

Perry Weitz

PKBT Holdings, LLC

Sanford Rubenstein

The AJ Trust Dated 9/23/1985

Uzi Zucker