Exhibit 1.1

 

4,583,334 Shares

 

SELECT BANCORP, INC.

 

Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

 

August 27, 2018

 

FIG PARTNERS, LLC

1475 Peachtree Street NE, Suite #800

Atlanta, GA 30309

 

As representative of the Underwriters listed in Schedule A hereto

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Select Bancorp, Inc., a North Carolina corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (the “Underwriters”) pursuant to the terms set forth herein (this “Agreement”) an aggregate of 4,583,334 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Common Stock”). The Company also granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 687,500 shares of Common Stock (the “Option Shares”). The Firm Shares and the Option Shares are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Shares.” FIG Partners, LLC (“FIG”) has agreed to act as representative of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representative”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares. To the extent there are no additional underwriters listed on Schedule A, the term “Representative” as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriter, and the term “Underwriters” shall mean either the singular or the plural, as the context requires.

 

The Company has prepared and filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement, on Form S-3 (File No. 333-225805) covering the public offering and sale of certain securities of the Company, including the Shares, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act Regulations”), which registration statement has become effective. Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereto at such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; provided, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Shares, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of the Registration Statement with respect to the Shares within the meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2), including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. From and after the date and time of filing of any registration statement increasing the size of the offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 462(b)” and such registration statement, a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Each preliminary prospectus supplement and the base prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Shares, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), are collectively referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus supplement relating to the Shares in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). The final prospectus supplement and the base prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system) (“EDGAR”).

 

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

“Applicable Time” means 8:30 p.m., New York City time, on August 27, 2018 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.

 

“Pricing Disclosure Package” means each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus and the most recent preliminary prospectus furnished to the Underwriters for general distribution to investors prior to the Applicable Time, and the pricing information conveyed orally to investors, and as set forth on Schedule B hereto, all considered together.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including, without limitation, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) relating to the Shares that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering thereof 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 General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.

 

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the Applicable Time; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act Regulations”) incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the Applicable Time.

 

 

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.

 

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter at the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time (as defined below) and any Date of Delivery (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i) Compliance of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Incorporated Documents. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 that existed prior to October 21, 1992. The Registration Statement is a shelf registration statement, and the offer and sale of the Shares is registered by the Company on such shelf registration statement. Each of the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the Securities Act and the initial effective date of the Registration Statement is not more than three years before the date of this Agreement. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the Securities Act, no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 401(g)(2)”) has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and as of each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied, comply and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and are identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations.

 

 

(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, nor any post-effective amendment thereto, at its effective time, at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. At the Applicable Time, neither (A) the Pricing Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits 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. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits 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 documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement or Rule 462(b) Registration Statement became effective or when such incorporated documents were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not, does not and will not include 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. There are no statutes, regulations, documents or contracts of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, which are not described or filed as required. There are no business relationships or related person transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that have not been described as required.

 

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any amendment thereto or the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in (A) the first sentence under “Commission and Expenses,” (B) the first sentence under “Stabilization,” and (C) the first sentence under “Passive Market Making,” each under the heading “Underwriting,” contained in the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, that has not been superseded or modified.

 

(iv) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, (B) at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations) of the Shares and (C) at the Applicable Time, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405.

 

 

(v) Independent Accountants. Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries that are included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations.

 

(vi) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The consolidated financial statements of the Company, including the related schedules and notes, filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and included, or incorporated by reference, in the Pricing Disclosing Package and the Prospectus (the “Financial Statements”) present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the consolidated results of their operations, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified. The Financial Statements, unless otherwise noted therein, have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in effect in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the notes thereto. The selected financial data and the summary financial information of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information therein and have been prepared on a basis consistent with that of the audited consolidated financial statements contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. To the extent applicable, all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included, or incorporated by reference, in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus presents fairly in all material respects the information included therein and has been prepared in all material respects in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto and present fairly the consolidated financial position, results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries on the basis stated in the Registration Statement at the respective dates or for the respective periods to which they apply.

 

(vii) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) (x) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, have not sustained any material loss or material interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, and there has not been any material change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries or (y) any material adverse change in or affecting the condition (financial or other), business, properties, or consolidated results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (any such change described in this clause (y), a “Material Adverse Effect”), in each case in this clause (A) other than as set forth or disclosed or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, other than as set forth or disclosed or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus 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, otherwise than as set forth or disclosed or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

 

(viii) Good Standing of the Company. The Company is a registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHCA”), and has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of North Carolina, with the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing under the laws of 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 to so qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ix) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing as a bank, corporation, statutory trust, or limited liability company, as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign entity 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 in each case where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The activities of the Company’s subsidiaries are permitted for subsidiaries of a bank holding company under applicable law and the rules and regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “FRB”). Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or membership interests of each significant subsidiary (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) of the Company (each such significant subsidiary of the Company being hereinafter referred to as a “Significant Subsidiary”) has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable (to the extent applicable) and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock or membership interests of any Significant Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Significant Subsidiary. There are no outstanding rights, warrants or options to acquire or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock or equity securities of any of the Significant Subsidiaries. The only subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries listed on Schedule C hereto. As of the date hereof, Select Bank & Trust Company (the “Bank”) is the only Significant Subsidiary and depository institution subsidiary of the Company.

 

(x) Capitalization. All of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other equity compensation plans or compensation arrangements and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth or disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly presents, in all material respects, the information required to be described therein with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (contractual or otherwise), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, or agreements or understandings with respect to the sale or issuance of, any shares of capital stock of or other equity interest in the Company, other than in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice, under the Company’s equity compensation programs.

 

 

(xi) Company Equity Awards. With respect to any stock options, restricted stock or other equity awards (the “Equity Awards”) granted pursuant to any compensation plan of the Company or its subsidiaries providing for the issuance of Equity Awards (the “Company Plans”), (A) each grant of an Equity Award was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Equity Award was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, and (B) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Plans and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements.

 

(xii) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, when duly executed by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, will constitute the valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles and except as any indemnification or contribution provisions thereof may be limited under applicable securities laws, banking laws and public policy considerations.

 

(xiii) Securities Offerings. All offers and sales of the Company’s Common Stock, preferred stock, depositary shares and debt or other securities prior to the date hereof were made in compliance with or were the subject of an available exemption from the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and all other applicable state and federal laws or regulations, or any actions under the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations or any state or federal laws or regulations in respect of any such offers or sales are effectively barred by effective waivers or statutes of limitation.

 

(xiv) Authorization and Description of Shares. The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued, delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and will conform to the description of the capital stock contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The issuance of the Shares is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

(xv) Issuance of Shares. The issue and sale of the Shares by the Company and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions herein contemplated have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default or result in a Repayment Event (as defined below) under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (B) result in any violation of the provisions of the certificate of incorporation, certificate of organization, certificate of formation, articles of incorporation, articles of association, or charter (as applicable), bylaws or other governing documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (C) result in any violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any federal, state, local or foreign court, arbitrator, regulatory authority or governmental agency or body (each a “Governmental Entity”) having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except for, in the case of clauses (A) and (C) those conflicts, breaches, violations, defaults or Repayment Events that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or Governmental Entity is required for the issue and sale of the Shares, the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration under the Securities Act of the Shares and except as may be required under the rules and regulations of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase of the shares by the Underwriters. All of the information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters by the Company, its counsel, its officers and directors and the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with the offering of the Shares is true, complete, correct and compliant with FINRA’s rules, and any letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rules or National Association of Securities Dealers Conduct Rules are true, complete and correct. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition, the occurrence or existence of which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company prior to its scheduled maturity.

 

 (xvi) No Violation. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its certificate of incorporation, certificate of organization, certificate of formation, articles of incorporation, articles of association or charter (as applicable), bylaws or other governing documents or (B) in breach, violation or default (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company is subject except in each case for such breaches, violations or defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xvii) Registration Rights. There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for resale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for resale or sold by the Company under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement other than any rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and have been waived.

 

(xviii) Summaries of Legal Matters. The statements set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Common Stock, $1.00 Par Value Per Share,” insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Common Stock of the Company, and the statements set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 under the caption “Business – Regulation,” insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and regulations or documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material respects.

  

(xix) Sarbanes-Oxley Act Compliance. The Company is in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder applicable to the Company. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

(xx) Nasdaq Compliance. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable rules and regulations of Nasdaq. The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the listing of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market, nor has the Company received notification that Nasdaq is contemplating terminating such listing. The Company has filed a Listing of Additional Shares Notification Form with Nasdaq with respect to the Shares.

 

(xxi) Absence of Labor Dispute. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent which, in any case, is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any of its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of the Significant Subsidiaries is engaged in any unfair labor practice; except for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) there is (1) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board or any similar domestic or foreign body, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened, (2) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries and (3) no union representation dispute currently existing concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries, (B) to the Company’s knowledge, no union organizing activities are currently taking place concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries and (C) there has been no violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, any applicable wage or hour laws or any provision of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”) or any similar domestic or foreign law or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries.

 

(xxii) Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions or suits, investigations, inquiries or proceedings before or by any court or Governmental Entity, now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject (A) that is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement by the Securities Act or Securities Act Regulations and is not disclosed therein or (B) which, if not disclosed in the Registration Statement, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would be reasonably expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect. All pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their property is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to their respective businesses, are not reasonably expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect, and there are no contracts or documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which would be required by the Securities Act or Securities Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described or filed. 

 

(xxiii) Bank Holding Company Act. The Company has been duly registered as, and meets in all material respects the applicable requirements for qualification as, a bank holding company under the applicable provisions of the BHCA. The activities of the Company’s subsidiaries are permitted for subsidiaries of a bank holding company under applicable law and the rules and regulations of the FRB.

 

(xxiv) Compliance with Bank Regulatory Authorities. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries have conducted and are conducting their respective businesses in compliance in all material respects with all federal, state, local and foreign statutes, laws, rules, regulations, decisions, directives and orders and administrative and court decrees applicable to them (including, without limitation, all regulations and orders of, or agreements with, the FRB, the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks (the “NCCOB”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the Commission, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, all other applicable fair lending laws or other laws relating to discrimination and the Bank Secrecy Act and Title III of the USA Patriot Act), and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written or oral communication from any Governmental Entity asserting that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is not in compliance with any such statute, law, rule, regulation, decision, directive or order that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxv) Regulatory Agency. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, none of the Company, the Bank or any of their subsidiaries is in violation of any order or directive from the FRB, the NCCOB, the FDIC, the Commission or any regulatory authority to make any material change in the method of conducting its respective businesses. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is subject or is party to, or has received any notice or advice that any of them may become subject or party to, any investigation with respect to, any corrective, suspension or cease-and-desist order, written agreement, consent agreement, memorandum of understanding or other regulatory enforcement action, proceeding or order with or by, or is a party to any commitment letter, or is subject to any directive by, or has been a recipient of any supervisory letter from any Regulatory Agency (as defined below) that, in each case, currently relates to or restricts in any respect the conduct of their business or that in any manner relates to capital adequacy, credit policies or management, nor at the request or direction of any Regulatory Agency has the Company or any of its subsidiaries adopted any board resolution that is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect (each, a “Regulatory Agreement”), nor has the Company or any of its subsidiaries been advised by any Regulatory Agency that such Regulatory Agency is considering issuing or requesting any such Regulatory Agreement or any such Regulatory Agreement is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries are each in compliance with any Regulatory Agreements, and there is no unresolved violation, criticism or exception by any Regulatory Agency with respect to any report or statement relating to any examinations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, currently results in or is expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, the term “Regulatory Agency” means any Governmental Entity having supervisory or regulatory authority with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, including, but not limited to, any federal or state agency charged with the supervision or regulation of depositary institutions or holding companies of depositary institutions, or engaged in the insurance of depositary institution deposits.

 

 

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

 

(xxvii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries (A) possesses all permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) of any Governmental Entity and has made all filings, applications and registrations with, any Governmental Entity, in each case, necessary to permit the Company or such subsidiary to conduct the business now operated by the Company or such subsidiary, and (B) is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure to so possess, file, apply, register or comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses currently held by the Company or any of its subsidiaries 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, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such material Governmental Licenses, except where any such proceeding would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have 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 so file in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all such filings were in compliance in all material respects with applicable laws when filed and no material deficiencies have been asserted in writing by any regulatory commission, agency or authority with respect to any such filings or submissions.

 

(xxviii) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries 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 Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company. All of the leases and subleases under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect and are held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company 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 of the Company under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

 

(xxix) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use or can acquire on reasonable terms ownership or rights to use all patents, patent applications, patent rights, licenses, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights and 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) and licenses (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses, except in each case where the failure to own or possess such rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have not received any notice of any claim of infringement or conflict with, any such rights of others or any facts or circumstances that would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, except in each case where such infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, individually or in the aggregate, would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxx) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state or local statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, or code 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) each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all material permits, authorizations and approvals required to be held by it under any applicable Environmental Laws and each of the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the requirements of each such permit, authorization and approval held by it, (C) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, 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 any of its subsidiaries, and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(xxxi) ERISA. Except as would not be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each “employee benefit plan” (as defined under ERISA) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) is in compliance with ERISA; no “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates for which notice to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is required. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary of the Company, any member of any group of organizations described in Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member. The fair market value of the assets of each ERISA Affiliate defined benefit pension plan exceeds the present value of such plan’s “benefit liabilities” (as defined in Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA), and no ERISA Affiliate defined benefit pension plan has an “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA). None of the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (A) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (B) Sections 412, 4971 or 4975 of the Code. Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination or opinion letter from the Internal Revenue Service regarding its qualification under such section and, to the knowledge of the Company, its subsidiaries and its ERISA affiliates, nothing has occurred whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.

 

 

(xxxii) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and Rule 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act), that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act, as applicable to them; the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective; and since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (X) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (Y) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected adversely, or is reasonably likely to materially affect adversely, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(xxxiii) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company and its subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act Regulations) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act that are applicable to an issuer that has a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange 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 Exchange 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 subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within the Company and its subsidiaries to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure, (B) have been evaluated by management of the Company for effectiveness as of the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter, and (C) were then effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Based on the evaluation of the Company’s and its 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 or its subsidiaries’ 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 or its subsidiaries’ internal controls. Since the most recent evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, there have been no changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls.

 

 

(xxxiv) 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 Securities Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Shares.

 

(xxxv) Payment of Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have (i) filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns that they are required to have filed or have properly requested extensions of the deadline for the filing therefor and all such tax returns as filed are true, complete and correct in all material respects and (ii) have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them, other than such taxes as may be paid at a later date without any penalty or fine and except for any such tax, assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate actions and, in the case of each of clause (i) and (ii), except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except for such taxes, assessments, fines or penalties, the nonpayment or late payment of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxxvi) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as the Company reasonably believes are prudent and customary in the business in which the Company and its subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to obtain insurance coverage from insurers similar to their current insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company has been denied any material insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied in any instance in which such insurance coverage was offered by the carrier from which the Company or such subsidiary sought such coverage or to which it applied for such coverage.

 

(xxxvii) Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, or after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will 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 “Investment Company Act”).

 

(xxxviii) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any affiliates of the Company or its subsidiaries, has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

 

(xxxix) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, their respective directors, officers, employees and agents and other persons, in each case, acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (A) used any corporate funds of the Company or any of its subsidiaries 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 of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (C) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, or (D) made any bribe, illegal rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

 

 

(xl) Anti-Money Laundering Laws. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, money laundering statutes applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xli) OFAC. Neither the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is (a) currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”) or (b) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of such sanctions (including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria). The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any of its subsidiaries, any joint venture partner of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person, or engage in dealings or transactions with any person, or in any country, or territory, subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC in violation of such sanctions.

 

(xlii) Relationship. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries on the other hand, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus by the Securities Act, Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act or Exchange Act Regulations which has not been so disclosed.

 

(xliii) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (A) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (B) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

 

(xliv) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Other than as limited by federal and state banking laws and regulations applicable to depository institutions and corporations and except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, 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.

 

 

(xlv) Statistical and Market-Related Data. The statistical and market-related data contained in the Registration Statement and Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company believes are reliable and accurate in all material respects.

 

(xlvi) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Time and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representative and included in Schedule B hereto or any electronic road show or other written communications reviewed and consented to by the Representative and listed on Schedule B hereto (each a, “Company Additional Written Communication”). Each such Company Additional Written Communication, when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, did not, and at the Closing Time 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 preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Company Additional Written Communication based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representative consists of the Underwriter Information.

 

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

 

(xlviii) Fees. Other than as contemplated by this 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 Agreement.

 

(xlix) Reportable Transactions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has participated in any reportable transaction, as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-(4)(b)(1).

 

(l) Deposit Insurance. The deposit accounts of the Bank are insured by the FDIC up to applicable legal limits, 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.

 

(li) Derivative Instruments. Any and 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 one of its subsidiaries or for the account of a customer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, were entered into in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with prudent business practice and applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of all applicable regulatory agencies and with counterparties believed to be financially responsible at the time of execution of such instruments, contracts or arrangements. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have duly performed all of their respective obligations thereunder to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued, and there are no breaches, violations or defaults or allegations or assertions of such by any party thereunder, except for such breaches, violations, defaults, allegations or assertions that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(lii) Title to Securities. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all securities held by it (except securities sold under repurchase agreements, pledged to secure deposits or derivative contracts 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 any of its subsidiaries 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, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The value of such securities as reflected in the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries has been determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

(liii) Termination of Contracts. Except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement; and there are no contracts or documents of the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries that are required to be described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto by the Securities Act or by the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder that have not been so described and filed.

 

(liv) Off-Balance Sheet Transactions. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), or any other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party, that would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(lv) Margin Rules. The application of the proceeds received by the Company from the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not violate Regulation T, U or X of the FRB or any other regulation of the FRB.

 

(b) The Bank represents and warrants to each Underwriter at the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i) The Bank has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a North Carolina state chartered bank in good standing under the laws of the State of North Carolina, with the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Bank is the only depository institution subsidiary of the Company and the Bank is a member in good standing of the Federal Home Loan Bank System. The Bank 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 to so qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The activities of the Bank and its subsidiaries are permitted under the laws and regulations of the FDIC and the NCCOB, and the deposit accounts in the Bank are insured up to the applicable limits by the FDIC and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Bank, threatened against the Bank.

 

 

(ii) The Bank is not in violation of its charter or bylaws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Bank is subject except for such defaults that would not be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Bank and, when duly executed by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, will constitute the valid and binding agreement of the Bank, enforceable against the Bank in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles and except as any indemnification or contribution provisions thereof may be limited under applicable securities, banking laws and public policy considerations. The Bank has the full power and authority to enter into this Agreement.

 

(iii) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Bank and the compliance and performance by the Bank with the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Bank and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage or time or both, conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default or result in a Repayment Event under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Bank or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Bank or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Bank or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association or bylaws of the Bank or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over the Bank or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except for those conflicts, breaches, violations, defaults or Repayment Events that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(iv) The Bank (A) complies in all material respects with the Privacy Statements (as defined below) as applicable to any given set of personal information collected by the Bank from Individuals (as defined below), (B) complies in all material respects with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations regarding the collection, retention, use, transfer or disclosure of personal information, and (C) takes reasonable measures as are customary in the business in which the Bank and its subsidiaries are engaged to protect and maintain the confidential nature of the personal information provided to the Bank by Individuals in accordance with the terms of the applicable Privacy Statements. To the knowledge of the Bank, no claim or controversy has arisen or been threatened regarding the Privacy Statements or the implementation thereof. As used herein, “Privacy Statements” means, collectively, any and all of the Bank’s privacy statements and policies published on the Bank’s websites or products or otherwise made available by the Bank regarding the collection, retention, use and distribution of the personal information of an individual, including, without limitation, from visitors or users of any Bank website or products (“Individuals”).

 

 

(c) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

 

(a) Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the applicable price per share set forth in Schedule A, the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Firm Shares which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 11 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(b) Option Shares. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 687,500 shares of Common Stock at the price per share set forth in Schedule A. The option hereby granted may be exercised for 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time within such period from time to time upon notice by the Representative to the Company setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Shares. Any such time and date of delivery (each, a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representative, but shall not be later than 10 full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time (as defined below). If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Shares, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Shares then being purchased which the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares, subject, in each case, to such adjustments as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of the Firm Shares shall be made at the offices of Williams Mullen, 200 S. 10^th Street, Suite 1600, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on August 30, 2018 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 11), or such other time not later than two business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (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 Shares are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of such Option Shares shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representative to the Company.

 

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery of the Shares, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), to the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and the Option Shares, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. The Representative, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Firm Shares or the Option Shares, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

 

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

 

(a) Compliance with Commission Requests. Until the last Date of Delivery, the Company, subject to Section 3(b) hereof will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations and Rule 430B, and will notify the Representative immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement relating to the Shares shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall have been used or filed, as the case may be, including any document incorporated by reference therein, in each case only as permitted by Section 3 hereof, (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 Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or of the issuance of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares 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(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Shares. The Company will effect all filings required under 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. Until the last Date of Delivery, the Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop, prevention or suspension order and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(b) Payment of Filing Fees. If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company will file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement, and at the time of filing either to pay to the Commission the filing fee for any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or to give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111 of the Securities Act Regulations.

 

(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations, would be) required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares ending no later than nine months from the date hereof (the “Delivery Period”) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include 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, (ii) amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, including, without limitation, any document incorporated therein by reference, in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representative written notice of such event or condition, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement, provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall object.

 

 

(d) Filing or Use of Amendments or Supplements. During the Delivery Period, the Company (A) will furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable period of time prior to the proposed time of filing of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement), a copy of each such amendment or supplement, and (B) will not amend or supplement the Registration Statement without the Representative’s prior written consent. Prior to amending or supplementing any preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the time of filing or use of the proposed amendment or supplement, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement. The Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Representative’s prior written consent, which cannot be unreasonably withheld.

 

(e) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The signed copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters 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.

 

(f) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each 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 Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the Delivery Period, 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 Underwriters 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.

 

(g) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and non-U.S. jurisdictions as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect during the Delivery Period; 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.

 

 

(h) Earnings Statements. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange 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 to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.

 

(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(j) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Shares on the Nasdaq Global Market and will file with Nasdaq all documents and notices required by Nasdaq.

 

(k) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 90 days from the date of this Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, directly or indirectly (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, hypothecate, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) of the Exchange Act Regulations, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Shares or such other securities, whether any such swap, hedge or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of any shares of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Shares 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 referred to in the Prospectus, or (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options, restricted stock units or other securities granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Prospectus, provided that such options, restricted stock units or other securities shall not be vested and exercisable within the Lock-Up Period.

 

(l) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the Delivery Period, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by, and each such document will meet the requirements of, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations.

 

(m) Lock-Up Agreements. During the Lock-up Period, the Company will enforce all agreements between the Company and any of its security holders that restrict or prohibit, expressly or in operation, the offer, sale or transfer of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of Common Stock. In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated by such agreements.

 

(n) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided, that the Representative will be deemed to have consented to any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representative. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representative as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus during the Delivery Period there occurred or occurs an event or condition as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative in writing and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

 

(o) DTC. The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters and use its best efforts to permit the Shares to be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC.

 

(p) Investment Company Act. The Company shall not invest or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as could require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

 

(q) Regulation M. The Company will not take, and will ensure that no affiliate of the Company will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in or which constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.

 

(r) Transfer Agent. The Company shall maintain a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.

 

(s) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company and its subsidiaries will comply with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(t) Taxes. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any documentary, stamp, issue or similar tax, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, issue and sale of the Shares and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All payments to be made by the Company hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made.

 

(u) Trademarks. Upon request of any Underwriter, the Company will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Shares (the “License”); provided that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred.

 

 

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

 

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, and the fees and expenses of making the Shares eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA, if required, of the terms of the sale of the Shares, (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Shares on Nasdaq, (x) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Shares made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the second sentence of Section 1(a)(ii) and Section 1(a)(ix), and (xi) the reasonable legal fees and expenses (including fees and disbursements of the counsel for the Underwriters), and out of pocket marketing and syndication and any expenses related to any investor presentation and/or roadshow that are incurred by the Underwriters. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the maximum amount of fees and expenses of the Underwriters, including fees and disbursements of the counsel for the Underwriters, that are to be reimbursed by the Company in accordance with this Agreement shall not exceed $100,000 in the aggregate without the Company’s prior written consent.

 

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 (other than Section 6(c)) or Section 10(a) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, subject to the $100,000 limitation set forth in Section 4(a) hereof. This Agreement supersedes and replaces the engagement agreement, dated as of June 1, 2018, by and between the Company and the Representative.

 

SECTION 5. Use of Free Writing Prospectuses by Underwriters. Each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission.

 

SECTION 6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries 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, etc. The Registration Statement was filed by the Company with the Commission and has been declared effective not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof. Each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus shall have been filed as required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and Rule 433, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Securities Act Regulations. If the Company has elected to rely on Rule 462(b), the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement. At the Closing Time, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have been issued under the Securities Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, no notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received (i) the favorable opinion and (ii) a letter of negative assurance, each dated the Closing Time, of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and substantially in the form of Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2 hereto, respectively, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letters for each of the other Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

 

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Williams Mullen, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters. In giving such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York and the federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representative. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other representatives of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

 

(d) Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the 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 the Closing Time, and (iv) the conditions specified in Section 6(a) hereof have been satisfied.

 

(e) Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received from Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received from Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 6(e) hereof, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

 

(g) Certificate of the Chief Financial Officer. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received a certificate executed by the Chief Financial Officer, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative.

 

(h) Approval of Listing. The Common Stock (including the Shares) is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the Nasdaq Global Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or Nasdaq is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

 

(i) Lock-Up Agreements. The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriter executed counterparts of a lock-up agreement from each of the Company’s directors and executive officers, and shareholders of the Company set forth on Schedule D hereto, in the form of Exhibit B hereto.

 

(j) No Objection. FINRA shall have not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Shares.

 

(k) No Material Adverse Effect. Since the execution of this Agreement, in the reasonable judgment of the Representative, since the respective date hereof or the respective dates of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect.

 

(l) 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 Agreement.

 

(m) 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 10(a).

 

(n) No Legal Impediment to Issuance and/or Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Time, prevent the issuance or sale of the Firm Shares by the Company; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Time, prevent the issuance or sale of the Firm Shares by the Company.

 

(o) Good Standing. The Representative shall have received on the date of the Closing Time satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and the Bank in their respective jurisdictions of organization, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

 

(p) Conditions to Purchase of Option Shares. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Shares, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company or any of its subsidiaries hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery, the conditions set forth in Section 6(h), (i) and (j) hereof shall be satisfied at each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received:

 

 

(i) Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 6(d) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

(ii) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, counsel for the Company in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Shares to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(b) hereof.

 

(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The favorable opinion of Williams Mullen, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Shares to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(c) hereof.

 

(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, each dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representative pursuant to Section 6(e) hereof, except that the “specified date” in each letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than two business days prior to such Date of Delivery.

 

(v) Certificate of the Chief Financial Officer. A certificate executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the certificate required by Section 6(g).

 

(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 10(a).

 

(vii) No Legal Impediment to Issuance and/or Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Date of Delivery, prevent the issuance or sale of the Option Shares by the Company; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Date of Delivery, prevent the issuance or sale of the Option Shares by the Company.

 

(viii) Good Standing. The Representative shall have received on the Date of Delivery satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and the Bank in their respective jurisdictions of organization, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

 

(q) Additional Documents. At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any), counsel for the Underwriters 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 Shares 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; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares as herein contemplated shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

 

(r) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section (other than those contained in Section 6(c) hereof) shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Shares on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Shares may be terminated by the Representative 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 Section 1, Section 6, Section 7, Section 8, Section 9, Section 14, Section 15, Section 16 and Section 17 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 7. Indemnification.

 

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) of the Securities Act Regulations (each, an “Affiliate”)), selling agents, officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:

 

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, 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 in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) 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 7(d) hereof) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;

 

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

 

provided, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

 

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally 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 Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 7(a) hereof, 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 any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is 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 7(a) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(b) hereof, 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 prior written consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 7 or Section 8 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 7(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 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 45 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

SECTION 8. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 7 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, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, 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, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Shares as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, 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 by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 8. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 8 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 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discount received by such Underwriter in connection with the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

 

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

 

For purposes of this Section 8, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates, officers, directors and selling agents 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 within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

 

SECTION 9. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates, officers, directors and or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter or the Company’s officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Shares.

 

 

SECTION 10. Termination of Agreement.

 

(a) Termination. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by written notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time, (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representative, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, (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 material adverse change or development involving 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 Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares, (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or Nasdaq, (iv) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or 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 order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental agency or body, (v) if 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 (vi) if a general banking moratorium has been declared by either federal, New York or State of North Carolina authorities.

 

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Section 1, Section 6, Section 7, Section 8, Section 9, Section 14, Section 15, Section 16 and Section 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 11. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Shares which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Shares”), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Shares in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

 

(i) if the number of Defaulted Shares does not exceed 10% of the number of Shares to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

 

(ii) if the number of Defaulted Shares exceeds 10% of the number of Shares to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase, and the Company to sell, the Option Shares to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

 

 

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Shares, as the case may be, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 11.

 

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 Underwriters shall be directed to the Representative care of FIG Partners, LLC, 1475 Peachtree Street NE, Suite #800, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, attention: Lozan Aleksandrov, Deputy of Capital Markets, e-mail: laleksandrov@figpartners.com; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Select Bancorp, Inc., 700 West Cumberland Street, Dunn, North Carolina 28334, attention: Bill Hedgepeth, President and Chief Executive Officer, email: billh@selectbank.com.

 

SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Shares and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its shareholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company in connection with the offering of the Shares or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any of its subsidiaries on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company in connection with the offering of the Shares except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, financial, regulatory or tax advice in connection with the offering of the Shares and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons, Affiliates, selling agents, officers and directors referred to in Section 7 and Section 8 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons, Affiliates, selling agents, officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

SECTION 15. Trial by Jury. Each of the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) and the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

 

SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

 

SECTION 17. Consent to Jurisdiction. Each of the parties hereto agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any Specified Court, as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of the Specified Courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any Specified Court that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

SECTION 18. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

SECTION 19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. The exchange of copies of this Agreement and of signature pages by facsimile or other electronic means shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original signature pages to this Agreement for all purposes.

 

SECTION 20. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

SECTION 21. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may 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 that the condition is meant to benefit.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

	Very truly yours,
	SELECT BANCORP, INC.
	/s/ William L. Hedgepeth II
	Name:	William L. Hedgepeth II
	Title:	President and Chief Executive Officer
	SELECT BANK & TRUST COMPANY
	/s/ William L. Hedgepeth II
	Name:	William L. Hedgepeth II
	Title:	President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written:

 

FIG PARTNERS, LLC

 

By:	/s/ Gregory R. Gersack
	Name:	Gregory R. Gersack
	Title:	Managing Principal, Co-Head Investment Banking

 

For itself and as Representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

 

 

SCHEDULE A

 

The public offering price per share for the Shares shall be $12.00.

 

The purchase price per share for the 65,484 Shares sold to directors, officers and employees of the Company and the Bank (the “Insiders”) that is to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $11.88, being an amount equal to the public offering price set forth above less $0.12 per share.

 

Name of Underwriter		Number of Insider Shares
FIG Partners, LLC		65,484
Total		65,484

 

 

The purchase price per share for the Shares, other than the Shares sold to Insiders, that is to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $11.40, being an amount equal to the public offering price set forth above less $0.60 per share.

 

Name of Underwriter		Number of Firm Shares
FIG Partners, LLC		4,517,850
Total		4,517,850

 

 

SCHEDULE B

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses

 

1. Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, dated August 27, 2018, filed with the Commission on August 27, 2018.

 

 

SCHEDULE C

 

Subsidiaries of the Company

 

Name		Jurisdiction of Incorporation		Parent Entity
Select Bank & Trust Company		North Carolina		Select Bancorp, Inc.
New Century Statutory Trust I		Delaware		Select Bancorp, Inc.

 

 

 SCHEDULE D

 

Directors, Executive Officers and Shareholders Subject to the Lock-Up Agreement

 

 

EXHIBIT A-1

 

Form of Opinion of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP

 

 

EXHIBIT A-2

 

Form of Letter of Negative Assurance of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP

 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

 

August , 2018

 

FIG PARTNERS, LLC

1475 Peachtree Street NE, Suite #800

Atlanta, GA 30309

 

As representative of the Underwriters to be named in the Underwriting Agreement

 

Re:     Proposed Offering by Select Bancorp, Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned, a shareholder and/or an executive officer and/or director of Select Bancorp, Inc., a North Carolina corporation and registered bank holding company (the “Company”), understands that FIG Partners, LLC (“Representative”), as representative of the Underwriters, proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with the Company and Select Bank & Trust Company providing for the public offering (the “Offering”) of shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Common Stock”).

 

In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned as a shareholder and/or executive officer and/or director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each Underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement that, during the period of 90 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of the Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, (ii) make any demand or exercise any right with respect to the filing of any registration statement under the Securities Act, with respect to any of the foregoing in clause (i), or (iii) 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 or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly announce any intention to do any of the foregoing.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock:

 

(i) as a bona fide gift or gifts or by will or intestate succession, provided that (x) the donee or donees or transferee or transferees agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein and (y) if the undersigned is required to file a report under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock by the undersigned during the Lock-Up Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that such transfer is not a transfer for value and that such transfer is being made as a gift, by will or intestate succession, as the case may be;

 

 

(ii) to any corporation, trust, family limited partnership or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that (x) the trustee of the trust, general partner of the family limited partnership or similar person, as the case may be, agrees to be bound by the restrictions set forth herein, and (y) that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, other than with respect to any such transfer or distribution for which the transferor receives equity interests of such transferee or such transferee’s interests in the transferor, provided, further, that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act that is required in connection with any such transfer shall include a statement in such report to the effect that such transfer is being made in connection with this clause (ii);

 

(iii) pursuant to a qualified domestic order or divorce settlement, provided that the recipients of such transfers agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein;

 

(iv) pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency;

 

(v) pledged in a bona fide transaction outstanding as of the date hereof to a lender to the undersigned, as disclosed in writing to the Representative;

 

(vi) pursuant to the exercise by the undersigned of stock options that have been granted by the Company prior to, and are outstanding as of, the date of the Underwriting Agreement, where the Common Stock received upon any such exercise is held by the undersigned, individually or as fiduciary, in accordance with the terms of this letter agreement (the “Lock-Up Agreement”);

 

(vii) to the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligations of the Company or the undersigned upon the exercise or vesting of equity awards under any equity incentive plan of the Company, provided that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act that is required in connection with any such surrender of shares of Common Stock shall include a statement in such report to the effect that such surrender of shares of Common Stock is being made in connection with the payment of taxes;

 

(viii) with the prior written consent of the Representative; or

 

(ix) if the undersigned is a corporation, to any wholly owned subsidiary of such corporation, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, provided, further, that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act that is required in connection with any such transfer shall include a statement in such report to the effect that such transfer is being made in connection with the transfer of shares to a wholly owned subsidiary.

 

For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.

 

In addition to the foregoing and notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the undersigned may enter into an agreement or trading plan to allow brokerage sales of all or a portion of the undersigned shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act provided that (i) any such brokerage sales or transfers may not occur prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, no public disclosure or filing under the Exchange Act or Rule 144 under the Securities Act by any party shall be required, or made, voluntarily reporting such agreement or trading plan, and (iii) the undersigned provides notice to the Representative upon entering into any such agreement or adopting any such trading plan.

 

 

The undersigned now has and, except as contemplated by clauses (i) through (ix) above, for the duration of the Lock-Up Period will own the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever, except with respect to any liens, encumbrances and claims that were in existence on the date hereof. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period, except in compliance with this Lock-Up Agreement. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent are hereby authorized to decline to make or authorize any transfer of Common Stock if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Lock-Up Agreement.

 

With respect to the Offering only and for the duration of the Lock-Up Period, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Common Stock and/or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.

 

The undersigned understands that the Company, the Representative and other underwriters party to the Underwriting Agreement are relying upon this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Offering. The undersigned represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement and that this Lock-Up Agreement has been duly authorized (if applicable), executed and delivered by the undersigned. The undersigned agrees that the provisions of this Lock-Up Agreement constitute a valid, binding and irrevocable agreement of the undersigned and shall be binding also upon the successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the undersigned.

 

The undersigned understands that, if (i) the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, (ii) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder (other than any shares of Common Stock subject to any over-allotment option), (iii) the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-225805) is withdrawn by the Company, (iv) the Company notifies the Representative that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering or (v) the Offering has not closed prior to December 31, 2018, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement without any further action on part of the undersigned and this Lock-Up Agreement shall be of no further force and effect.

 

This Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

The undersigned has caused this Lock-Up Agreement to be duly executed and effective as of the date first written above.

 

	Very truly yours,
	(if an individual):
	Name (print)
	Signature
	(if an entity):
	Name of Entity
	Signature
	Name (print)
	Title