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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2015

Registration Statement No. 333-205895

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Amendment No. 1 to

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Benefitfocus, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware		46-2346314
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

100 Benefitfocus Way

Charleston, SC 29492

(843) 849-7476

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Paris Cavic, Esq.

Vice President and General Counsel

100 Benefitfocus Way

Charleston, SC 29492

(843) 849-7476

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Donald R. Reynolds, Esq.		Christopher J. Austin, Esq.
S. Halle Vakani, Esq.		Stephen C. Ashley, Esq.
Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP		Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300		51 West 52nd Street
Raleigh, NC 27607		New York, NY 10019-6142
(919) 781-4000		(212) 506-5000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.    ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.    ¨

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    ¨

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box.    ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.    ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “accelerated filer”, “large accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer    ¨		Accelerated filer    x		Non-accelerated filer    ¨		Smaller reporting company    ¨
				(Do not check if smaller reporting company)

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to Completion

Preliminary Prospectus dated August 4, 2015

2,500,000 Shares

 

Common Stock

 

 

The selling stockholder identified in the prospectus is offering 2,500,000 shares. Benefitfocus will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares being sold by the selling stockholder.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “BNFT”. The last reported sale price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market on August 3, 2015 was $36.32. We are a “controlled company” as defined under the NASDAQ Stock Market listing rules. However, upon completion of this offering, we might not remain a “controlled company.”

We are an “emerging growth company” under the federal securities laws and are eligible for reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 17.

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

		Per Share				Total
Public offering price		$				$
Underwriting discount(1)		$				$
Proceeds, before expenses, to the selling stockholder		$				$

 

(1) The underwriters will receive compensation in addition to the underwriting discount. See “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” on page 36 of this prospectus for a description of the compensation payable to underwriters.

To the extent that the underwriters sell more than 2,500,000 shares of common stock, the underwriters have the option to purchase up to an additional 375,000 shares from the selling stockholder at the offering price less the underwriting discount.

 

 

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares against payment in New York, New York on             , 2015.

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.		Deutsche Bank Securities		Jefferies

 

 

 

Canaccord Genuity		Piper Jaffray		Raymond James

 

 

Prospectus dated             , 2015.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY			1
RISK FACTORS			17
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INDUSTRY DATA			23
USE OF PROCEEDS			25
DILUTION			26
SELLING STOCKHOLDER			27
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK			28
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS APPLICABLE TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS			32
UNDERWRITING (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)			36
LEGAL MATTERS			41
EXPERTS			41
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			41
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE			42

 

 

We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.

For investors outside the United States: Neither we, nor the selling stockholder, nor the underwriters have done anything that would permit this public offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the shares of our common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties and all other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including the risks and uncertainties described below and under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015, which are incorporated by reference herein, and which may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future, together with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015, before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock. If any of the risks described below or incorporated by reference herein were to materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our common stock could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment in our common stock.

Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock

Our stock price may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the price at which you purchase it.

The stock market historically has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. As a result of this volatility, you might not be able to sell your common stock at or above the price at which you purchase it. The public market for our stock is very new. From our IPO in September 2013 through June 30, 2015, the per share trading price of our common stock has been as high as $77.00 and as low as $19.58. It might continue to fluctuate significantly in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include:

 

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our operating performance and the operating performance of similar companies;

 

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the overall performance of the equity markets;

 

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announcements by us or our competitors of acquisitions, business plans, or commercial relationships;

 

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threatened or actual litigation;

 

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changes in laws or regulations relating to the sale of health insurance;

 

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any major change in our board of directors or management;

 

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publication of research reports or news stories about us, our competitors, or our industry, or positive or negative recommendations or withdrawal of research coverage by securities analysts;

 

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large volumes of sales of our shares of common stock by existing stockholders; and

 

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general political and economic conditions.

In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for Internet-related companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. These fluctuations might be even more pronounced in the relatively new trading market for our stock. Additionally, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the market price of a company’s securities. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs, divert our management’s attention and resources, and harm our business, operating results, and financial condition.

 

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We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not currently intend to do so for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to invest our future earnings, if any, to fund our growth. Therefore, you are not likely to receive any dividends on your common stock for the foreseeable future, and the success of an investment in shares of our common stock will depend upon future appreciation in its value, if any. There is no guarantee that shares of our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which our stockholders purchased their shares.

Future sales of shares of our common stock by existing stockholders could depress the market price of our common stock.

Following the completion of this offering, based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2015, 28,723,308 shares of our common stock will be outstanding. All of the 2,500,000 shares being sold in this offering will be freely tradeable immediately after this offering (except for shares purchased by affiliates) and of the remaining 26,223,308 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2015, assuming no exercise of outstanding options or warrants after June 30, 2015, 13,166,470 shares may be sold upon expiration of lock-up agreements entered into in connection with this offering 60 days after the date of this offering (subject to volume and other restrictions of Rule 144).

On November 12, 2013, we also registered an aggregate of 6,249,766 shares of our common stock that we may issue under our stock plans. These shares can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to any outstanding lock-up agreements, unless they are held by “affiliates”, as that term is defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act. If a large number of these shares are sold in the public market, the sales could reduce the trading price of our common stock.

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution.

The public offering price of our common stock being sold by the selling stockholder in this offering is considerably more than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding common stock immediately after this offering. Accordingly, you will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds, on a per share basis, the value of our assets after subtracting liabilities. In addition, if outstanding options are exercised or other stock rights such as restricted stock units vest, there could be further dilution. For more information refer to “Dilution”.

A limited number of stockholders will have the ability to influence the outcome of director elections and other matters requiring stockholder approval.

After this offering, our directors, executive officers, and their affiliated entities will beneficially own approximately 48.7% of our outstanding common stock (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and no exercise of outstanding options after June 30, 2015). In particular, after this offering, the Goldman Funds collectively will beneficially own approximately 21.0% (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and no exercise of outstanding options after June 30, 2015). These stockholders, if they act together, could exert substantial influence over matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the amendment of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, and the approval of mergers or other business combination transactions.

Additionally, the Goldman Funds, Oak Investment Partners XII, L.P., Mason R. Holland, Jr., our Executive Chairman and a director, and Shawn A. Jenkins, our Chief Executive Officer and a director, entered into a voting agreement for the election of directors. After this offering, these stockholders collectively will beneficially own approximately 47.6% of our common stock (assuming no exercise of the

 

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underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and no exercise of outstanding options after June 30, 2015). Pursuant to the voting agreement, the parties agree to vote all of their shares to elect two directors nominated by the Goldman Funds, one director nominated by Oak Investment Partners, and each of Messrs. Holland and Jenkins to our board of directors. As a result, these stockholders will have significant influence on the outcome of director elections. This concentration of ownership might discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control of our company, which could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their stock as part of a sale of our company and might reduce our stock price. These actions may be taken even if they are opposed by other stockholders.

Following the offering, we might not remain a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market listing rules and take advantage of exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.

Following this offering, approximately 47.6% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and no exercise of outstanding options after June 30, 2015) will be beneficially owned by a group of our significant stockholders consisting of Oak Investment Partners XII, L.P., the Goldman Funds, and Messrs. Holland and Jenkins. Under the NASDAQ Stock Market listing rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and is exempt from the corporate governance requirements that a majority of its directors be independent, as defined in the NASDAQ Stock Market listing rules, and that its compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees consist entirely of independent directors. As a result, we might not be able to rely on the “controlled company” exemption under the NASDAQ Stock Market listing rules. While a majority of the members of our board of directors and all of the members of our compensation committee are independent directors, our nominating and corporate governance committee does not consist entirely of independent directors. While we remain a controlled company and during any transition period following a time when we are no longer a controlled company, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the NASDAQ Stock Market’s corporate governance requirements.

Affiliates of Goldman, Sachs & Co., the lead underwriter in this offering, hold a controlling equity interest in our company, which could expose us to risks associated with Goldman’s conflict of interest.

A controlling equity interest in our company is held in the aggregate by the Goldman Funds, each of which is affiliated with Goldman, Sachs & Co., the lead underwriter in this offering. Prior to this offering, the Goldman Funds held the following equity securities: (i) 1,094,398 shares of our common stock were held directly by GS Capital Partners VI Parallel, L.P., (ii) 3,310,322 shares of our common stock were held directly by GS Capital Partners VI Offshore Fund, L.P., (iii) 3,979,876 shares of our common stock were held directly by GS Capital Partners VI Fund, L.P., and (iv) 141,445 shares of our common stock were held directly by GS Capital Partners VI GmbH & CO. KG. The Goldman Funds propose to sell up to 2,500,000 shares in this offering, and will receive all the proceeds of this offering, not including underwriting compensation. Consequently, Goldman, Sachs & Co. has a conflict of interest within the meaning of Rule 5121 of the FINRA Rules.

Provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law might discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our common stock.

Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law might discourage, delay, or prevent a merger, acquisition, or other change in control that stockholders consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares of our common

 

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stock. These provisions might also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. These provisions include:

 

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limitations on the removal of directors;

 

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advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and nominations;

 

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limitations on the ability of stockholders to call special meetings;

 

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the inability of stockholders to act by written consent once The Goldman Sachs Group and its affiliates cease to own at least 35% of our voting equity;

 

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the inability of stockholders to cumulate votes at any election of directors;

 

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the classification of our board of directors into three classes with only one class, representing approximately one-third of our directors, standing for election at each annual meeting; and

 

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the ability of our board of directors to make, alter or repeal our bylaws.

Our Board of Directors has the ability to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock without stockholder approval. In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder, generally a person which together with its affiliates owns, or within the last three years has owned, 15% of our voting stock, for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner.

The existence of the foregoing provisions and anti-takeover measures could limit the price that investors are willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. They could also deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you could receive a premium for your common stock in an acquisition.

Our business is subject to changing regulations regarding corporate governance, disclosure controls, internal control over financial reporting, and other compliance areas that will increase both our costs and the risk of noncompliance.

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, and the rules and regulations of our stock exchange. The requirements of these rules and regulations will increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, might make some activities more difficult, time-consuming, and costly, and place undue strain on our personnel, systems, and resources.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Commencing with our fiscal year ending December 31, 2014, we performed system and process evaluation and testing of our internal control over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Our ongoing compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will require that we incur substantial accounting expense and expend significant management efforts.

We are required to disclose changes made to our internal control and procedures on a quarterly basis. However, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the

 

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Sarbanes-Oxley Act until the later of the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC or the date we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, if we take advantage of the exemption available under the JOBS Act to the auditor attestation requirement in Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, the market price of our stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.

Failure to develop and maintain adequate financial controls could cause us to have material weaknesses, which could adversely affect our operations and financial position.

As previously reported, in the first quarter of 2014, we identified a material weakness in internal controls over the accounting for leasing transactions which resulted in the identification of a material error in the accounting for our headquarters lease executed in May 2005. We might in the future discover other material weaknesses that require remediation. In addition, an internal control system, no matter how well-designed, cannot provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud will be detected. If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, or if we are unable to maintain proper and effective internal controls, we might not be able to produce timely and accurate financial statements. If that were to happen, the market price of our stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities.

Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls, or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal controls also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that we are required to include in our periodic reports filed with the SEC under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock. Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may require specific compliance training of our directors, officers, and employees, entail substantial costs in order to modify our existing accounting systems, and take a significant period of time to complete. Such changes may not be effective, however, in maintaining the adequacy of our internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could increase our operating costs and could materially impair our ability to operate our business. In the event that we are not able to demonstrate compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, that our internal controls are perceived as inadequate, or that we are unable to produce timely or accurate financial statements, investors may lose confidence in our operating results and our stock price could decline.

We are an emerging growth company and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an emerging growth company. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

 

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For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of certain other exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies including, but not limited to, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved, and exemptions from the requirements of auditor attestation reports on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the end of the fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of June 30 of that fiscal year, (ii) the end of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of $1 billion or more during such fiscal year, (iii) the date on which we issue more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt in a three-year period, or (iv) September 17, 2018.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research or reports about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock depends, to some extent, on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us and our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or change their opinion of our common stock, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INDUSTRY DATA

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management, and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “predict”, “project”, “will”, “would”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about:

 

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our ability to attract and retain customers;

 

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our financial performance;

 

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the advantages of our solutions as compared to those of others;

 

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our ability to establish and maintain intellectual property rights;

 

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our ability to retain and hire necessary associates and appropriately staff our operations; and

 

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our estimates regarding capital requirements and needs for additional financing.

We might not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus, particularly in the “Risk Factors” section, and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015, which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make.

You should read this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the documents that we have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Unless otherwise indicated, information contained in this prospectus concerning our industry and the market in which we operate, including our general expectations and market position, market opportunity, and market size, is based on information from various sources, on assumptions that we have made that are based on those data and other similar sources, and on our knowledge of the markets for our products. Some of the market data contained in this prospectus is based on independent industry publications, including those generated by IBISWorld, Gartner, Inc., SNL Financial, The Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust, and other publicly available information. These data involve a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. We believe and act as if the third party data contained herein, and the underlying economic assumptions relied upon therein, are generally reliable. In addition, projections, assumptions, and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the industry in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk Factors”. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties and by us.

 

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The Gartner Report described herein, “Forecast: Enterprise IT Spending by Vertical Industry Market, Worldwide, 2013-2019, 2Q15 Update”, July 24, 2015, or the Gartner Report, represents data, research opinion or viewpoints published as part of a syndicated subscription service, by Gartner, Inc., or Gartner, and is not a representation of fact. The Gartner Report speaks as of its original publication date (and not as of the date of this prospectus) and the opinions expressed in the Gartner Report are subject to change without notice.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

The shares of common stock offered by this prospectus are being registered for the account of the selling stockholder named in this prospectus. As a result, all proceeds from the sales of the common stock will go to the selling stockholder and we will not receive any proceeds from the resale of the common stock by the selling stockholder. We will incur all costs associated with this registration statement and prospectus.

 

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DILUTION

Our net tangible book value per share of our common stock will be substantially below the public offering price. You will therefore incur immediate and substantial dilution of $36.28 per share, based on a public offering price of $36.32 per share (the closing price of our stock on August 3, 2015). As a result, if we are liquidated, you might not receive the full value of your investment.

Dilution in net tangible book value per share represents the difference between the amount per share of our common stock that you pay in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately afterwards. Net tangible book value per share represents (1) the total pro forma net tangible assets, divided by (2) the number of shares of our common stock outstanding.

Our net tangible book value at June 30, 2015 was approximately $1.2 million, or $0.04 per share. This amount represents an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $36.28 per share to you. The following table illustrates this dilution per share:

 

Assumed public offering price per share		$	36.32
Net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2015		$	0.04
Dilution per share to you		$	36.28

As of June 30, 2015, there were options outstanding to purchase a total of 2,134,685 shares of our common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $7.61 per share, 998,889 shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units and an outstanding warrant to purchase 580,813 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $26.50 per share. To the extent outstanding options or warrants are exercised or restricted stock units vest, you would experience further dilution.

 

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SELLING STOCKHOLDER

The following table sets forth the shares beneficially owned, as of June 30, 2015, by the selling stockholder prior to the offering contemplated by this prospectus, the number of shares the selling stockholder is offering by this prospectus, and the number of shares which it would own beneficially if all such offered shares are sold.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. The underwriters have an option to purchase up to 375,000 additional shares of our common stock from the selling stockholder. For purposes of the table below, applicable percentage ownership prior to and after the completion of this offering is based on 28,723,308 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2015 and only assumes the exercise in full of the underwriters option where indicated.

The information in the table below with respect to the selling stockholder has been obtained from that selling stockholder. Based on information provided to us, while the selling stockholder is an affiliate of a broker-dealer, it did not purchase shares of our common stock outside the ordinary course of business or at the time of its acquisition of shares of our common stock, have any agreements, understandings, or arrangements with any other persons, directly or indirectly, to dispose of the shares. Except as indicated in footnotes to this table, we believe that the selling stockholder named in this table has sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown to be beneficially owned by it, based on information provided to us by such stockholder.

 

Name of Selling Stockholder		Shares Beneficially Owned before the Offering								Number of Shares Offered—No Exercise of Underwriters’ Option				Shares Beneficially Owned after the Offering—No Exercise of Underwriters’ Option (1)								Additional Number of Shares Offered—Full Exercise of Underwriters’ Option				Shares Beneficially Owned after the Offering—Full Exercise of Underwriters’ Options (1)
		Shares				Percentage								Shares				Percentage								Shares				Percentage
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.			8,526,041	(2)			29.68	%			2,500,000				6,026,041				20.98	%			375,000				5,651,041				19.67	%

 

(1)	The selling stockholder may offer and sell all or a part of the common stock pursuant to this prospectus, but no estimates can be made as to the amount of shares of common stock that will be held by the selling stockholder after the completion of this offering.

 

(2)

Consists of (i) 1,094,398 shares of common stock held directly by GS Capital Partners VI Parallel, L.P., (ii) 3,310,322 shares of common stock held directly by GS Capital Partners VI Offshore Fund, L.P., (iii) 3,979,876 shares of common stock held directly by GS Capital Partners VI Fund, L.P., and (iv) 141,445 shares of common stock held directly by GS Capital Partners VI GmbH & CO. KG, collectively the “Goldman Funds”. Affiliates of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. are the general partner, managing general partner, managing partner, managing member or member of each of the Goldman Funds. Goldman, Sachs & Co. is a direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Goldman, Sachs & Co. is the investment manager of the Goldman Funds. Therefore, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is the ultimate parent of the investment manager of the Goldman Funds. Joseph P. DiSabato, who has served as a member of our board of directors since 2007, is also a managing director of Goldman, Sachs & Co. The address of the Goldman Funds and Mr. DiSabato is 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

Our authorized capital stock consists of 50,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 5,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. The following description summarizes the material terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For a complete description of our capital stock, you should refer to our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws, and to the provisions of applicable Delaware law.

Common Stock

As of June 30, 2015, there were 28,723,308 shares of our common stock outstanding and held by approximately 78 stockholders of record. After this offering, there will be 28,723,308 shares of our common stock outstanding (assuming no exercise of options or warrants after June 30, 2015).

 

•

Dividend Rights.    Subject to preferences that may apply to any shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available at the times and in the amounts that our board of directors may determine. All dividends are non-cumulative.

 

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Voting Rights.    The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting rights.

 

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No Preemptive or Similar Rights.    The holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, or subscription rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock.

 

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Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions.    Upon our liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders would be distributable ratably among the holders of our common stock and any participating preferred stock outstanding at that time after payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of preferred stock and payment of other claims of creditors.

 

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Fully Paid and Non-Assessable.    All of the outstanding shares of our common stock are, and the shares of our common stock to be issued pursuant to this offering will be, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

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Potential Adverse Effect of Future Preferred Stock.    The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject to, and might be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences, and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations, or restrictions, in each case without further action by our stockholders. Our board can also increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of preferred stock, but not below the number of shares of that series then outstanding unless approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our capital stock entitled to vote, or such other vote as may be required by the certificate of designation establishing the series. Our board may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate

 

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purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in our control or the removal of management and might adversely affect the market price of our common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock. We have no current plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Stock Awards Available For Issuance

As of June 30, 2015, total stock awards, including options and stock rights, to exchange or purchase a total of 1,615,669 shares of common stock remain available for future issuance under our stock plans.

Warrant

On February 24, 2015, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with Mercer. At the same time, we also issued Mercer a warrant, or the Warrant, for the purchase of 580,813 shares of our common stock for $26.50 per share at any time during the 30-month term of the Warrant. Mercer is entitled to exercise the Warrant in whole or in part at any time, or from time to time, at or prior to the expiration of the 30-month term of the Warrant. In addition, the Warrant provides anti-dilution protections to Mercer, including protection in the event that we declare or pay a dividend or make a distribution of our common stock payable in our common stock, subdivide or split the outstanding shares of our common stock into a greater number of shares, or combine or reclassify the outstanding shares of our common stock into a smaller number of shares.

Registration Rights

Following the completion of this offering and assuming no exercise of options or warrants after June 30, 2015, stockholders holding approximately 18,336,655 shares of our common stock will have the right, subject to various conditions and limitations, to include their shares in registration statements relating to our securities. The holders of at least 66-2/3% of the then outstanding shares subject to these registration rights have the right to demand that we register such shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, with respect to shares having an aggregate offering price of at least $5,000,000, and subject to other limitations. In addition, these holders are entitled to piggyback registration rights with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of shares of common stock. In the event that we propose to register any shares of common stock under the Securities Act either for our account or for the account of other security holders, the holders of shares having piggyback registration rights are entitled to receive notice of such registration and to include shares in any such registration, subject to limitations. Further, the holders of at least 5% of the shares subject to these registration rights may require us to file registration statements under the Securities Act on Form S-3 with respect to shares of common stock having an aggregate offering price, net of selling expenses, of at least $5,000,000. To the extent that we qualify as a well-known seasoned issuer, or WKSI, at the time a requisite number of holders demand the registration of shares subject to these registration rights, we will file an automatic shelf registration statement covering the shares for which registration is demanded if so requested by the holders of such shares. These registration rights are subject to conditions and limitations, among them the right of the underwriters of an offering to limit the number of shares of common stock held by such security holders to be included in such registration. We are generally required to bear all of the expenses of such registrations, including reasonable fees of a single counsel acting on behalf of all selling holders, except underwriting discounts, selling commissions, and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale. Registration of any of the shares of common stock held by security holders with registration rights would result in such shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act immediately upon effectiveness of such registration.

Right of First Offer

In connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement that we entered into with Mercer, we granted Mercer a right of first offer with respect to certain new issuances of our equity securities, as have certain

 

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of our large stockholders with respect to sales of their shares of our common stock pursuant to a Right of First Offer Agreement. In general, we and the applicable stockholders are required to offer Mercer the right to purchase any shares of our common stock or other equity securities of our company that we or such stockholders propose to issue or sell, at a price we or the stockholders, as applicable, specify, and if Mercer declines to purchase such shares or other securities at such price, we or the stockholders may issue or sell such securities to one or more third parties at a price no less than the price offered to Mercer. These rights of first offer are subject to the limitation on acquisitions of additional shares of common stock by Mercer under certain standstill restrictions, and are also subject to certain other exceptions, including only applying to 50% of shares or other securities proposed to be sold by any stockholder in a registered offering or certain other similar forms of sales. These rights of first offer will remain in effect until the earlier of (i) the expiration or termination of the Mercer Exchange Software as a Service Agreement between Mercer Health & Benefits LLC and us and (ii) the first date on which Mercer and its affiliates own less than (A) 75% of the shares of our common stock acquired on February 24, 2015 or (B) 5% of our common stock outstanding, in each case in this clause (ii), for a period of at least 45 consecutive days. Subject to certain conditions, Mercer has waived its right of first offer with respect to the offering contemplated by this prospectus.

Certain Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

The provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation, and our bylaws may have the effect of delaying, deferring, or discouraging another person from acquiring control of our company.

Delaware Law.    We are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder unless:

 

•

prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

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upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and by specified employee stock plans; or

 

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at or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

•

A “business combination” includes mergers, asset sales, or other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the stockholder. In general, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years did own, 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock. These provisions may have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in our control. Because the Goldman Funds beneficially held more than 15% of our shares at the time we became subject to Delaware law, our restated certificate of incorporation exempts the Goldman Funds and their affiliates from being an “interested stockholder” within the meaning of Section 203.

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaw Provisions.    Various provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could deter hostile takeovers or delay or prevent changes in control of our management team, including the following:

Board of Directors Vacancies.    Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws authorize only our board or the stockholders at a duly called meeting for that purpose to fill vacant directorships. In

 

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addition, the number of directors constituting our board is permitted to be set only by a resolution adopted by a majority of our board. These provisions would prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our board and then gaining control of our board by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees.

Classified Board.    Our bylaws provide that our board is classified into three classes of directors. This could delay a successful tender offeror from obtaining majority control of our board of directors, and the prospect of that delay might deter a potential offeror.

Stockholder Action; Special Meeting of Stockholders.    Our bylaws provide that our stockholders may take action by written consent, but only until the first date after The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and its affiliates no longer beneficially own at least 35% of our voting equity. After that time, our stockholders may not take action by written consent, but may only take action at annual or special meetings of our stockholders. Our bylaws further provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority of our board, the chairman of our board, by such other person the board expressly authorizes to call a special meeting, or by stockholders representing at least 35% of the votes entitled to be cast on any issue proposed to be considered at such special meeting.

Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations.    Our bylaws provide advance notice procedures for stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders, or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of our notice of annual meeting provided with respect to the previous year’s annual meeting of stockholders; provided, that if no annual meeting of stockholders was held in the previous year or the date of the annual meeting of stockholders has been changed to be more than 30 calendar days earlier or 60 days later than such anniversary, notice by the stockholder, to be timely, must be received not earlier than the 120^th day nor later to the 90^th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or, if later, the 10^th day following the date we publicly disclose the date of the annual meeting. Our bylaws also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. These provisions might preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders.

Issuance of Undesignated Preferred Stock.    Our board has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock with rights and preferences, including voting rights, designated from time to time by our board. Our board may utilize these shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions, and employee benefits plans. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock would enable our board to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest, or other means. If we issue such shares without stockholder approval and in violation of limitations imposed by any stock exchange on which our stock may then be trading, our stock could be delisted.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Limited.

Stock Exchange Listing

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “BNFT”.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS

APPLICABLE TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS

The following is a summary of material U.S. federal income and estate tax considerations related to the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our common stock that are applicable to a “non-U.S. holder” (defined below). This section does not address tax considerations applicable to other investors, such as U.S. persons (defined below). They are urged to consult their own tax advisors to determine the specific tax consequences and risks to them of purchasing, holding and disposing of the common stock.

This summary:

 

•

is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the “Code”, Treasury tax regulations promulgated or proposed under it, judicial authority, and published rulings and administrative pronouncements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, each as of the date of this prospectus and each of which are subject to change at any time, possibly with retroactive effect;

 

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is applicable only to non-U.S. holders who hold the shares as “capital assets” within the meaning of section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment);

 

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does not discuss the applicability of any U.S. state or local taxes, non-U.S. taxes or any other U.S. federal tax except for U.S. federal income tax and estate tax; and

 

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does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that might be relevant to holders in light of their particular circumstances or who are subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, including but not limited to:

 

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U.S. expatriates and former citizens and long-term residents of the United States;

 

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banks, financial institutions, or “financial services entities”;

 

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insurance companies;

 

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tax-exempt organizations;

 

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dealers in securities;

 

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investors holding the common stock as part of a “straddle”, “hedge”, “conversion transaction”, or other risk-reduction transaction;

 

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“controlled foreign corporations” and “passive foreign investment companies”, as defined in the Code; and

 

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persons subject to the alternative minimum tax.

Non-U.S. Holder Defined

For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of common stock that is neither a “U.S. person” nor a partnership or entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A “U.S. person” is:

 

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an individual citizen or resident of the United States;

 

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a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, that is created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

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an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

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a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

If a partnership (or an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) owns our common stock, then the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in that partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the partnership’s activities. Partners and partnerships should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in our common stock.

Distributions to Non-U.S. Holders

Distributions of cash or property, if any, paid to a non-U.S. holder of the common stock will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the amount of a distribution exceeds both our current and accumulated earnings and profits, such excess will first constitute a nontaxable return of capital, which will reduce the holder’s tax basis in the common stock, but not below zero, and thereafter will be treated as gain from the sale of the common stock (see “—Sale or Taxable Disposition of Common Stock by Non-U.S. Holders” below).

Subject to the following paragraphs, dividends on the common stock generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a 30% gross rate, subject to any exemption or lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. We may withhold up to 30% of either (1) the gross amount of the entire distribution, even if the amount of the distribution is greater than the amount constituting a dividend, as described above, or (2) the amount of the distribution we project will be a dividend, based upon a reasonable estimate of both our current and our accumulated earnings and profits for the taxable year in which the distribution is made. If tax is withheld on the amount of a distribution in excess of the amount constituting a dividend, then you may obtain a refund of that excess amount by timely filing a claim for refund with the IRS.

To claim the benefit of a reduced rate of or an exemption from U.S. federal withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty, a non-U.S. holder will be required (1) to satisfy certain certification requirements, which may be made by providing us or our agent with a properly executed and completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form) certifying, under penalty of perjury, that the holder qualifies for treaty benefits and is not a U.S. person, or (2) if the common stock is held through certain non-U.S. intermediaries, to satisfy the relevant certification requirements of the applicable Treasury regulations. Special certification and other requirements apply to certain non-U.S. holders that are pass-through entities.

Dividends that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. holder within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment, or a fixed base in the case of an individual non-U.S. holder, that is maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the United States) (“effectively connected dividends”) are not subject to the U.S. federal withholding tax, provided that the non-U.S. holder certifies, under penalty of perjury, that the dividends paid to such holder are effectively connected dividends on a properly executed and completed IRS Form W-8ECI (or other applicable form). Instead, any such dividends will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis in a manner similar to that which would apply if the non-U.S. holder were a U.S. person. Corporate non-U.S. holders who receive effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a gross rate of 30% on their earnings and profits for the taxable year that are effectively connected with the holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States, subject to any exemption or reduction provided by an applicable income tax treaty.

 

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Sale or Taxable Disposition of Common Stock by Non-U.S. Holders

Any gain realized on the sale, exchange, or other taxable disposition of the common stock by a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless:

 

•

the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. holder within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment, or fixed base in the case of an individual non-U.S. holder, that is maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the United States);

 

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the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of that disposition, and certain other conditions are met; or

 

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we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of such disposition and the non-U.S. holder’s holding period in the common stock.

A non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet point above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the net gain derived from the sale or disposition under regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates as if the holder were a U.S. person. If the non-U.S. holder is a corporation, then the gain may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to the “branch profits” tax, which is discussed above.

An individual non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point above will be subject to a tax at a 30% gross rate, subject to any reduction or reduced rate under an applicable income tax treaty, on the net gain derived from the sale, which may be offset by U.S.-source capital losses, even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes, provided the non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.

We believe we are not, have not been and will not become a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the event that we are or become a United States real property holding corporation at any time during the applicable period described in the third bullet point above, any gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of the common stock may be subject to U.S. federal income tax, including any applicable withholding tax, if (1) the non-U.S. holder beneficially owns, or has owned, more than 5% of our common stock at any time during the applicable period, or (2) our common stock ceases to be traded on an “established securities market” within the meaning of the Code. Non-U.S. holders who intend to acquire more than 5% of our common stock are encouraged to consult their tax advisors with respect to the U.S. tax consequences of a disposition of the common stock.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

We must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the amount of dividends and other distributions paid to the holder and the tax withheld, if any, from those payments. These reporting requirements apply regardless of whether withholding was reduced or eliminated by any applicable income tax treaty. Copies of the information returns reporting such dividends and the tax withheld may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty.

A non-U.S. holder will generally be subject to backup withholding, currently at a 28% rate, for dividends paid to the holder unless the holder certifies under penalty of perjury that it is not a U.S. person on a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form) or the holder otherwise establishes an exemption (provided that the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a U.S. person or that the conditions of any other exemptions are not in fact satisfied).

 

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Information reporting and, depending on the circumstances, backup withholding will apply to the proceeds of a sale of the common stock by a non-U.S. holder within the United States or conducted through certain U.S.-related financial intermediaries, unless the holder certifies under penalty of perjury that it is not a U.S. person on a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form) or the holder otherwise establishes an exemption (provided that neither the broker nor intermediary has actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a U.S. person or that the conditions of any other exemptions are not in fact satisfied).

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a non-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors to determine their ability to obtain a refund or credit in the event that backup withholding applies to them.

Federal Estate Tax

Individual non-U.S. holders and entities the property of which is potentially includible in such an individual’s gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes (for example, a trust funded by such an individual and with respect to which the individual has retained certain interests or powers) should note that, absent an applicable treaty benefit, the common stock will be treated as U.S.-situs property subject to U.S. federal estate tax.

Withholding on Payments to Certain Foreign Entities

Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code and the Treasury regulations thereunder impose information reporting and withholding tax requirements for dividends and sales proceeds paid to certain non-U.S. entities that hold shares in U.S. corporations. In general, to avoid a 30% withholding tax under these provisions, (1) foreign financial institutions that hold shares in U.S. corporations will be required to identify for the IRS each U.S. account owner who is a beneficial owner of such shares and to provide certain information regarding the account, and also to agree to comply with certain other requirements, and (2) other foreign entities (aside from public companies) that are beneficial owners of shares will be required to identify U.S. persons who are “substantial owners” (as defined in the Code) in such foreign entity. Withholding pursuant to these provisions currently applies to dividends on our common stock and is set to apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of such stock on or after January 1, 2017. Foreign entities, and other foreign persons who plan to have their shares of our common stock held through a foreign financial institution, should consider the potential applicability of these provisions by consulting with their own tax advisors.

The preceding discussion of material U.S. federal income and estate tax considerations is for general information only. It is not tax or legal advice. Each prospective investor should consult its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of our common stock, including the consequences of any proposed change in applicable law, as well as tax consequences arising under any state, local, non-U.S., or U.S. federal tax laws.

 

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UNDERWRITING (Conflicts of Interest)

We, the selling stockholder and the underwriters named below have entered into an underwriting agreement with respect to the shares being offered. Subject to certain conditions, each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase the number of shares indicated in the following table. Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. are the representatives of the underwriters.

 

Underwriters		Number of Shares
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Jefferies LLC
Canaccord Genuity Inc.
Piper Jaffray & Co.
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
Total			2,500,000

The underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the shares being offered, if any are taken, other than the shares covered by the option described below unless and until this option is exercised.

The underwriters have an option to buy up to an additional 375,000 shares from the selling stockholder to cover sales by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than the total number set forth in the table above. They may exercise that option for 30 days from the date of this prospectus. If any shares are purchased pursuant to this option, the underwriters will severally purchase shares in approximately the same proportion as set forth in the table above.

The following table shows the per share and total underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid to the underwriters by the selling stockholder. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase 375,000 additional shares.

 

Paid by the Selling Stockholder
		No Exercise				Full Exercise
Per Share		$				$
Total		$				$

Shares sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any shares sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $         per share from the public offering price. After the initial offering of the shares, the representatives may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The offering of the shares by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part.

We, our officers and directors and the selling stockholder have agreed with the underwriters, subject to certain exceptions, not to dispose of or hedge any of their common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of common stock during the period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the date 60 days after the date of this prospectus, except with the prior written consent of the representatives. This agreement does not apply to any existing employee benefit plans, among certain other limited exceptions.

In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell shares of common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than they are required to purchase in the offering, and a short position represents

 

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the amount of such sales that have not been covered by subsequent purchases. A “covered short position” is a short position that is not greater than the amount of additional shares for which the underwriters’ option described above may be exercised. The underwriters may cover any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional shares or purchasing shares in the open market. In determining the source of shares to cover the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase additional shares pursuant to the option described above. “Naked” short sales are any short sales that create a short position greater than the amount of additional shares for which the option described above may be exercised. The underwriters must cover any such naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of common stock made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of the offering.

The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representatives have repurchased shares sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.

Purchases to cover a short position and stabilizing transactions, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the company’s stock, and together with the imposition of the penalty bid, may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the common stock. As a result, the price of the common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the NASDAQ Stock Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter or will be identified in a post-effective amendment.

We estimate that the total expenses of the offering, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $550,000.

We have agreed to pay the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the underwriters in connection with, any required review by FINRA in connection with this offering in an amount not to exceed $20,000.

We and the selling stockholder have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.

Relationships

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, a variety of these services to us

 

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and to persons and entities with relationships with us, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses. In addition, Goldman Sachs & Co., an underwriter of this offering, is an affiliate of the Goldman Funds, our controlling stockholder.

In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors, and employees may purchase, sell, or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, and other financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to our assets, securities and/or instruments (directly, as collateral securing other obligations or otherwise) and/or persons and entities with relationships with us. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color, or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such assets, securities, or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long and/or short positions in such assets, securities and instruments.

Selling Restrictions

European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a Relevant Member State), an offer of shares to the public may not be made in that Relevant Member State, except that an offer of shares to the public may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive, if they have been implemented in that Relevant Member State:

 

(a)

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive;

 

(b)

to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provisions of the 2010 Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or

 

(c)

in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive,

provided that no such offer of shares shall result in a requirement for the publication of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in a Relevant Member State and each person who initially acquires any shares or to whom an offer is made will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with the underwriters that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the law in that Relevant Member State implementing Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of shares to the public” in relation to any shares in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the shares, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State, the expression Prospectus Directive means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State) and includes any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State.

In the case of any shares being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, such financial intermediary will also be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the shares acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to,

 

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persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer of shares to the public other than their offer or resale in a Relevant Member State to qualified investors as so defined or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriters has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, this prospectus is only addressed to and directed as qualified investors who are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order); or (ii) high net worth entities and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). Any investment or investment activity to which this prospectus relates is available only to relevant persons and will only be engaged with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or relay on this prospectus or any of its contents.

Hong Kong

The shares may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance”) or which do not constitute an invitation to the public within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“Securities and Futures Ordinance”), or (ii) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” in Hong Kong as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder.

Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined under Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”)) under Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to conditions set forth in the SFA.

Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor, the securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation shall not be transferable for 6 months after that

 

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corporation has acquired the shares under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer in that corporation’s securities pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore (“Regulation 32”).

Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an accredited investor, the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that trust has acquired the shares under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer that is made on terms that such rights or interest are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction (whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets), (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32.

Japan

The securities have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended), or the FIEA. The securities may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan (including any person resident in Japan or any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan) or to others for reoffering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the FIEA and otherwise in compliance with any relevant laws and regulations of Japan.

Conflicts of Interest

Goldman, Sachs & Co., an underwriter of this offering, is an affiliate of the Goldman Funds, our controlling stockholder. In addition, the Goldman Funds propose to sell up to 2,500,000 shares in this offering, and expect to receive at least five percent of the net offering proceeds of this offering, not including underwriting compensation. Since the Goldman Funds beneficially own more than 10% of our outstanding common stock and will receive at least five percent of the net offering proceeds of this offering, not including underwriting compensation, a “conflict of interest” is deemed to exist under the applicable provisions of Rule 5121 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA. Accordingly, this offering will be made in compliance with the applicable provisions of Rule 5110 and Rule 5121 of the Conduct Rules. In addition, in accordance with Rule 5121, Goldman, Sachs & Co. will not make sales to discretionary accounts without the prior written consent of the customer.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the securities being offered hereby will be passed upon by Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh, North Carolina. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, New York, New York is acting as counsel for the underwriters in this offering.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Benefitfocus, Inc. appearing in Benefitfocus, Inc.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2014 (including the schedule appearing therein), have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3, which includes exhibits, schedules and amendments, under the Securities Act with respect to this offering of our securities. Although this prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, contains all material information included in the registration statement, parts of the registration statement have been omitted as permitted by rules and regulations of the SEC. We refer you to the registration statement and its exhibits for further information about us, our securities, and this offering. The registration statement and its exhibits, as well as any other documents that we have filed with the SEC, may be inspected and copied at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1004. The public may obtain information about the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains the registration statement and other reports, proxy and information statements, and information that we file electronically with the SEC.

We are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance with this law, are required to file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any reports, statements, or other information on file at the public reference rooms. You can also request copies of these documents, for a copying fee, by writing to the SEC, or you can review these documents on the SEC’s website, as described above, or via our website at www.benefitfocus.com. In addition, we will provide electronic or paper copies of our filings free of charge upon request.

 

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INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information that we file with them. Incorporation by reference allows us to disclose important information to you by referring you to those other documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We filed a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with the SEC with respect to the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus. This prospectus omits certain information contained in the registration statement, as permitted by the SEC. You should refer to the registration statement, including the exhibits, for further information about us and the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus. Statements in this prospectus regarding the provisions of certain documents filed with, or incorporated by reference in, the registration statement are not necessarily complete and each statement is qualified in all respects by that reference. Copies of all or any part of the registration statement, including the documents incorporated by reference or the exhibits, may be obtained upon payment of the prescribed rates at the offices of the SEC listed above in “Where You Can Find More Information”. The documents we are incorporating by reference are:

 

•

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2015, including the information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K from our definitive proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders;

 

•

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on May 6, 2015;

 

•

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2015, filed with the SEC on August 3, 2015;

 

•

our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 26, 2015, April 8, 2015, June 15, 2015 and June 16, 2015; and

 

•

the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on September 4, 2013.

In addition, all documents subsequently filed, but not furnished, by us pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act before the date the offering is terminated or completed are deemed to be incorporated by reference into, and to be a part of, this prospectus. In no event, however, will any of the information, including exhibits, that we disclose under Item 2.02 and Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K that has been or may, from time to time, be furnished to the SEC be incorporated into or otherwise become a part of this Registration Statement.

Any statement contained in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or any other subsequently filed document that is deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference, including exhibits to these documents. You should direct any requests for documents to Benefitfocus, Inc., 100 Benefitfocus Way, Charleston, South Carolina 29492 or call (843) 849-7476.

You should rely only on information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We are not making offers to sell the securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

 

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2,500,000 Shares

Benefitfocus, Inc.

Common Stock

 

 

 

 

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Deutsche Bank Securities

Jefferies

 

 

Canaccord Genuity

Piper Jaffray

Raymond James

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth an itemization of the various costs and expenses, all of which we will pay, in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered. All of the amounts shown are estimated except the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee:

 

SEC registration fee		$	14,605
FINRA filing fee		$	19,353
Blue sky fees and expenses		$	10,000
Accounting fees and expenses		$	175,000
Printing and engraving expenses		$	110,000
Legal fees and expenses		$	200,000
Transfer agent and registrar fees		$	5,500
Miscellaneous		$	15,542
Total		$	550,000

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

We are incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who are, or are threatened to be made, parties to any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person was an officer, director, employee, or agent of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such person as an officer, director, employee, or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit, or proceeding, provided that such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was illegal. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who is, or are threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending, or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation by reason of the fact that such person was a director, officer, employee, or agent of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests, except that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if the officer or director is adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him or her against the expenses which such officer or director has actually and reasonably incurred. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide for the indemnification of our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except for liability for any:

 

•

breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders;

 

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•

act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

•

unlawful payment of dividends or redemption of shares; or

 

•

transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each include such a provision. Expenses incurred by any officer or director in defending any such action, suit, or proceeding in advance of its final disposition shall be paid by us upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by us.

Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, among other things, that a director, who willfully or negligently approves of an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption, may be held liable for such actions. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved, or dissented at the time, may avoid liability by causing his or her dissent to such actions to be entered in the books containing minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at the time such action occurred or immediately after such absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.

As permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors. Under the terms of our indemnification agreements, we will be required to indemnify each of our directors, to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware, if the indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful. We must indemnify our officers and directors against any and all (a) costs and expenses (including attorneys’ and experts’ fees, expenses and charges) actually and reasonably paid or incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in, or preparing to investigate, defend, be a witness in or participate in, and (b) judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement in connection with, in the case of either (a) or (b), any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing, or any other actual, threatened, or completed proceeding, by reason of the fact that (x) such person is or was a director or officer, employee, agent, or fiduciary of the Company or (y) such person is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee, agent, or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefits plan, or other enterprise. The indemnification agreements will also require us, if so requested, to advance within 30 days of such request any and all costs and expenses that such director or officer incurred, provided that such person will return any such advance if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such costs and expenses. Our bylaws also require that such person return any such advance if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification by us as authorized by the laws of the State of Delaware.

We are not required to provide indemnification under our indemnification agreements for certain matters, including: (1) indemnification in connection with certain proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by the indemnitee; (2) indemnification related to disgorgement of profits made from the purchase or sale of securities of our company under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory or common law; (3) indemnification that is finally determined, under the procedures and subject to the presumptions set forth in the indemnification agreements, to be unlawful; or (4) indemnification for liabilities for which the director has received payment under any insurance policy for such person’s benefit, our articles of incorporation or bylaws or any other contract or otherwise, except with respect to any excess amount beyond the amount so received by such director or officer. The indemnification agreements require us, to the extent that we maintain an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees,

 

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agents or fiduciaries of our company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefits plan or other enterprise that such person serves at the request of our company, to cover such person by such policy or policies to the maximum extent available.

We have an insurance policy covering our officers and directors with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or otherwise.

Item 16. Exhibits.

(a) The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:

 

				Incorporated by Reference (Unless Otherwise Indicated)
Exhibit Number		Exhibit Title		Form				File				Exhibit				Filing Date
1.1		Form of Underwriting Agreement.			—				—				—			Filed herewith
2.1		Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated August 29, 2013 by and among Benefitfocus.com, Inc., Benefitfocus, Inc., and Benefitfocus Mergeco, Inc.			S-1/A				333-190610				2.1			September 5, 2013
4.1		Specimen Certificate for Common Stock.			S-1/A				333-190610				4.1			September 5, 2013
4.3		Form of Second Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated             , 2013, by and among Benefitfocus, Inc. and certain stockholders named therein.			S-1/A				333-190610				4.3			September 16, 2013
4.3.1		First Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated February 24, 2015, by and among Benefitfocus, Inc. and certain stockholders named therein.			10-K				—				4.3.1			February 27, 2015
4.5		Warrant for the Purchase of Shares of Common Stock of Benefitfocus, Inc. issued February 24, 2015.			10-K				—				4.3.1			February 27, 2015
5.1		Opinion of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP.			—				—				—			Filed herewith
23.1		Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.			—				—				—			Filed herewith
23.2		Consent of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).			—				—				—			Filed herewith
24.1		Power of Attorney (included on signature page).			—				—				—			Filed herewith

 

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Item 17. Undertakings.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

1. That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

2. That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933:

 

(i)

the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b) (1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

(ii)

each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in Charleston, South Carolina on August 4, 2015.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

SIGNATURE				TITLE		DATE
/s/ Mason R. Holland, Jr. Mason R. Holland, Jr.				Chairman of the Board of Directors		August 4, 2015
/s/ Shawn A. Jenkins Shawn A. Jenkins				Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and Director		August 4, 2015
/s/ Milton A. Alpern Milton A. Alpern				Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer)		August 4, 2015
* Douglas A. Dennerline				Director		August 4, 2015
* Joseph P. DiSabato				Director		August 4, 2015
* Ann H. Lamont				Director		August 4, 2015
* A. Lanham Napier				Director		August 4, 2015
* Francis J. Pelzer V				Director		August 4, 2015
* Stephen M. Swad				Director		August 4, 2015
* By:		/s/ Paris Cavic				August 4, 2015
		Paris Cavic, as Attorney-in-fact

Exhibit 1.1

Benefitfocus, Inc.

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

Underwriting Agreement

August [●], 2015

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

    As representatives of the several Underwriters

    named in Schedule II hereto,

c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,

200 West Street,

New York, New York 10282-2198

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Benefitfocus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the stockholders of the Company named in Schedule I hereto (the “Selling Stockholders”) confirm their respective agreements with the Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. are acting as representatives (the “Representatives” or “you”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Selling Stockholders, acting severally and not jointly, and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, of the respective number of shares (the “Firm Shares”) of Common Stock, $0.001 par value (the “Stock”), of the Company set forth in Schedule I and Schedule II hereto and, (ii) at the election of the Underwriters, the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of up to [●] additional shares (the “Optional Shares”) of Stock being sold by the Selling Stockholders. The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called the “Shares”.

1. (a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:

(i) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-205895) (the “Initial Registration Statement”) in respect of the Shares has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”); the Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including all documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained therein, each in the form heretofore delivered to you for each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), filed

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pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), which became effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and including the information contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 6(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be part of the Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Shares that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below) is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; and such final prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such prospectus; and any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and incorporated therein; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Initial Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Shares is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”);

(ii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so

 

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furnished shall be the information in the fifth paragraph under the heading “Underwriting” relating to underwriter commission and concession, and the information in the ninth and tenth paragraphs relating to price stabilization, in each case contained in the Prospectus (the “Underwriter Information”);

(iii) For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is 5:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement. The Pricing Prospectus, as supplemented by the information listed on Schedule III(c) hereto, taken together (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule III(a) hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information;

(iv) The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement, except as set forth on Schedule III(b) hereto;

(v) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the

 

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applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information;

(vi) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any material loss or 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, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the grant or exercise of equity awards under the Company’s plans, or the exercise of warrants as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole or on the performance of the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”), otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

(vii) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Pricing Prospectus or such as 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 and its subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries;

(viii) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction; and each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, and each such subsidiary has been listed in the Registration Statement;

 

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(ix) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders, have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description of the Stock contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

(x) Compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except for violations that would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration under the Act of the sale of the Shares contemplated hereby, the registration of the Stock under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws, the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

(xi) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws, or in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound;

(xii) The statements set forth or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock, under the captions “Material U.S. Federal Tax Considerations Applicable to Non-U.S. Holders” and “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)”, insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, and under the captions “Risk

 

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Factors – Risks Related to Regulation”, “Risk Factors – Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock – Our business is subject to changing regulations regarding corporate governance, disclosure controls, internal control over financing reporting, and other compliance areas that will increase both our costs and the risk of noncompliance”, and “Business – Government Regulation”, insofar as such statements describe the state, federal and foreign government and/or administrative healthcare laws, rules and regulations which are applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries, are accurate, complete and fair; to the knowledge of the Company there are no applicable state, federal and/or administrative healthcare laws, rules and regulations that as of this date are material to the business of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which are not described in the Prospectus;

(xiii) Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending 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 which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

(xiv) The Company is not required, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be required, to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “Investment Company Act”);

(xv) At the time of filing the Initial Registration Statement the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined under Rule 405 under the Act;

(xvi) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants as required by the Act, the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Public Accounting Oversight Board;

(xvii) The financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; the financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement comply with the applicable requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except as disclosed therein; the supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, if any, present fairly

 

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in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein; the selected financial data and the summary financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference therein, except as disclosed therein. Except as included or incorporated by reference therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus under the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; to the extent included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, the pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference therein have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Act and comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Act, to the extent applicable, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus in all material respects; all other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby;

(xviii) The Company and its directors and officers, in their capacities as such, have taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, it will be in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith;

(xix) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting;

(xx) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting;

(xxi) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have

 

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been designed to ensure 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 those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective;

(xxii) The Company and its subsidiaries own or have the right to use pursuant to license, sublicense, agreement or permission to the patents, trademarks, service marks, patent applications, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, domain names, information, know-how, proprietary rights and processes (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary for their business as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, to the Company’s knowledge, necessary in connection with the products and services under development, without any known conflict with or infringement of the interests of others, and have taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure interests in such Intellectual Property and have taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure assignment of such Intellectual Property from its employees and contractors; except as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has not been any infringement by any third party of any Intellectual Property or other similar rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; except as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, licenses or agreements of any kind relating to the Intellectual Property of the Company that are required to be set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus; except as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus; none of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its subsidiaries in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its directors or executive officers or any of its employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons; except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any communications alleging that the Company or any of its subsidiaries has violated, infringed or conflicted with, or, by conducting its business as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, would violate, infringe or conflict with any of the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity other than any such violations, infringements or conflicts which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to result in, a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company and its subsidiaries have taken and will maintain reasonable measures to prevent the unauthorized dissemination or publication of their confidential information and, to the extent contractually required to do so, the confidential information of third parties in their possession;

(xxiii) The Company and its subsidiaries have (I) paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes required to be paid through the date hereof, except any such taxes being contested in good faith and adequately reserved, and (II) filed all tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof; and there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets;

 

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(xxiv) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, the lack of which would result in a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course;

(xxv) No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, contractors or customers, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party;

(xxvi) (I) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Code, except for noncompliance that could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries; (II) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption, has occurred with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries; (III) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group have ever maintained or contributed to or participated in a Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA) or a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA; and (iv) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries;

(xxvii) (I) The Company and its subsidiaries (A) are, and at all prior times were, in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants

 

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(collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (C) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability (including, without limitation, such liability of a third party that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries) under or relating to any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, and (II) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (I) and (II) above, for any such failure to comply, or failure to receive required permits, licenses or approvals, or cost or liability, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (III) except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, (A) there are no proceedings that are pending, or that are known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which the Company reasonably believes no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (B) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its subsidiaries, and (C) none of the Company and its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws;

(xxviii) Except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of the subsidiaries has violated (I) any federal, state or local law or foreign law relating to discrimination in hiring, promotion or pay of employees, (II) any applicable wage or hour laws or (iii) any provision of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder;

(xxix) The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are reasonable and is ordinary and customary for comparable companies in the same or similar businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (I) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (II) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business;

(xxx) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person

 

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associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (I) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (II) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (III) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, by making use of mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office in contravention of the FCPA; or (IV) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment;

(xxxi) 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, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, 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 Company’s knowledge, threatened;

(xxxii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC;

(xxxiii) Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required by any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having any jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, or any 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;

 

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(xxxiv) There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as may be described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus. The holders of outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock are not entitled to preemptive or other rights to subscribe for the Shares that have not been complied with or otherwise effectively waived;

(xxxv) The Company’s board of directors meets the independence requirements of, and has established an audit committee that meets the independence requirements of, the rules and regulations of the Commission and the Exchange;

(xxxvi) The Company has operated its business in a manner compliant in all material respects with all privacy and data protection laws and regulations and all contractual obligations applicable to the Company’s collection, handling, and storage of its customers’ data. The Company has policies and procedures in place designed to ensure the integrity and security of the data collected, handled or stored in connection with the delivery of its product offerings. The Company complies with, has policies and procedures in place designed to ensure privacy and data protection laws are complied with and takes appropriate steps which are reasonably designed to assure compliance in all material respects with such policies and procedures. Such policies and procedures comply in all material respects with all laws and regulations applicable to the Company as well as all contractual obligations applicable to Company. The Company has required and does require all third parties to which it provides any data to maintain the privacy and security of such data, including by contractually requiring such third parties to protect such data from unauthorized access by and/or disclosure to any unauthorized third parties. The Company has not experienced any security incident that has materially compromised the privacy and/or security of any data;

(xxxvii) The Company has not and, to its knowledge, no one acting on its behalf has, (I) taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares, (II) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Shares, or (III) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company other than as contemplated in this Agreement;

(xxxviii) Since the date as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus, and except as may otherwise be disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, the Company has not (I) issued or granted any securities, other than pursuant to employee benefit plans, stock option plans or other employee compensation plans disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants, (II) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (III) entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course of business or (IV) declared or paid any dividends on its capital stock;

 

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(xxxix) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering; and

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

(b) Each of the Selling Stockholders severally represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:

(i) The Selling Stockholder Information of such Selling Stockholder does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As used in this Agreement, the “Selling Stockholder Information” means information relating to such Selling Stockholder furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only Selling Stockholder Information so furnished by such Selling Stockholder consists solely of the name and address of the Selling Stockholder, the number of shares owned and the number of shares proposed to be sold by such Selling Stockholder, and the information about the Selling Stockholder appearing in the text corresponding to the footnote adjacent to such Selling Stockholder’s name under the caption “Selling Stockholder” in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

(ii) Such Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder;

(iii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by such Selling Stockholder with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not (a) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject, (b) nor will such action

 

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result in any violation of the provisions of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of such Selling Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a corporation, or the partnership agreement of such Selling Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a partnership, or (c) result in the violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or the property of such Selling Stockholder, except, with respect to clauses (a) and (c), such as will not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on each Selling Stockholder’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated herein; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the performance by such Selling Stockholder of its obligations under this Agreement and the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration under the Act of the Shares, the registration of the Stock under the Exchange Act, and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws, the rules and regulations of FINRA or the NASDAQ in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

(iv) Immediately prior to each Time of Delivery such Selling Stockholder will have good and valid title to the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; and, upon delivery of such Shares and payment therefore pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, will pass to the several Underwriters;

(v) Such Selling Stockholder has executed and delivered a lock-up agreement to the Representatives, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.

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

(vii) In order to document the Underwriters’ compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, such Selling Stockholder will deliver to you prior to or at the First Time of Delivery (as hereinafter defined) a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof); and

(viii) Such Selling Stockholder is not prompted by any material non-public information concerning the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is not disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus to sell its Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

 

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2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) each of the Selling Stockholders agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Selling Stockholders, at a purchase price per share of [•], the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I, and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Selling Stockholders agree to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Selling Stockholders, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule II hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

3. The Selling Stockholders hereby grant to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to [●] Optional Shares, at the purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares, provided that the purchase price per Optional Share shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on the Optional Shares. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Company and to the Selling Stockholders, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 5(a) hereof) or, unless you and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.

4. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

5. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives at least forty-eight hours in advance. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Shares to be made available for checking and packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the “Designated Office”). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with

 

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respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on August [●], 2015 or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date specified by the Representatives in the written notice given by the Representatives of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and date as the Representatives, the Selling Stockholders and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “First Time of Delivery”, such time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the “Second Time of Delivery”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Time of Delivery”.

(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(r) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, 51 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019 (the “Closing Location”), and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Agreement, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

6. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery that you disapprove of promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Shares, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any

 

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jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;

(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Shares, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it is otherwise not subject to taxation on the date hereof;

(c) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Shares at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

(d) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date sixty (60) days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), not to (I) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to, any securities of the

 

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Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase shares of Stock or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (II) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (I) or (II) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise (other than the Shares to be sold hereunder or pursuant to employee stock plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without your prior written consent;

(e) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

(f) To furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail;

(g) During a period of five years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders and not available on EDGAR, and to deliver to you (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its stockholders generally or to the Commission) that is not already publically available and the delivery of which would not violate Regulation FD;

(h) To use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on the NASDAQ;

(i) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and

 

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the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Act;

(j) Upon request of any Underwriter, to 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, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred;

(k) The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a free writing prospectus; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Representatives is listed on Schedule III(a) hereto;

(l) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending;

(m) The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (a) completion of the distribution of the Shares within the meaning of the Act and (b) completion of the Lock-Up Period; and

(n) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document to correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

7. The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders covenant and agree with one another and with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and

 

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filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(b) hereof, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the NASDAQ; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; (viii) one-half the cost of any aircraft chartered and any group transportation used by the Company in connection with the road show; (ix) the preparation, printing and distribution of one or more versions of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus for distribution in Canada, in the form of a Canadian “wrapper” (including related, reasonable, documented fees and disbursements of Canadian counsel to the Underwriters); and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company and the Selling Stockholders herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have performed all of its and their obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 6(a) hereof; all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 433; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;

 

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(b) Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in substantially the form attached as Annex III(a) hereto, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

(c) Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in substantially the form attached as Annex III(b) hereto;

(d) Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, as counsel for certain of the Selling Stockholders, Maples and Calder, as Cayman Islands counsel for certain of the Selling Stockholders and P+P Pöllath + Partners, as German counsel for certain of the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished to you their written opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in substantially the form attached as Annex III(c) hereto;

(e) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, Ernst & Young shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set forth in Annex II hereto (the executed copy of the letter delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as Annex II(a) hereto and a draft of the form of letter to be delivered on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement and as of each Time of Delivery is attached as Annex II(b) hereto);

(f) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or 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, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

 

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(g) On or after the Applicable Time (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities;

(h) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the NASDAQ; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal, New York or South Carolina State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(i) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed, subject to notice of issuance for quotation on the NASDAQ;

(j) FINRA has confirmed that it has 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) The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed copies of the Lock-Up Agreements from all directors and executive officers of the Company and all entities holding equity securities of the Company that are affiliated with a director or executive officer of the Company, as well as any other Lock-Up Agreements reasonably required by the Underwriters, substantially in the form of Annex I hereto;

(l) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 6(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement;

(m) At each Time of Delivery, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in their capacities as such, shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, to the effect that each such officer has carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as well as each electronic road show used in connection with the offering of the Shares, and this Agreement and that:

(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and at the Time of Delivery with the same effect as if made on the Time of Delivery and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Time of Delivery;

 

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(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and

(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there has been no Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(n) At each Time of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received a certificate by or on behalf of each Selling Stockholder to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of each Selling Stockholder in this Agreement are true and correct on and at the Time of Delivery with the same effect as if made on the Time of Delivery; and (ii) each Selling Stockholder has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Time of Delivery;

(o) At each Time of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Secretary of the Company, as to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request;

(p) At each Time of Delivery, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in his capacity as such, shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, with respect to certain financial and accounting information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

(q) At each Time of Delivery, the General Counsel of the Company, in his capacity as such, shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, as to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request; and

(r) At each Time of Delivery, the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished to the Representatives such additional information, certificates, opinions or documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses,

 

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claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the (i) Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act or (ii) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or (iii) arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(b) Each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Marketing Materials, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Marketing Materials in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Stockholder Information, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by each Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that such Selling Stockholder shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Marketing Materials in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the liability of a Selling Stockholder pursuant to this subsection (b) shall in no event exceed the product of the number of Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder and the initial public offering price of the Shares set forth in the Prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

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(c) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or such Selling Stockholder may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Marketing Materials, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information; and will reimburse the Company or such Selling Stockholder for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or such Selling Stockholder in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(d) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection, except to the extent the indemnifying party is prejudiced thereby. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action 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.

 

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(e) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and each Selling Stockholder, respectively, on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (d) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and each Selling Stockholder, respectively, on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and each Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions, but before deducting expenses) received by the Company and each Selling Stockholder bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or each Selling Stockholder on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company, each of the Selling Stockholders, and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (e) 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 subsection (e). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (e), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission and (ii) no Selling Stockholder shall be required to contribute an amount in excess of the amount by which the aggregate public offering price, less underwriting discounts and

 

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commissions, of Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder exceeds the amount of any damages that such Selling Stockholder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The Selling Stockholders’ obligations in this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to the Shares sold by each Selling Stockholder and not joint. No Selling Stockholder will have any liability under this Section 9(e) unless such Selling Stockholder would have had liability for indemnification under Section 9(b) in accordance with its terms. In addition, such Selling Stockholder shall have no liability under Sections 9(b) and 9(e) hereof in any amount in excess of the proceeds (less underwriters’ discounts and commissions but before expenses) received by the Selling Stockholder from the sale of the Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement.

(f) The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholder under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and the respective Selling Stockholders may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Act.

10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company and the Selling Stockholders that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company and the Selling Stockholders notify you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.

 

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(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Selling Stockholders to sell the Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company or the Selling Stockholders, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company, or the Selling Stockholders or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, or any controlling person of any Selling Stockholder, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

12. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, then neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholders shall be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company and the Selling

 

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Stockholders as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so delivered, but the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

13. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by you jointly or by the Representatives.

All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to you as the Representatives to Goldman, Sachs & Co., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282-2198, Attention: Registration Department, and to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 60 Wall Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10005, Attention: ECM Syndicate Desk and the General Counsel, with a copy to Christopher Austin, Esq. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, 51 West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy to Donald R. Reynolds, Esq. at Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607; and if to the Selling Stockholders to their addresses with a copy to such Selling Stockholder’s counsel, if any, listed on Schedule I; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(d) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

14. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company, any Selling Stockholder or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

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15. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

16. The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or such Selling Stockholder, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or such Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company or such Selling Stockholder except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company and the Selling Stockholders have consulted their own legal and financial advisors to the extent each deemed appropriate. The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders agrees that they will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company or the Selling Stockholders, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

17. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

18. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. The Company agrees that any suit or proceeding arising in respect of this agreement or our engagement will be tried exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York or, if that court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in The City and County of New York and the Company agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts.

19. The Company, each of the Selling Stockholders and each of 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.

20. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto 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 instrument.

 

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21. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company and the Selling Stockholders are authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company and the Selling Stockholders relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

22. Without limiting the applicability of Sections 2 and 3 hereof or any other provision of this Agreement, with respect to any Underwriter who is or is affiliated with any person or entity engaged to act as an investment adviser on behalf of a client who has a direct or indirect interest in the Shares being sold by a Selling Stockholder, the Shares being sold to such Underwriter shall not include any Shares attributable to such client (with any such shares instead being allocated and sold to the other Underwriters) and, accordingly, the fees or other amounts received by such Underwriter in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby shall not include any fees or other amounts attributable to such client (and, if there is any unsold allotment in the offering at the First Time of Delivery, such unsold allotment in respect of Shares attributable to such client shall be allocated solely to Underwriters not affiliated with such client).

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us one for the Company and each of the Representatives plus one for each counsel counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

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The Selling Stockholders named in Schedule I hereto
GS CAPITAL PARTNERS VI FUND, L.P.
By: GSCP VI Advisors, L.L.C. its General Partner
Name:
Title:
GS CAPITAL PARTNERS VI OFFSHORE FUND, L.P.
By: GSCP VI Offshore Advisors, L.L.C. its General Partner
Name:
Title:
GS CAPITAL PARTNERS VI GMBH & CO. KG
By: GS Advisors VI, L.L.C. its Managing Limited Partner
Name:
Title:
GS CAPITAL PARTNERS VI PARALLEL, L.P.
By: GS Advisors VI, L.L.C. its General Partner
Name:
Title:

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

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Accepted as of the date hereof:
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
By:
		Name:
		Title:
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
By:
		Name:
		Title:
By:
		Name:
		Title:

On behalf of each of the Underwriters

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

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SCHEDULE I

 

		Number of Firm Shares to be Sold		Maximum Number of Optional Shares to be Sold
GS Capital Partners VI Fund, L.P.
GS Capital Partners VI Offshore Fund, L.P.
GS Capital Partners VI Parallel, L.P.
GS Capital Partners VI GmbH & Co. KG
Total

Notices to each of the Selling Stockholders shall be sent to the following address:

c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Attn: Bill Eng

With a copy to counsel for the Selling Stockholders:

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

601 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10022

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SCHEDULE II

 

		Total Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased		Number of Optional Shares to be Purchased if Maximum Option Exercised
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Jefferies LLC
Canaccord Genuity Inc.
Piper Jaffray & Co.
Raymond James Ltd.
Total

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SCHEDULE III

 

(a)	Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Pricing Disclosure Package:

None.

 

(b)	Additional Documents Incorporated by Reference:

None.

 

(c)	Information other than the Pricing Prospectus that comprise the Pricing Disclosure Package:

The initial public offering price per share for the Shares is $[●].

The number of Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters is [●].

The underwriting discount per share for the Shares is $[●]

The settlement date is August [●], 2015.

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ANNEX I

Benefitfocus, Inc.

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

                    , 2015

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

As Representative of the

several underwriters

c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282-2198

 

Re:

Benefitfocus, Inc. - Lock-Up Agreement

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that you, as representative (the “Representative”), propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters named in Schedule II to such agreement (collectively, the “Underwriters”), with Benefitfocus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for a public offering of shares (the “Shares”) of the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) (such public offering, the “Offering”).

In consideration of the agreement by the Underwriters to offer and sell the Shares, and of other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during the period specified in the following paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock, or any options or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of Common Stock, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired, owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the SEC (collectively the “Undersigned’s Shares”). The foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of the Undersigned’s Shares even if such Shares would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include without limitation any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option) with respect to any of the Undersigned’s Shares or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such Shares. If the undersigned is an officer or director of the issuer, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Shares the undersigned may purchase in the offering.

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The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continue for 60 days after the public offering date set forth on the final prospectus used to sell the Shares (the “Public Offering Date”) pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement. If the undersigned has rights to require the Company to register the Undersigned’s Shares, it hereby waives them during the Lock-Up Period.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Shares (a) to the Company if the Company exercises its right to repurchase, at any time after the termination of employment or consulting relationship by an employee or consultant for any reason, any Shares purchased pursuant to the exercise of options, or (b) with the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters. Additionally, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Shares without the prior written consent of the Representative (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts; (ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, or if the undersigned is a trust, to its grantor or beneficiaries pursuant to its terms; (iii) as a distribution to limited partners, members or stockholders of the undersigned; (iv) to another corporation, partnership or other business entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the undersigned; (v) to the Company pursuant to the exercise of stock options for Shares that have been granted by the Company prior to, and are outstanding as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement under employee benefit plans on the terms of such plans as described in the final prospectus relating to the Offering, where the Shares received upon any such exercise are held by the undersigned, individually or as fiduciary, in accordance with the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement, in each case on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis (which, for the avoidance of doubt shall not include “cashless” exercise programs involving a broker or other third party); or (vi) to the Company to satisfy withholding taxes for any equity award granted prior to the date of the Underwriting Agreement, such as upon exercise, vesting, lapse of substantial risk of forfeiture, or other similar taxable event, in each case on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis (which, for the avoidance of doubt shall not include “cashless” exercise programs involving a broker or other third party); provided that the donee, trustee, distributee, or transferee thereof, as applicable, agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such donation, distribution or transfer shall not involve a disposition for value. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.

Furthermore, the undersigned may (i) sell Shares purchased by the undersigned on the open market following the offering if and only if (a) such sales are not required to be reported in any public report or filing with the SEC and (b) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such sales; (ii) sell Shares pursuant to a trading plan that complies with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, relating to the sale of securities by the undersigned (a “10b5-1 Plan”) in place and effective as of May 31, 2015 and disclosed in writing to the Representative; (iii) establish a new 10b5-1 Plan, provided that the securities subject to

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such plan may not be sold until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period and provided further that the establishment of such plan will not result in any public filing or other public announcement of such plan by the undersigned or the Company during the Lock-Up Period; and (iv) exercise an option to purchase shares of Common Stock granted under any stock incentive plan of the Company described in the final prospectus used to sell the Shares.

This Lock-Up Agreement shall not apply to any Shares sold by the undersigned to the Underwriters in the Offering. The undersigned understands that if the Company advises the Representative in writing prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that it has determined to abandon or withdraw or not to proceed with the Offering, then this Lock-Up Agreement will terminate and the undersigned will be released from all obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Lock-Up Agreement.

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 except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the offering. The undersigned further understands that this Lock-Up Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors, and assigns.

 

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ANNEX II

Form of Comfort Letter

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ANNEX II(a)

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ANNEX II(b)

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ANNEX III(a)

Form of Underwriters Counsel Opinion Letter

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ANNEX III(b)

Form of Company Counsel Opinion Letter

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ANNEX III(c)(i)

Form of Opinion of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

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ANNEX III(c)(ii)

Form of Opinion of Maples and Calder

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ANNEX III(c)(iii)

Form of Opinion of P+P Pöllath + Partners

Exhibit 5.1

Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP

4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300

Raleigh, North Carolina 27607

August 4, 2015

Board of Directors

Benefitfocus, Inc.

100 Benefitfocus Way

Charleston, South Carolina 29492

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Benefitfocus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-205895) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on July 28, 2015, as amended (the “Registration Statement”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), to register up to 2,875,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) that will be sold by selling stockholders of the Company (the “Selling Stockholders”), including any option given the underwriters to purchase additional shares of Common Stock (collectively, the “Selling Stockholder Shares”).

This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 16 of Form S-3 and Item 601(b)(5)(i) of Regulation S-K.

In connection with the foregoing, we have relied upon, among other things, our examination of such documents, records of the Company and certificates of its officers and public officials as we deemed necessary for purposes of the opinions expressed below. In our examination of documents for purposes of this opinion, we have assumed, and express no opinion as to, the authenticity and completeness of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals and completeness of all documents submitted to us as copies, the legal capacity of all persons or entities executing the same, the lack of any undisclosed termination, modification, waiver or amendment to any document reviewed by us, and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by the stockholders where due authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness thereof.

Some of the Selling Stockholder Shares will be uncertificated as of the closing of the offering described in the Registration Statement. We assume that issued Selling Stockholder Shares will not be reissued by the Company in uncertificated form until any previously issued stock certificate representing any such issued Selling Stockholder Shares has been surrendered to the Company in accordance with Section 158 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

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Board of Directors

Benefitfocus, Inc.

August 4, 2015

Page 2

 

We render this opinion only with respect to, and express no opinion herein concerning the application or effect of the laws of any jurisdiction other than, the existing Delaware General Corporation Law and reported judicial decisions relating thereto.

In connection with our opinions expressed below, we have assumed that at or prior to the time of the delivery of any Selling Stockholder Shares (i) the Registration Statement will have been declared effective under the Act, (ii) the Selling Stockholder Shares will have been registered under the Act pursuant to the Registration Statement and that such registration will not have been modified or rescinded, that no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have been issued in connection with the Registration Statement, and (iii) that there will not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity of the issuance of the Selling Stockholder Shares.

Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Selling Stockholder Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to the Registration Statement and the prospectus are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the prospectus included therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the Commission.

This opinion is intended solely for use in connection with issuance and sale of the Selling Stockholder Shares subject to the Registration Statement and is not to be relied upon for any other purpose. This opinion is rendered as of the date first written above and based solely on our understanding of facts in existence as of such date after the aforementioned examination. We assume no obligation to advise you of any fact, circumstance, event or change in the law or the facts that may hereafter be brought to our attention whether or not such occurrence would affect or modify any of the opinions expressed herein.

 

Very truly yours,

/s/ Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-205895) and related Preliminary Prospectus of Benefitfocus, Inc. for the registration of shares of its common stock and to the incorporation by reference therein of our report dated February 27, 2015, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of Benefitfocus, Inc., included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Raleigh, North Carolina

August 3, 2015