Form 8-K WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORP For: Jun 07

Exhibit 1.1

 

EXECUTION COPY

 

WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION

 

(an Illinois corporation)

 

3,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

Dated: June 7, 2022

 

WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION

 

(an Illinois corporation)

 

3,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

June 7, 2022

 

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

as Representative of the several Underwriters

 

c/o RBC Capital Markets, LLC

200 Vesey Street
New York, New York 10281

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Wintrust Financial Corporation, an Illinois corporation (the "Company"), confirms its agreement, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the "Underwriters," which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom RBC Capital Markets, LLC ("RBC") is acting as representative (in such capacity, the "Representative"), an aggregate of 3,000,000 shares (the "Firm Shares") of the Company's common stock, no par value per share (the "Common Stock"). The Company also granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares of the Common Stock (the "Option Shares"). The Firm Shares and the Option Shares are hereinafter referred to collectively as the "Shares." The Shares are described in the Prospectus, which is referred to below.

 

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Shares as soon as the Underwriters deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

 

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-238023) covering the public offering and sale of certain securities, including the Shares, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the "1933 Act Regulations"), which automatic shelf registration statement became effective under Rule 462(e) under the 1933 Act Regulations ("Rule 462(e)"). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto to such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or otherwise and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B under the 1933 Act Regulations ("Rule 430B"), and is referred to herein as the "Registration Statement;" provided, however, that the "Registration Statement" without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Shares, which time shall be considered the "new effective date" of such registration statement with respect to the Shares within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or otherwise and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. Each preliminary prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Shares that omitted information in reliance on Rule 430B, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or otherwise, together with the base prospectus included in the Registration Statement, is referred to herein as a "preliminary prospectus." Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus relating to the Shares in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations ("Rule 424(b)"). The final prospectus, in the form first furnished or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Shares, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or otherwise, together with the base prospectus included in the Registration Statement, is referred to herein as the "Prospectus." For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system ("EDGAR").

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

"Applicable Time" means 7:36 P.M., New York City time, on June 7, 2022 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.

 

"General Disclosure Package" means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the preliminary prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) and the information included on Schedule B hereto, all considered together.

 

"Issuer Free Writing Prospectus" means any "issuer free writing prospectus," as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations ("Rule 433"), including without limitation any "free writing prospectus" (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations ("Rule 405")) relating to the Shares that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a "road show for an offering that is a written communication" within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company's records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

"Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus" means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a "bona fide electronic road show," as defined in Rule 433), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule C hereto, if any.

 

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

 

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

  

SECTION 1.          Representations and Warranties.

 

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

 

(i)            Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement is an "automatic shelf registration statement" (as defined in Rule 405) and the Shares have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such automatic shelf registration statement. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company's knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied to the Commission's satisfaction with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto), at the time it was filed, complied in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was virtually identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder (the "1934 Act Regulations").

 

(ii)           Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time or at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in the third paragraph and the last sentence of the fourth paragraph under the heading "Underwriting," and the information in the first, second and third paragraphs under the heading "Underwriting—Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids," and the information in the first sentence of the first paragraph under the heading "Underwriting—Affiliations" in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto) (collectively, the "Underwriter Information").

 

(iii)          Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. Any offer that is a written communication relating to the Shares made prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) has been filed with the Commission in accordance with the exemption provided by Rule 163 under the 1933 Act Regulations ("Rule 163") and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including without limitation the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.

 

(iv)         Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A) At the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act and (D) as of the Execution Time, the Company was and is a "well-known seasoned issuer" (as defined in Rule 405).

 

(v)          Company Not Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an "ineligible issuer," as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

 

(vi)          Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

 

(vii)         Financial Statements. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the results of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The summary financial information set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption "Capitalization" presents fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and has been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements incorporated by reference therein. Except as included 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 General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in all material respects in accordance with the Commission's rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

(viii)       No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a "Material Adverse Effect"), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) except for (i) regular quarterly dividends on the shares of common stock of the Company, no par value per share, (ii) dividends on the Company's Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series D, liquidation preference $25 per share, and (iii) dividends on the Company's 6.875% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E, liquidation preference $25,000 per share, in each case in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock.

 

(ix)          Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Illinois and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the "BHCA") and has elected to become a financial holding company under regulations of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company is not aware of any circumstances that would preclude the Company from exercising the authorities available to a financial holding company under the BHCA and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board, except where such circumstances would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(x)           Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company identified on Schedule D hereto (each, a "subsidiary" and, collectively, the "subsidiaries") has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Each subsidiary of the Company which conducts business as a bank is duly authorized to conduct such banking business in each jurisdiction in which such banking business is conducted or is validly existing as a national banking association under the laws of the United States, except in each case where the failure to be so authorized or be in valid existence would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (a) the subsidiaries listed on Schedule D hereto and (b) certain other unregulated subsidiaries which, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, do not constitute a "significant subsidiary" as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.

 

(xi)          Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption "Capitalization" (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise or conversion of convertible securities or options referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

(xii)          Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company.

 

(xiii)         Authorization and Description of Shares. The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Shares conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Shares will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.

 

(xiv)        Registration Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale by the Company under the 1933 Act.

 

(xv)        Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject, except for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a "Governmental Entity"), except for such violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xvi)        No Resulting Defaults and Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares, the compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any material indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other material 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 properties or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational document) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default 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 execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, except as have been made or obtained and except as may be required by and made with or obtained from state securities laws or regulations.

 

(xvii)       Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, which would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xviii)      Absence of Proceedings. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the 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 would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company or its subsidiaries to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement.

 

(xix)        Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or to be filed as exhibits thereto that have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(xx)         Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the Company's execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of The Nasdaq Global Select Market, state securities laws or the rules of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA").

 

(xxi)        Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess adequate certificates, authorities or permits issued by appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authority or permit that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxii)       Compliance with Regulations. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are in compliance with all laws administered by, and all rules and regulations of, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the "Federal Reserve Board"), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "OCC"), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") and any other federal or state bank regulatory authorities (together with the Federal Reserve Board, the OCC and the FDIC, the "Bank Regulatory Authorities") with jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except for failures to be so in compliance that would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any written agreement or memorandum of understanding with, or a party to any commitment letter or similar undertaking to, or is subject to any order or directive by, or is a recipient of any extraordinary supervisory letter from, or has adopted any board of director resolutions at the request of, any Bank Regulatory Authority which currently restricts the conduct of its business, or relates to its capital adequacy, its credit policies or its management, nor have any of them been advised by any Bank Regulatory Authority that it is contemplating issuing or requesting (or is considering the appropriateness of issuing or requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding, extraordinary supervisory letter, commitment letter or similar submission, or any such board of director resolutions, in each case that are applicable to the Company or its subsidiaries specifically rather than to banks and bank holding companies generally. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any communication from any governmental entity asserting that the Company or any subsidiary is not in compliance with any statute, law, rule, regulation, decision, directive or order except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxiii)       Broker-Dealer Subsidiaries.

 

(a)            Wintrust Investments, LLC is the only subsidiary of the Company that is a broker-dealer. Wintrust Investments, LLC is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. The Company is not required to be registered as a futures commission merchant, commodities trading adviser, commodity pool operator or introducing broker under the Commodities Exchange Act or any similar state laws.

 

(b)            Wintrust Investments, LLC is duly registered, licensed or qualified as a broker-dealer with the Commission and in each jurisdiction where the conduct of the Company's business requires such registration, licensing or qualification, and the Company is in compliance with all laws requiring any such registration, licensing or qualification and is not subject to any material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so registered, licensed or qualified, except where such failure to register, license or qualify or noncompliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)            Wintrust Investments, LLC is a member in good standing of each self-regulatory organization where its business so requires and has conducted its business in compliance with the rules and regulations of relevant self-regulatory agencies and the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act, including the net capital requirements and the customer protection requirements thereof, except where such failure or noncompliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)            Except as disclosed on Form BD filed prior to the date of this Agreement or as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, none of the Company, Wintrust Investments, LLC or any of their respective directors, officers, employees or "associated persons" (as defined in the 1934 Act), as applicable, has been the subject of any disciplinary proceedings or orders of any Governmental Entity arising under applicable laws which would be required to be disclosed by Wintrust Investments, LLC on Form BD. No such disciplinary proceeding or order is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened except for such disciplinary proceedings or orders pending or threatened after the date hereof that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed on a Form BD filed prior to the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers or, in the case of Wintrust Investments, LLC, its employees or associated persons has been permanently enjoined by the order of any Governmental Entity from engaging or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with any activity or in connection with the purchase or sale of any security. Except as disclosed on Form BD filed prior to the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers or, in the case of Wintrust Investments, LLC, its employees or associated persons, is or has been ineligible to serve as a broker-dealer or an associated person of a broker-dealer under Section 15(b) of the 1934 Act (including being subject to any "statutory disqualification" as defined in Section 3(a)(39) of the 1934 Act).

 

(xxiv)      Investment Adviser Subsidiaries. Wintrust Investments, LLC and Great Lakes Advisors, LLC (the "Advisers") are the only subsidiaries of the Company that are investment advisers. The Advisers are duly registered with the Commission as investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder. There does not exist any proceeding or, to the Company's knowledge, any facts or circumstances the existence of which could lead to any proceeding which might adversely affect the registration of the Advisers with the Commission, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxv)       Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all liens, security interests, claims or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxvi)      Possession of Intellectual Property. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, "Intellectual Property") necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, individually or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxvii)     Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries (A) are in compliance with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health or safety, the environment, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, "Environmental Laws"), (B) have and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (C) have not received, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any notice of any actual or potential liability or claim under or relating to any Environmental Laws and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries.

 

(xxviii)    Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company maintains effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company's most recent audited fiscal year, there has been no material weakness in the Company's internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated). The Company maintains an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission's rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company's management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

 

(xxix)      Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company's directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

(xxx)       Payment of Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all material United States federal income and other material tax returns that they were required by law to file (taking into account any valid extensions thereof), and all taxes required to be paid by the Company and each of its subsidiaries that are due and payable have been paid, except for such taxes as are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company and its subsidiaries or except where the failure to pay such taxes would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxxi)       Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (A) 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 (B) any reason to believe that it will not be able (x) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (y) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The deposit accounts of each subsidiary of the Company which conducts business as a bank are insured by the FDIC to the fullest extent permitted by law and the rules and regulations of the FDIC, and such subsidiaries have paid all premiums and assessments required by the FDIC and the rules and regulations thereunder and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xxxii)      Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Shares as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an "investment company" under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(xxxiii)     Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any controlled affiliate of the Company nor, to the Company's knowledge, any other affiliate of the Company, has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which has constituted, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

 

(xxxiv)    Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the "FCPA"), including, without limitation, making use of the 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 and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

(xxxv)     Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any applicable Governmental Entity (collectively, the "Money Laundering Laws"); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xxxvi)    OFAC. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently included on the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (the "SDN List") maintained 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 sale of the Shares, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any of its subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other person, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently included on the SDN List by OFAC.

 

(xxxvii)    Brokerage Commissions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that could reasonably be expected to give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Underwriters for a brokerage commission, finder's fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.

 

(xxxviii)  Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.

 

(xxxix)     Cybersecurity. Except as would not reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect, (A) there has been no security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or other compromise of any of the Company's or its subsidiaries' information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company or its subsidiaries), and, to the knowledge of the Company, any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively, "IT Systems and Data"); (B) neither the Company nor its subsidiaries have been notified of, and each of them has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or material compromise to their IT Systems and Data; and (C) the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards designed to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable regulatory standards. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the reasonable protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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

 

SECTION 2.          Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

 

(a)            The Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the applicable price per share set forth in Schedule A, the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Shares which such Underwriter agrees to or becomes obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments between the Underwriters as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(b)            Option Shares. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares of Common Stock at the price per share set forth in Schedule A; provided, that the purchase price per Option 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 Option Shares. The option hereby granted may be exercised for 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time within such period from time to time upon notice by the Representative to the Company setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Shares. Any such time and date of delivery (each, a "Date of Delivery") shall be determined by the Representative, but shall not be later than ten full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Shares, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Shares then being purchased which the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares, subject, in each case, to such adjustments as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional depositary shares.

 

(c)            Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company ("DTC") for the account of the Underwriters of, the Firm Shares shall be made at the offices of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, 201 East Fourth Street, Suite 1900, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the second (third, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called "Closing Time" and such date of payment and delivery being herein called the "Closing Date").

 

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

 

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Shares are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery through the facilities of DTC for the account of the Underwriters of, such Option Shares shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representative to the Company delivered pursuant to Section 2(b).

 

(d)            Denominations; Registration. The Shares shall be transferred electronically at the Closing Time, in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request in writing at least one full business day prior to the Closing Time.

 

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

 

(a)            Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. Until the last Date of Delivery, the Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will notify the Representative promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Shares. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. Until the last Date of Delivery, the Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(b)            Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations ("Rule 172"), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representative notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made by it pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and, subject to the requirements of applicable laws and regulations, will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

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

 

(d)            Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)            Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(f)            Listing. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to list the Shares on The Nasdaq Global Select Market within the 30 day period after the initial delivery of the Shares.

 

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

 

(h)            Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.

 

(i)            Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative and subject to the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations, it will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a "free writing prospectus," or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representative will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule C hereto, if any, and any "road show that is a written communication" within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representative. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representative as an "issuer free writing prospectus," as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading (other than with respect to any Underwriter Information), the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(j)            Lock-Up. For a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 45^th day after the date of the Prospectus (the "Lock-Up Period"), the Company agrees not to, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Representative, (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or would be reasonably expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock or sell or grant options, rights or warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) file or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments, with respect to the registration under the Securities Act for the offer and sale by the Company of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Common Stock or any other securities of the Company or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing. The restrictions contained in the preceding sentence shall not apply to any one or more of the following: (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder and any post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement filed consistent with the terms of this Agreement, (B) the issuance of shares of Common Stock, restricted stock units, options to purchase Common Stock or units pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans, employee stock purchase plans or other employee or director compensation plans in effect on the date of this Agreement or pursuant to currently outstanding restricted stock units, options, warrants or rights, (C) the conversion, exercise, or exchange of options, warrants or other securities of the Company convertible into, exercisable for, or exchangeable for Common Stock of the Company outstanding as of the date of this Agreement or issued pursuant to a duly adopted rights plan, and (D) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-4 or issuance of shares of Common Stock in respect of any acquisition or merger transactions so long as the aggregate number of shares to be issued in such transactions during the Lock-Up Period does not exceed ten percent (10%) of the Company's then outstanding Common Stock. The Company agrees to cause each officer and director of the Company set forth on Schedule E hereto to furnish to the Representative, prior to the Closing Date, a letter or letters, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the "Lock-Up Agreements").

 

SECTION 4.          Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)            Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any issue or transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel, accountants and other advisors, (iv) the qualification of the Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (v) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any "road show" undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Shares, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares, if any, (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Shares on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, and (x) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Shares made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the third sentence of Section 1(a)(ii) (subject to the second paragraph of Section 1(a)(ii)).

 

(b)            Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or (iii), Section 10 or Section 11 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters (other than, for any termination in accordance with Section 10 hereof, any defaulting Underwriters) for all of their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

 

SECTION 5.          Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

 

(a)            Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become effective and at the Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company's knowledge, contemplated; and the Company has complied, to the Commission's satisfaction, with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

(b)            Opinion of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time or any Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Sidley Austin LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit B hereto.

 

(c)            Opinion of General Counsel of Company. At the Closing Time or any Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Kathleen M. Boege, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Company, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit C hereto.

 

(d)            Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Time or any Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(e)            Officers' Certificate. At the Closing Time or any Date of Delivery, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or the President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated.

 

(f)            Accountant's Comfort Letter. At the Execution Time, the Representative shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(g)            Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time or any Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

(h)            Lock-Up Agreements. At or prior to the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the written Lock-Up Agreements substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A from each of the Company's officers and directors listed in Schedule E.

 

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

 

(j)            Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Shares on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Date, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Shares, may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 6.          Indemnification.

 

(a)            Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an "Affiliate")), its and their officers, directors, employees, selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

(i)            against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of or based on any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(b)            Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(c)            Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In 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, if any, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel selected in accordance with the next sentence, 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 this Section 6 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; provided, however, the indemnifying party shall not, under any of the circumstances described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) below, have the right to assume or direct the defense thereof and shall be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 6 for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses in connection with the defense thereof if, in the reasonable judgment of the indemnified party (i) the use of the counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) representation of the indemnified party by such counsel would be inappropriate due to differing interests between the indemnifying party and any indemnified party, (iii) there are likely to be defenses available to the indemnified party that are different from, or in addition to, the defenses available to the indemnifying party, or (iv) the indemnifying party fails to use reasonable diligence in defending against such action. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, 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 any 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 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter's Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

 

SECTION 8.          Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Shares.

 

SECTION 9.          Termination of Agreement.

 

(a)            Termination. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the Execution Time or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or The Nasdaq Global Select Market where trading has not been suspended or materially limited as described in the immediately following clause, or (iv) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or in The Nasdaq Global Select Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

 

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

 

SECTION 10.        Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Shares which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such numbers as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

In the event of any such default that does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Shares, as the case may be, either the (i) Representative or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term "Underwriter" includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

SECTION 11.        Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at the Closing Time to sell the number of Shares that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

SECTION 12.        Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to RBC at 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10281, (telephone: (212) 618-7706) (fax: (212) 428-6308) Attention: Scott Primrose/USDCM Transaction Management, with a copy to Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, 201 East Fourth Street, Suite 1900, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, attention of James J. Barresi; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Wintrust Financial Corporation, 9700 W. Higgins Road, Suite 800, Rosemont, Illinois 60018, attention of Kathleen M. Boege, with a copy to Sidley Austin LLP, One South Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois 60603, attention of Pran Jha.

 

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

 

SECTION 14.        Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

SECTION 15.        Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) 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.

 

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

 

SECTION 17.        TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

SECTION 18.        Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

SECTION 19.        Counterparts; Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which when taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The words "execution," "signed," "signature," and words of like import in this Agreement or in any other certificate, agreement or document related to this Agreement shall include images of manually executed signatures transmitted by facsimile or other electronic format (including, without limitation, "pdf", "tif" or "jpg") and other electronic signatures (including, without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign). The use of electronic signatures and electronic records (including, without limitation, any contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other applicable law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Uniform Commercial Code.

 

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

 

SECTION 21. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

 

(a)          In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

(b)          In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

(c)          As used in this section:

 

"BHC Act Affiliate" has the meaning assigned to the term "affiliate" in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).

 

"Covered Entity" means any of the following:

 

(i)           a "covered entity" as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

 

(ii)          a "covered bank" as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

 

(iii)         a "covered FSI" as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

 

"Default Right" has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

 

"U.S. Special Resolution Regime" means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

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

 

	Very truly yours,
	WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
	By:	/s/ David A. Dykstra
		Name: David A. Dykstra
		Title: Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer

 

[Underwriting Agreement – Signature Page]

 

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
           as of the date first above written:

 

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC

 

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

 

By: RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC

 

 

By:	/s/ Eric Martinez
	Name: Eric Martinez
	Title: Managing Director

 

[Underwriting Agreement – Signature Page]

 

 

SCHEDULE A

 

The public offering price per Share shall be $86.00.

 

The purchase price per Share to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $82.99.

 

Name of Underwriter		Number of Firm Shares
RBC Capital Markets, LLC			1,950,000
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.			1,050,000
Total			3,000,000

 

 

SCHEDULE B

 

The public offering price per Share shall be $86.00.

 

The purchase price per Share to be paid by the Underwriters shall be $82.99.

 

The total number of Shares to be sold by the Company to the Underwriters shall be 3,000,000.

 

The Company has also granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 450,000 Option Shares.

 

 

SCHEDULE C

 

Free Writing Prospectuses

 

None.

 

 

SCHEDULE D

 

Subsidiaries

 

Barrington Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

Beverly Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

Crystal Lake Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

Chicago Deferred Exchange Company, LLC

 

Elektra Holding Company, LLC

 

First Insurance Funding of Canada, Inc.

 

FIFC Edge International Corporation

 

Great Lakes Advisors, LLC

 

Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

Hyde Park Facilities, Inc.

 

Lake Forest Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

Libertyville Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

Northbrook Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

Old Plank Trail Community Bank, National Association

 

Schaumburg Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

St. Charles Bank & Trust Company, National Association

 

State Bank of the Lakes, National Association

 

The Chicago Trust Company, National Association

 

Town Bank, National Association

 

Tricom, Inc. of Milwaukee

 

Village Bank & Trust, National Association

 

Wintrust Investments, LLC

 

WHAMCO Holding Company

 

Wheaton Bank and Trust Company, National Association

 

Wintrust Asset Finance Inc.

 

Wintrust Bank, National Association

 

Community Financial Shares Statutory Trust II

 

First Northwest Capital Trust I

 

Northview Capital Trust I

 

Suburban Illinois Capital Trust II

 

Town Bankshares Capital Trust I

 

Wintrust Capital Trust III

 

 

Wintrust Statutory Trust IV

 

Wintrust Statutory Trust V

 

Wintrust Capital Trust VII

 

Wintrust Capital Trust VIII

 

Wintrust Capital Trust IX

 

 

SCHEDULE E

 

Persons Subject to Lock-Up

 

1.

Elizabeth H. Connelly

 

2.

Peter D. Crist

 

3.

Bruce K. Crowther

 

4.

William J. Doyle

 

5.

Marla F. Glabe

 

6.

H. Patrick Hackett, Jr.

 

7.

Scott K. Heitmann

 

8.

Deborah L. Hall Lefevre

 

9.

Suzet M. McKinney

 

10.

Gary D. Sweeney

 

11.

Karin Gustafson Teglia

 

12.

Alex E. Washington, III

 

13.

Edward J. Wehmer

 

14.

David A. Dykstra

 

15.

Timothy S. Crane

 

16.

Kathleen M. Boege

 

17.

Guy W. Eisenhuth

 

18.

Richard B. Murphy

 

19.

David L. Stoehr

 

20.

Thomas P. Zidar

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Form of Lock-up Agreement

 

[_], 2022

 

WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION

9700 W. Higgins Road

Rosemont, IL 60018

 

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

as Representative of the several Underwriters

 

c/o RBC Capital Markets, LLC

200 Vesey Street

New York, New York 10281

 

Re: Wintrust Financial Corporation (the "Company")—Restriction on Stock Sales

 

Dear Sirs:

 

This letter agreement is delivered to you pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") to be entered into by the Company, as issuer, and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, as representative (in such capacity, the "Representative") of the several underwriters (the "Underwriters") named in Schedule A thereto. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Underwriters intend to effect a public offering of shares of Common Stock, no par value per share, of the Company (the "Shares"), as described in and contemplated by the registration statement of the Company on Form S-3, File No. 333-238023 (the "Registration Statement"), initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2020, as amended (the "Offering"). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

The undersigned recognizes that it is in the best financial interests of the undersigned, as an officer or director, or an owner of Common Stock, options, warrants, performance units or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock of the Company (the "Company Securities"), that the undersigned not sell Company Securities in the public market for a reasonable period following the Offering.

 

The undersigned further recognizes that the Company Securities held by the undersigned are, or may be, subject to certain restrictions on transferability, including those imposed by United States federal securities laws. Notwithstanding these restrictions, the undersigned has agreed to enter into this letter agreement to further assure the Underwriters that the Company Securities of the undersigned, now held or hereafter acquired, will not enter the public market at a time that might impair the underwriting effort.

 

 

Therefore, as an inducement to the Underwriters to execute the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, (1) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of (collectively, a "Disposition") any Company Securities or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or any rights to purchase or otherwise acquire, any Company Securities held by the undersigned or acquired by the undersigned after the date hereof, or that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned (collectively, the "Lock-Up Shares"), pursuant to the Rules and Regulations promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), for a period commencing on the date hereof and ending 45 days after the date of the Underwriting Agreement, inclusive (the "Lock-Up Period"), (2) during the Lock-Up Period, exercise or seek to exercise or effectuate in any manner any rights of any nature that the undersigned has or may have hereafter to require the Company to register under the Act the undersigned's Disposition of any of the Lock-Up Shares held by the undersigned, (3) otherwise participate as a selling securityholder in any manner in any registration of Lock-Up Shares effected by the Company under the Act, including under the Registration Statement, during the Lock-Up Period, or (4) engage in any hedging, collar (whether or not for any consideration) or other transaction that is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in a Disposition of Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period, even if such Lock-Up Shares would be disposed of by someone other than such holder, and such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including any put or call option or reversal or cancellation thereof) with respect to any Lock-Up Shares or with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from Lock-Up Shares.

 

Notwithstanding the agreement not to make any Disposition during the Lock-Up Period, the Underwriters have agreed that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to:

 

(1)

any Disposition or transfer of Lock-Up Shares to a family member, trust, or entity in which more than fifty percent of the voting interests are owned by the undersigned or the undersigned's immediate family members (as defined in General Instruction A.1(a)(5) to Form S-8 under the Act);

 

(2)

any bona fide gift;

 

(3)

any Disposition or transfer of Lock-Up Shares by will, intestate succession or by operation of law pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement;

 

(4)

any transfer of Lock-Up Shares solely to cover applicable withholding taxes due upon the vesting of stock-based awards under the Company's equity compensation plans;

 

(5)

the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable Company Securities outstanding as of the date of this letter agreement;

 

(6)

the forfeiture or surrender to the Company of Lock-Up Shares for failure to achieve vesting requirements associated with such Lock-Up Shares;

 

(7)

Dispositions or forfeiture of Lock-Up Shares of the undersigned or the retention of Lock-Up Shares by the Company (A) to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the exercise of options to purchase Shares, the vesting of restricted stock units or performance shares or the settlement of deferred stock units of the Company or (B) in payment of the exercise or purchase price with respect to the exercise of options to purchase Shares, the vesting of restricted stock units or performance shares or the settlement of deferred stock units of the Company;

 

(8)

the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Lock-Up Shares;

 

 

(9)

the Disposition or transfer of Lock-Up Shares pursuant to a trading plan established pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act prior to the date of this letter agreement; or

 

(10)

any Disposition or transfer of Lock-Up Shares pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by the board of directors of the Company, made to all holders of the Company Securities involving a Change of Control (as defined below) (including any support or voting agreement entered into in connection therewith), provided that in the event that the tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the Lock-up Shares of the undersigned shall remain subject to the restrictions contained in this letter agreement;

 

provided that in the case of any transfer, gift or other disposition pursuant to the immediately preceding clauses (1) or (2), except in the case of a bona fide gift to a charitable organization, the transferee, trust, donee or other recipient agrees to be bound in writing by the terms of this letter agreement prior to such transfer and no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer (other than required filings under Section 16(a) and Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Exchange Act and any filings made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period). For purposes of clause (10) above, "Change of Control" shall mean any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, amalgamation, consolidation or other similar transaction the result of which would be that any "person" (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, other than the Company, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of more than 50% of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company.

 

Furthermore, the undersigned may, during the Lock-Up Period, sell shares of Common Stock purchased by the undersigned on the open market following the closing of the Offering if and only if (i) such sales are not required to be reported in any public report or filing under the Exchange Act and (ii) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public report or filing regarding such sales.

 

It is understood that, if (A) the Company notifies the Representative that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering of the Shares, (B) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares to be sold thereunder, or (C) the Offering of the Shares shall not have been completed by July 6, 2022, this letter agreement shall immediately be terminated and the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this letter agreement.

 

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Lock-Up Shares if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this letter agreement. This letter agreement shall be binding on the undersigned and the respective successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned.

 

	Very truly yours,
	By:

 

Print Name:

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

Form of Opinion of Counsel for Company

 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

Form of Opinion of General Counsel of Company

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn Street Chicago, IL 60603 +1 312 853 7000 +1 312 853 7036   AMERICA • ASIA PACIFIC • EUROPE

 

June 10, 2022

 

Wintrust Financial Corporation
9700 W. Higgins Road
Rosemont, Illinois 60018

 

Re:

Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We refer to the Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-238023 (the “Registration Statement”) filed by Wintrust Financial Corporation, an Illinois corporation (the “Company”), on May 6, 2020, with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which Registration Statement became effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act. Pursuant to the Registration Statement, the Company is issuing 3,450,000 shares of its common stock, no par value per share (the “Shares”). The Shares are to be sold by the Company pursuant to an underwriting agreement dated June 7, 2022 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) between the Company and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, as representative of the several underwriters named therein.

 

This opinion letter is being delivered in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

 

We have examined (i) the Registration Statement, including the exhibits thereto, (ii) the Company’s prospectus dated May 6, 2020 included in the Registration Statement (the “Base Prospectus”), (iii) the Company’s prospectus supplement dated June 7, 2022, supplementing the Base Prospectus and relating to the Shares, (iv) the Underwriting Agreement, (v) the Company’s amended and restated articles of incorporation, (vi) the amended and restated by-laws of the Company and (vii) the resolutions adopted by the board of directors of the Company and the finance committee thereof established by such board relating to the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Shares by the Company. We have also examined originals, or copies of originals certified to our satisfaction, of such agreements, documents, certificates and statements of the Company and other corporate documents and instruments, and have examined such questions of law, as we have considered relevant and necessary as a basis for this opinion letter. We have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all persons and the conformity with the original documents of any copies thereof submitted to us for examination. As to facts relevant to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied without independent investigation or verification upon, and assumed the accuracy and completeness of, certificates, letters and oral and written statements and representations of public officials and officers and other representatives of the Company.

 

Sidley Austin LLP is a limited liability partnership practicing in affiliation with other Sidley Austin partnerships.

 

 

 

 

Wintrust Financial Corporation

June 10, 2022

Page 2

 

Based on and subject to the foregoing and the other limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the issuance and sale of the Shares covered by the Registration Statement, pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, have been duly authorized by the Company, and such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable when the Company’s books shall reflect the issuance of such Shares to the purchasers thereof against payment of the agreed consideration therefor, in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement.

 

This opinion letter is limited to the laws of the State of Illinois. We express no opinion as to the laws, rules or regulations of any other jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the federal laws of the United States of America or any state securities or blue sky laws.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to all references to our Firm included in or made a part of the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

 

	Very truly yours,
	/s/ Sidley Austin LLP
	Sidley Austin LLP

 

 

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