Current Report Filing (8-k)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 24, 2015 (November 24, 2015)

Commission

File Number

Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter

and principal office address and telephone number

State of

Incorporation

I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.

1-16163

WGL Holdings, Inc.

101 Constitution Ave., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20080

(703) 750-2000

Virginia

52-2210912

Former name or former address, if changed since last report: None

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01. Other Events.

In connection with the commencement of a “continuous equity” offering under which WGL Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) may sell Company common stock (the “Shares”) having an aggregate sales price of up to $150,000,000 from time to time in “at the market” offerings (the “Offering”), the Company filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a prospectus supplement dated November 24, 2015 (the “Prospectus Supplement”). The Company may sell the Shares in amounts and at times to be determined by the Company from time to time, but has no obligation to sell any of the Shares in the Offering. Actual sales will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by the Company from time to time, including (among others) market conditions and the trading price of the Company’s common stock.

The Offering will occur pursuant to an equity distribution agreement (the “Agreement”) entered into by the Company and each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC as agents for the offer and sale of the Shares (each, an “Agent”; collectively, the “Agents”). The Agreement provides that the Company may offer and sell from time to time pursuant to the Agreement Shares having an aggregate sales price of up to $150,000,000 through the Agents. The Agreement provides that the applicable Agent will be entitled to compensation as provided under the terms of the Agreement. Under the Agreement, the Company may also sell Shares to the Agents for its own account.

Sales of the Shares, if any, under the Agreement may be made in transactions that are deemed to be “at the market offerings” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including sales made directly on the New York Stock Exchange or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange, as well as in negotiated or other transactions described in the Prospectus Supplement. The Company has no obligation to sell any of the Shares in the Offering, and may at any time suspend solicitation and offers under the Agreement or terminate the Agreement.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the sales of the Shares, after deducting the Agents’ commission and offering expenses, for general corporate purposes, which may include, without limitation, the reduction of debt, funding for acquisitions of, or investments in, businesses and assets, other capital expenditures, investment in our subsidiaries (including, without limitation, capital contributions to Washington Gas Light Company) and for working capital requirements.

The Shares will be issued pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement and the Company’s automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-208190) filed on November 24, 2015, with the SEC (the “Registration Statement”). This Current Report shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

The foregoing description of the Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of the Agreement which is attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1 and incorporated by reference herein.

This Current Report on Form 8-K is being filed to file certain documents in connection with the Offering as exhibits to the Registration Statement.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.


Exhibit No.		Description

1.1		Equity Distribution Agreement, dated November 24, 2015, by and among WGL Holdings, Inc., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC.

5.1		Opinion of the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Company.

23.1		Consent of the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Company (included in Exhibit 5.1).

* * *

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


		WGL Holdings, Inc. (Registrant)

Date: November 24, 2015	By:	/s/ William R. Ford

		William R. Ford
		Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)

EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.		Description

1.1		Equity Distribution Agreement, dated November 24, 2015, by and among WGL Holdings, Inc., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC.

5.1		Opinion of the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Company.

23.1		Consent of the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Company (included in Exhibit 5.1).

Exhibit 1.1

WGL HOLDINGS, INC.

Up to $150,000,000 of Common Stock

EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

Dated: November 24, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS


	Page
SECTION 1. Description of Securities		1

SECTION 2. Placements		2

SECTION 3. Sale of Placement Securities by the Agents		3

SECTION 4. Suspension of Sales		4

SECTION 5. Representations and Warranties		4

SECTION 6. Sale and Delivery to the Agents; Settlement		12

SECTION 7. Covenants of the Company		14

SECTION 8. Payment of Expenses		21

SECTION 9. Conditions of the Agents’ Obligations		21

SECTION 10. Indemnification		23

SECTION 11. Contribution		25

SECTION 12. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery		27

SECTION 13. Termination of Agreement		27

SECTION 14. Notices		28

SECTION 15. Parties		28

SECTION 16. Adjustments for Stock Splits		28

SECTION 17. Governing Law and Time		29

SECTION 18. Effect of Headings		29

SECTION 19. Definitions		29

SECTION 20. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses		29

SECTION 21. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship		31

EXHIBITS


Exhibit A	–	Form of Placement Notice
Exhibit B	–	Authorized Individuals for Placement Notices and Acceptances
Exhibit C	–	Compensation
Exhibit D	–	Subsidiaries of the Company
Exhibit E	–	Form of Opinion of Company Counsel
Exhibit F	–	Officer Certificate
Exhibit G	–	Issuer Pricing Free Writing Prospectus

WGL HOLDINGS, INC.

Up to $150,000,000 of Common Stock

EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

November 24, 2015

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

375 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10152

BB&T Capital Markets, a division

of BB&T Securities, LLC

901 East Byrd Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

200Vesey Street

New York, NY 10281

Ladies and Gentlemen:

WGL Holdings, Inc., a Virginia corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC, and RBC Capital Markets, LLC (individually, an “Agent” and collectively, the “Agents”) as follows:

SECTION 1. Description of Securities.

The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through or to the Agents, each acting as sales agent and/or principal, shares (the “Securities”) of the Company’s common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate sale price of up to $150,000,000 (the “Maximum Amount”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 regarding the number and aggregate sale price of the Securities issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and the Agents shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The issuance and sale of the Securities through the Agents will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and which became automatically effective upon filing under the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). The Company agrees that whenever it determines to sell Securities directly to an Agent as principal it will enter into a separate written agreement with such Agent containing the terms and conditions of such sale.

The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-208190), including a base prospectus, relating to certain securities, including the Securities to be issued from time to time by the Company, and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”). The Company has prepared a prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement. The Company will furnish to the Agents, for use by the Agents, copies of the prospectus included as part of such registration statement, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, relating to the Securities. The “Registration Statement”, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto at such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and the documents and information otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities Act (“Rule 430B”); 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 Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of the Registration Statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, including the exhibits and schedules thereto at such time, the documents and information incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. The base prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form in which such prospectus and/or Prospectus Supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act is herein called the “Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR.

SECTION 2. Placements.

Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell the Securities hereunder (each, a “Placement”), it will notify the applicable Agent by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) containing the parameters in accordance with which it desires the Securities to be sold, which shall at a minimum include the number of Securities to be issued (the “Placement Securities”), the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of Securities that may be sold in any one day and any minimum price

below which sales may not be made (a “Placement Notice”), a form of which containing such minimum sales parameters necessary is attached hereto as Exhibit A. The Company shall submit a Placement Notice to sell Placement Securities to only one Agent, if any, on any single Trading Day. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Exhibit B (with a copy to each of the other individuals from the Company listed on such schedule), and shall be addressed to each of the individuals identified by such Agent set forth on Exhibit B, as such Exhibit B may be amended from time to time. If an Agent wishes to accept such proposed terms included in the Placement Notice (which it may decline to do so for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussion with the Company, wishes to accept amended terms, the applicable Agent will, prior to 4:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the Business Day following the Business Day on which such Placement Notice is delivered to such Agent, issue to the Company a notice by email (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) addressed to all of the individuals from the Company and such Agent set forth on Exhibit B) setting forth the terms that such Agent is willing to accept. Where the terms provided in the Placement Notice are amended as provided for in the immediately preceding sentence, such terms will not be binding on the Company or such Agent until the Company delivers to that Agent an acceptance by email (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) of all of the terms of such Placement Notice, as amended (the “Acceptance”), which email shall be addressed to all of the individuals from the Company and such Agent set forth on Exhibit B. The Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) shall be effective upon receipt by the Company of such Agent’s acceptance of the terms of the Placement Notice or upon receipt by such Agent of the Company’s Acceptance, as the case may be, unless and until (i) the Maximum Amount of the Placement Securities has been sold, (ii) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in the second sentence of this paragraph, the Company terminates the Placement Notice, (iii) the Company issues a subsequent Placement Notice with parameters superseding those on the earlier dated Placement Notice, (iv) this Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 13 or (v) either party shall have suspended the sale of the Placement Securities in accordance with Section 4 below. The amount of any discount, commission or other compensation to be paid by the Company to such Agent in connection with the sale of the Placement Securities shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Exhibit C. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor the Agents will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Securities unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to such Agent and either (i) such Agent accepts the terms of such Placement Notice or (ii) where the terms of such Placement Notice are amended, the Company accepts such amended terms by means of an Acceptance pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), the terms of the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) will control.

SECTION 3. Sale of Placement Securities by the Agents.

Subject to the provisions of Section 6(a), each Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its respective commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell the Placement Securities up to the amount specified,

and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable). The applicable Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Securities hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Securities sold on such day, the compensation payable by the Company to such Agent pursuant to Section 2 with respect to such sales, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by such Agent (as set forth in Section 6(b)) from the gross proceeds that it receives from such sales. Subject to the terms of the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), such Agent may sell Placement Securities by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act, including without limitation sales made directly on the NYSE, on any other existing trading market for the Common Stock or to or through a market maker. Subject to the terms of the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), such Agent may also sell Placement Securities by any other method permitted by law, including but not limited to privately negotiated transactions. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that such Agent will be successful in selling Placement Shares, and (ii) such Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Shares for any reason other than a failure by such Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Shares as required under this Section 3. For the purposes hereof, “Trading Day” means any day on which shares of Common Stock are purchased and sold on the principal market on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.

SECTION 4. Suspension of Sales. The Company or the applicable Agent may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Exhibit B, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Exhibit B), suspend any sale of Placement Securities; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Securities sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. Each of the parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against the other unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Exhibit B hereto, as such Exhibit may be amended from time to time.

SECTION 5. Representations and Warranties.

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Agent as of the date hereof and as of each Representation Date (as defined below) on which a certificate is required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) of this Agreement, as of each Applicable Time and as of each Settlement Date (as defined below), and agrees with each Agent, as follows:

(1) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Securities have been duly registered under the Securities Act pursuant to the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act, and no stop order preventing or suspending the use of any base prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.

At the time the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became or becomes effective and as of the date hereof, the Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. The Company satisfies the conditions for the use of Form S-3, as set forth in the General Instructions thereto, and the Registration Statement meets, and the offering and sale of the Securities as contemplated hereby complies with, the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act (including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(5)). The Registration Statement, as of the date hereof and each effective date with respect thereto, did not and does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, as of their respective dates, and at each Applicable Time and Settlement Date, as the case may be, included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

The representations and warranties set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any Agent expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be such Agent’s name (the “Agent Information”).

The copies of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto delivered and to be delivered to the Agents (electronically or otherwise) in connection with the offering of the Securities were and 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.

Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus relating to the Securities, as of its issue date and as of each Applicable Time and Settlement Date, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any incorporated document deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified, or

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 light of the circumstances, prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Agent specifically for use therein.

At the time of the initial filing of the Registration Statement, at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), at the time the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act) was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, including not having been and not being an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act; and, without limitation to the foregoing, the Company has at all relevant times met, meets and will at all relevant times meet the requirements of Rule 164 for the use of a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby.

The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration or the Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and any documents so filed and incorporated by reference subsequent to the date of this Agreement or any further amendment or supplement to the Prospectus will, when they are filed with the Commission, conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and none of such documents include or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit or will omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(2) Financial Statements. The consolidated financial statements and any supporting schedules of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of its operations for the periods specified; and, except as stated therein, said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis; and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information required to be stated therein. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(3) No Material Adverse Change in Business. The Company has not sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any then applicable Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the effect of stock-based compensation or a repurchase of stock pursuant to the Company’s stock repurchase program) or long-term debt (other than any redemptions or purchases of Washington Gas Light Company’s Medium Term Notes or other debt securities, normal amortization of debt premium and discount, repayments of bank or finance company borrowings and repurchases of commercial paper) of the Company or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(4) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to do business in each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases real property or in which the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified, considering all such cases in the aggregate, does not involve a material risk to the business, properties, financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

(5) Good Standing of Significant Subsidiaries. Each of Washington Gas Light Company, Washington Gas Resources Corp. and WGL Energy Services, Inc. (each a “Significant Subsidiary” and collectively, “Significant Subsidiaries”) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business and is duly qualified to do business in each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases real property or in which the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified, considering all such cases in the aggregate, does not involve a material risk to the business, properties, financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole. There are no other subsidiaries of the Company that would be deemed “significant subsidiaries” under Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.

(6) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of Capital Stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and have been issued in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws.

None of the Company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights; except as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company is not a party to or bound by any outstanding options, warrants or similar rights to subscribe for, or contractual obligations to issue, sell, transfer or acquire, any of its Capital Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for any of such Capital Stock.

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

(8) Authorization of Securities. The Securities to be sold by the Company pursuant to this Agreement have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Agents 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, fully paid and non-assessable; no holder of the Securities is or will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder; the issuance and sale of the Securities to be sold by the Company pursuant to this Agreement is not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other person; and the delivery of the Securities being sold by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to the terms of this Agreement will pass valid title to the Securities being sold by the Company, free and clear of any claim, encumbrance or defect in title, and without notice of any lien, claim or encumbrance.

(9) Description of Securities. The Common Stock and the Company’s articles of incorporation and bylaws conform in all material respects to all of the respective statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and such statements conform to the rights set forth in the respective instruments and agreements defining the same.

(10) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. The Company is not in violation of its articles of incorporation or bylaws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of its Significant Subsidiaries may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is subject, which violation or default would materially adversely affect the business or financial condition of the Company. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations under this Agreement will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is subject, nor

will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Company’s charter, as amended, or the bylaws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Common Stock or the consummation by the Company of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act, and except such as may be required by state securities or Blue Sky laws or regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “FINRA”).

(11) Absence of Proceedings. Other than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise; and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.

(12) Accuracy of Descriptions and Exhibits. The information in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Common Stock,” and the information in the Registration Statement under Item 15, in each case to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, summaries of provisions of the Company’s articles of incorporation or bylaws or agreements, summaries of legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, is correct in all material respects. There are no contracts or documents of the Company that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement by the Securities Act or by the rules and regulations thereunder that have not been so described or filed.

(13) Absence of Further Requirements. (A) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, (B) no authorization, approval, vote or other consent of any holder of Capital Stock or other securities of the Company or any creditor of the Company, and (C) no authorization, approval, vote or other consent of any other person or entity, is necessary or required for the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this Agreement, for the offering, issuance, sale or delivery of the Securities hereunder, or for the consummation of any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, in each case on the terms contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act or such as may be required under state securities laws.

(14) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and upon the sale of the Securities to the Agents as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” the Company will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the 1940 Act.

(15) NYSE. The outstanding shares of Common Stock and the Securities to be sold by the Company hereunder have been approved for listing, subject only to official notice of issuance, on the NYSE, and are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Securities under the Exchange Act or delisting any such securities from the NYSE, nor has the Company received any notification from the Commission or from the NYSE that either the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

(16) Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities to be sold hereunder by the Agents as principal or agent for the Company, other than the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Agents.

(17) Actively Traded Security. The Common Stock is an “actively traded security” excepted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.

(18) Absence of Manipulation. Other than excepted activity pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act, the Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(19) Proprietary Trading by the Agents. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Agents have informed the Company that the Agents may, to the extent permitted under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, purchase and sell shares of Common Stock for their own account while this Agreement is in effect, and shall be under no obligation to purchase Securities on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Agents in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable).

(20) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain and have maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, since the end of the

Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company and its subsidiaries employ and have employed disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and 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.

(21) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate acting onbehalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that has resulted or would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, 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 its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its other affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA in all material respects.

(22) 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 money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

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

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

SECTION 6. Sale and Delivery to the Agents; Settlement.

(a) Sale of Placement Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the applicable Agent’s acceptance of the terms of a Placement Notice or upon receipt by such Agent of an Acceptance, as the case may be, and unless the sale of the Placement Securities described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the applicable Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Securities up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable). The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that any Agent will be successful in selling Placement Securities, (ii) no Agent will incur liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Securities for any reason other than a failure by any Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Securities as required under this Section 6 and (iii) no Agent shall be under any obligation to purchase Securities on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Agent in the Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable).

(b) Settlement of Placement Securities. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable), settlement for sales of Placement Securities will occur on the third (3^rd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Securities sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by such Agent at which such Placement Securities were sold, after deduction for (i) such Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof, (ii) any other amounts due and payable by the Company to such Agent hereunder pursuant to Section 8(a) hereof, and (iii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales.

(c) Delivery of Placement Securities. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Securities being sold by crediting the applicable Agent’s or its designee’s account (provided such Agent shall have given the Company written notice of such designee prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all

cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the applicable Agent will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Securities on a Settlement Date, the Company agrees that in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 10(a) hereto, it will (i) hold the Agents harmless against any loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense whatsoever (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company or its transfer agent and (ii) pay to the Agents any commission, discount, or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.

(d) Denominations; Registration. Certificates for the Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Agents may request in writing at least one full business day before the Settlement Date. The certificates for the Securities will be made available for examination and packaging by the Agents in The City of New York not later than noon (New York time) on the business day prior to the Settlement Date. The Company shall deliver the Securities, if any, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Agents shall otherwise instruct.

(e) Limitations on Offering Size. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Securities, if after giving effect to the sale of such Securities, the aggregate offering price of the Securities sold pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the lesser of (A) the Maximum Amount, (B) the amount available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement and (C) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Company and notified to the Agents in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Securities pursuant to this Agreement at a price lower than the minimum price authorized from time to time by the Company and notified to the Agents in writing. Further, under no circumstances shall the aggregate offering price of Securities sold pursuant to this Agreement, including any separate underwriting or similar agreement covering principal transactions described in Section 1 of this Agreement, exceed the Maximum Amount.

(f) Black-out Limitations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, (A) the Company shall not offer or sell, or instruct the Agents to offer or sell, any Securities (and, by notice to such Agents given by telephone (confirmed promptly by telecopy or email), (B) the Company shall cancel any instructions for any such offer or sale of any Securities prior to the commencement of the periods referenced below) and (C) the Agents shall not be obligated to make any such offer or sale of Securities, in each case, (i) during any period in which the Company is, or could be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information or (ii) except as provided in Section 6(f)(1) hereof, at any time during the period commencing on the 10th business day prior to the date the Company issues a press release containing, or shall otherwise publicly announce, its earnings, revenues or other operating results for a fiscal period or periods (each, an “Earnings Announcement”) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the time that the Company files a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an Annual Report on Form 10-K (a “Filing Time”) that includes consolidated financial statements as of and for the same fiscal period or periods, as the case may be, covered by such Earnings Announcement.

(1) If the Company wishes to offer or sell Securities to any Agent as agent at any time during the period from and including an Earnings Announcement through and including the time that is 24 hours after the corresponding Filing Time, the Company shall first (i) prepare and deliver to such Agent (with a copy to counsel to the Agents) a Current Report on Form 8-K that includes substantially the same financial and related information (together with management’s discussion and analysis thereof) that was included in such Earnings Announcement (other than any earnings projections and similar forward-looking data and officers’ quotations) (each, an “Earnings 8-K”), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, and, prior to its filing, obtain the written consent of the Agents to such filing (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), (ii) provide the Agents with the officers’ certificate, opinions and letters of counsel and accountants’ letter specified in Section 7(o), (p) and (q), respectively, hereof, (iii) afford the applicable Agents the opportunity to conduct a due diligence review in accordance with Section 7(m) hereof prior to filing such Earnings 8-K and (iv) file such Earnings 8-K with the Commission, then the provision of clause (ii) of Section 6(f) shall not be applicable for the period from and after the time at which the foregoing conditions shall have been satisfied (or, if later, the time that is 24 hours after the time that the relevant Earnings Announcement was first publicly released) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the Filing Time of the relevant Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K, as the case may be. For purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that (A) the delivery of any officers’ certificate, opinion or letter of counsel or accountants’ letter pursuant to this Section 6(f) shall not relieve the Company from any of its obligations under this Agreement with respect to any Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K, as the case may be, including, without limitation, the obligation to deliver officers’ certificates, opinions and letters of counsel and accountants’ letters as provided in Section 7(o), (p) and (q), respectively, hereof, and (B) this Section 6(f)(1) shall in no way affect or limit the operation of clause (i) of Section 6(f) hereof, which shall have independent application.

SECTION 7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with the Agents as follows:

(a) Registration Statement Amendments; Payment of Fees. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Placement Securities is required to be delivered by the applicable Agents under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), (i) the Company will notify the Agents promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any comment letter from the Commission or any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon the Agents’ request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in the Agents’ reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Securities by the Agents (provided, however, that the failure of the Agents to make such request shall not relieve the

Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agents’ right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to the Placement Securities or a security convertible into the Placement Securities unless a copy thereof has been submitted to the Agents within a reasonable period of time before the filing and the Agents has not reasonably objected thereto (provided, however, that the failure of the Agents to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agents’ right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to the Agents at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR; and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) of the Securities Act).

(b) Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise the Agents, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any other order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, 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 Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement or if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, the suspension of any qualification of the Securities for offering or sale and any loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, and if any such stop order is issued or any such suspension or loss occurs, to obtain the lifting thereof as soon as reasonably practicable.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to the Agents and their counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, that are filed with the Commission during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities and at such locations as the Agents may from time to time reasonably request provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to the Agents to the extent such document is available on EDGAR. The copies of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto furnished to the Agents 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) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If at any time when a Prospectus is required by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to be delivered in connection with a pending sale of the Placement Securities (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 172), any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Agents or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus 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 if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify the Agents to suspend the offering of Placement Securities during such period and the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Agents such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Agents may reasonably request. 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, conflicts or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or included, includes or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Agents to suspend the offering of Placement Securities during such period and the Company will, subject to Section 7(a) hereof, promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(e) Blue Sky and Other Qualifications. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Agents, to qualify the Placement Securities for offering and sale, or to obtain an exemption for the Securities to be offered and sold, under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions of the United States as the Agents may designate and to maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Securities (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement); 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. In each jurisdiction in which the Placement Securities have been so qualified or exempt, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification or exemption, as the case may be, in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Securities (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement).

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

(g) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

(h) Listing. During any period in which the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities is required to be delivered by the Agents under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Securities (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Securities to be listed on the NYSE.

(i) Filings with the NYSE. The Company will timely file with the NYSE all material documents and notices required by the NYSE of companies that have or will issue securities that are traded on the NYSE.

(j) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during any period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

(k) Notice of Other Sales. The Company will not, without (i) giving the Agents at least three (3) business days’ prior written notice specifying the nature of the proposed sale and the date of such proposed sale and (ii) the Agents suspending activity under this program for such period of time as requested by the Company or as deemed appropriate by the Agents in light of the proposed sale, (A) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any of the foregoing (other than a shelf registration statement under Rule 415 under the Securities Act, a registration statement on Form S-8 or Form S-4 or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement) or (B) enter into any swap or other agreement or any transaction that transfers in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any of the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (x) the Common Stock to be offered and sold through the Agents pursuant to this Agreement, (y) Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan as it may be amended or replaced from time to time and (z) equity incentive awards approved by the Board of Directors or the compensation (or equivalent) committee thereof or the issuance of Common Stock upon exercise thereof.

(l) Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during a fiscal quarter in which the Company intends to tender a Placement Notice or sell Placement Securities, advise the Agents promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document provided to the Agents pursuant to this Agreement.

(m) Due Diligence Cooperation. The Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agents or its agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Agents may reasonably request.

(n) Disclosure of Sales. The Company will disclose in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in its annual report on Form 10-K the number of Placement Securities sold through the Agents, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to the Agents with respect to such Placement Securities.

(o) Representation Dates; Certificate. On the date of this Agreement and:

(1) each time the Company:

(i) files the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities or amends or supplements the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Securities;

(ii) files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act;

(iii) files a quarterly report on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or

(iv) files a current report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than an earnings release, to “furnish” information pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K) under the Exchange Act; and

(2) at any other time reasonably requested by the Agents (each such date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (1)(i) through (iv) and any time of request pursuant to this Section 7(o) shall be a “Representation Date”),

the Company shall furnish the Agents with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F within three (3) Trading Days of any Representation Date. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(o) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice (as amended by the corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date; provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply for any Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Securities following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Agents with a certificate under this Section 7(o), then before the Company delivers the Placement Notice or the Agents sells any Placement Securities, the Company shall provide the Agents with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F, dated the date of the Placement Notice.

(p) Legal Opinion. On the date of this Agreement, within three (3) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents a written opinion of the general counsel of the Company (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Agents, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit E, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, counsel may furnish the Agents with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Agents may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(p) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Representation Date).

(q) Comfort Letter. On the date of this Agreement, within three (3) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause its independent accountants (and any other independent accountants whose report is included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus) to furnish the Agents letters (the “Comfort Letters”), dated the date of the Comfort Letter is delivered, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the “Initial Comfort Letter”) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.

(r) Opinion of Counsel for the Agents. On the date of this Agreement, within three (3) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F for which no waiver is applicable, the Agents shall have received the favorable written opinion or opinions of Hunton & Williams LLP, counsel for the Agents, dated such date, with respect to such matters as the Agents may reasonably request.

(s) Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase the Securities to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Securities to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement other than the Agents; provided, however, that the Company may bid for and purchase its Common Stock in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act; and provided further, that no such bids or purchases shall be made by the Company during the three (3) Trading Days before or after any sale of any Securities pursuant to this Agreement.

(t) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to maintain, or caused to be maintained, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is reasonable and customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries.

(u) Compliance with Laws. The Company and each of its subsidiaries shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, all material environmental permits, licenses and other authorizations required by federal, state and local law in order to conduct their businesses as described in the Prospectus, and the Company and each of its subsidiaries shall conduct their businesses, or cause their businesses to be conducted, in substantial compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations and with applicable environmental laws, except where the failure to maintain or be in compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v) Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor its subsidiaries will be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act, assuming no change in the Commission’s current interpretation as to entities that are not considered an investment company.

(w) Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Company will use its best efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Placement Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof and the Prospectus.

(x) No Offer to Sell. Other than a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) approved in advance in writing by the Company and the Agents in its capacity as principal or agent hereunder, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Agents in its capacity as such) will not, directly or indirectly, make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any free writing prospectus relating to the Securities to be sold by the Agents as principal or agent hereunder.

(y) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company and its subsidiaries will use their best efforts to comply with all effective applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

(z) Regulation M. If the Company has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Company or the Common Stock, it shall promptly notify the Agents and sales of the Placement Securities under this Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.

SECTION 8. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment and supplement thereto, (ii) the word processing, printing and delivery to the Agents of this Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Placement Securities to the Agents, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any capital duties, stamp duties or other duties or taxes payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Securities to the Agents, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (v) the qualification or exemption of the Placement Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Agents of copies of any permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Agents to investors, (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Agents of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any Canadian “wrapper” and any supplements thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of the Custodian and the transfer agent and registrar for the Securities, (ix) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agents in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (x) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Placement Securities on the NYSE, and (xi) the disbursements of counsel for the Agents in connection with the copying and delivery of closing documents delivered by the Company or the Company’s accountants or counsel (including any local counsel) and (xii) the Company shall reimburse the Agents for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents incurred by the Agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided, however that the aggregate of all such expenses to be paid by the Company pursuant to this Section 8(a) shall not exceed $100,000.

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 9(m) or Section 13(a)(i) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Agents for all of their reasonably incurred out of pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents.

SECTION 9. Conditions of the Agents’ Obligations. The obligations of each of the Agents hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company 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 shall have become effective and shall be available for (i) all sales of Placement Securities issued pursuant to all prior Placement Notices (each as amended by a corresponding Acceptance, if applicable) and (ii) the sale of all Placement Securities contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice (each as amended by a corresponding Acceptance, if applicable).

(b) No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any material document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or such documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(c) No Misstatement or Material Omission. No Agent shall have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in such Agent’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in the Agent’s opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(d) Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings or 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.

(e) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The Agents shall have received the favorable opinion of Company Counsel, required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(p) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(p).

(f) Representation Certificate. The Agents shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(o).

(g) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. The Agents shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant Section 7(q) on or before the date on which such delivery of such Comfort Letter is required pursuant to Section 7(q).

(h) Approval for Listing. The Placement Securities shall either have been (i) approved for listing on NYSE, subject only to notice of issuance, or (ii) the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Securities on NYSE at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.

(i) No Objection. Prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice, FINRA shall have confirmed in writing that it has no objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(j) No Suspension. Trading in the Securities shall not have been suspended on the NYSE.

(k) Additional Documents. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(o), counsel for the Agents 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 Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, contained in this Agreement.

(l) Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.

(m) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section 9 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Agents by written notice to the Company, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 8 hereof and except that, in the case of any termination of this Agreement, Sections 10, 11, 12 and 22 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Agents, their affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) of the Securities Act), and each person, if any, who controls the Agents within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a

material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of any offering of Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 10(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of one counsel chosen by the Agents), 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 reliance upon and in conformity with the Agent Information.

(b) Indemnification by the Agents. Each Agent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section 10, 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), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Agent 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. Counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected as follows: counsel to the Agents and each person, if any, who controls the Agents within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall be selected by the Agents; and counsel to the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act 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 the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for the Agents and each person, if any, who controls the Agents within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, in each case 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 10 or Section 11 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 that indemnifying party is required to reimburse to such indemnified party pursuant to this Section 10, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 10(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 11. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 10 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 any Agent on the

other hand from the offering of the Securities 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 Agents on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions.

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

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

The Company and the Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 11 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 11. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 11 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 11, no Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten or placed by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Agent 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 Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 11, each person, if any, who controls each Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

SECTION 12. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. 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 any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agents or controlling person, or by or on behalf of the Company, and shall survive delivery of the Securities to the Agents.

SECTION 13. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination; General. Each Agent may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, as hereinafter specified at any time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change, or or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings or business affairs of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States, 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 such Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in the Placement Securities has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NYSE, or if trading generally on the NYSE has been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by said exchange or by order of the Commission, the FINRA or any other governmental authority, or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

(b) Termination by the Company. The Company shall have the right, by giving three (3) days’ notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement.

(c) Termination by the Agents. Each Agent shall have the right, by giving three (3) days’ notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement.

(d) Automatic Termination. Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 13, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Securities through the Agents on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein with an aggregate sale price equal to the amount set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement.

(e) Continued Force and Effect. This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 13(a), (b), (c) or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties.

(f) Effectiveness of Termination. Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Agents or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Securities, such Placement Securities shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

(g) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 13, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 8 hereof, and except that, in the case of any termination of this Agreement, Section 5, Section 10, Section 11, Section 12, and Section 22 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 14. Notices. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, 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 Wells Fargo Securities shall be directed to Wells Fargo Securities at Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 375 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10152, fax no. 212-214-8918, Attention of Equity Capital Markets; BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC, 901 East Byrd Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, fax no. 804-780-3250, Attention of Corporate Equity Services; RBC Capital Markets, LLC, 200 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10281, fax no. 212-428-6260, Attention of Equity Capital Markets; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at WGL Holdings, Inc., 101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington D.C. 20080, fax no.: (202) 842-2880, Attention of Anthony M. Nee, Vice President and Treasurer.

SECTION 15. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each of the Agents and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Agents, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 10 and 11 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 Agents, 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 Securities from any of the Agents shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 16. Adjustments for Stock Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all stock-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any stock split, stock dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Securities.

SECTION 17. Governing Law and Time. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 18. Effect of Headings. The Section and Exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile or e-mail transmission.

SECTION 20. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below:

“Applicable Time” means the time of each sale of any Securities or any securities pursuant to this Agreement.

“Capital Stock” means any Common Stock or other capital stock of the Company.

“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Company Documents” means any contracts, indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan or credit agreements, bonds, notes, debentures, evidences of indebtedness, leases or other instruments or agreements to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject including, without limitation, all Subject Instruments.

“EDGAR” means the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system.

“Existing Credit Agreement” means the Credit Agreement, dated as of April 3, 2012, among WGL Holdings, Inc., the lenders party thereto, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent; The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., as syndication agent; Branch Banking and Trust Company and TD Bank, N.A., as documentation agents; and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., BB&T Capital Markets and TD Bank, N.A., as joint lead arrangers and joint book runners, as amended, supplemented or restated, if applicable, including any promissory notes, pledge agreements, security agreements, mortgages, guarantees and other instruments or agreements entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in connection therewith or pursuant thereto, in each case as amended, supplemented or restated, if applicable.

“Existing Indenture” means (i) the Indenture Agreement, dated August 28, 2014, by and between WGL Holdings, Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, and (ii) Indenture, dated September 1, 1991, by and between Washington Gas Light Company and The Bank of New York, as Trustee, both (i) and (ii) as amended, supplemented or restated, if applicable, including any debt securities, pledge agreements, security agreements, mortgages, guarantees or other instruments or agreements entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in connection therewith or pursuant thereto, in each case as amended, supplemented or restated, if applicable.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

“FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles.

“Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.”

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show” that is a “written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, and all free writing prospectuses that are listed in Exhibit G hereto, in each case in the form furnished (electronically or otherwise) to the Agents for use in connection with the offering of the Securities.

“Lien” means any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity.

“NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange.

“Organizational Documents” means (a) in the case of a corporation, its charter and by laws; (b) in the case of a limited or general partnership, its partnership certificate, certificate of formation or similar organizational document and its partnership agreement; (c) in the case of a limited liability company, its articles of organization, certificate of formation or similar organizational documents and its operating agreement, limited liability company agreement, membership agreement or other similar agreement; (d) in the case of a trust, its certificate of trust, certificate of formation or similar organizational document and its trust agreement or other similar agreement; and (e) in the case of any other entity, the organizational and governing documents of such entity.

“Preferred Stock” means the Company’s preferred stock, no par value per share.

“Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any bond, note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company.

“Rule 163,” “Rule 164,” “Rule 172,” “Rule 405,” “Rule 415,” “Rule 424(b),” “Rule 430B,” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Securities Act.

“Sarbanes-Oxley Act” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof.

“Subject Instruments” means the Existing Credit Agreement, the Existing Indenture, and all other instruments, agreements and documents filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K of the Commission; provided that if any instrument, agreement or other document filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement as aforesaid has been redacted or if any portion thereof has been deleted or is otherwise not included as part of such exhibit (whether pursuant to a request for confidential treatment or otherwise), the term “Subject Instruments” shall nonetheless mean such instrument, agreement or other document, as the case may be, in its entirety, including any portions thereof which shall have been so redacted, deleted or otherwise not filed.

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, 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 EDGAR; all references in this Agreement to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that, pursuant to Rule 433, are not required to be filed with the Commission) shall be deemed to include the copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR; and all references in this Agreement to “supplements” to the Prospectus shall include, without limitation, any supplements, “wrappers” or similar materials prepared in connection with any offering, sale or private placement of any Placement Securities by the Agents outside of the United States.

SECTION 21. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Agents, and each Agent represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Agents or by the Company, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents and warrants that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Exhibit G hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.

SECTION 22. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) Each Agent is acting solely as agent and/or principal in connection with the public offering of the Securities and in connection with each transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transactions, and no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company or any of its respective affiliates, shareholders (or other equity holders), creditors or employees or any other party, on the one hand, and the Agents, on the other hand, has been or will be created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not the Agents has advised or is advising the Company on other matters, and each Agent has no obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement;

(b) the public offering price of the Securities set forth in this Agreement was not established by the Agents;

(c) it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(d) no Agent has provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate;

(e) it is aware that the Agents and their respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and the Agents have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and

(f) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Agents for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Agents shall not have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company, employees or creditors of Company.

[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 between each Agent and the Company in accordance with its terms.


Very truly yours,

WGL HOLDINGS, INC.

By:		/s/ Vincent L. Ammann, Jr.
		Name: Vincent L. Ammann, Jr.
		Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


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

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC

By		/s/ Gregory M. Ogborn
		Authorized Signatory

BB&T CAPITAL MARKETS, A
DIVISION OF BB&T SECURITIES, LLC

By		/s/ Michael L. Essex
		Authorized Signatory

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC

By		/s/ Michael Goldberg
		Authorized Signatory

Exhibit 5.1

November 24, 2015

WGL Holdings, Inc.

101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20080

Re:

Prospectus Supplement and Equity Distribution Agreement

Relating to the Offering and Sale of Common Stock

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of WGL Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”). I make reference to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-208190) (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) by the Company on November 24, 2015 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), including the prospectus included therein (the “Prospectus”), which registered shares of common stock, no par value, of the Company (“Common Stock”). I submit this opinion of counsel in connection with the offer and sale by the Company of up to $150,000,000 of shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) as described in the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, dated November 24, 2015 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5) under the Act. The Shares are being offered and sold to the public pursuant to an Equity Distribution Agreement, dated November 24, 2015 (the “Distribution Agreement”), between the Company, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC (the “Agents”).

In arriving at the opinions expressed below, I have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to my satisfaction as being true and complete copies of the originals, of such documents, corporate records, certificates of officers of the Company and of public officials and other instruments as I have deemed necessary or advisable to enable me to render these opinions. In my examination, I have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to me as originals and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to me as copies. As to any facts material to these opinions, I have relied to the extent I deemed appropriate and without independent investigation upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others.

For purposes of this opinion I have assumed that (i) at the time of any offer, issuance and sale of the Common Stock, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) will remain effective under the Act, and no stop order suspending its effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect; (ii) all Common Stock will be issued in compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement; and (iii) the Common Stock will not be issued in violation of the ownership limit contained in the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended and supplemented.

Based on the foregoing and subject to the qualifications and limitations expressed below, I am of the opinion that:

When Shares have been issued and paid for as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus Supplement and the Distribution Agreement; and if all the foregoing actions are taken pursuant to authority granted in duly adopted resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors, and so as not to violate any applicable law, and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed in connection with the execution of the Distribution Agreement, and to the reference to me under the caption “Legal Opinions” in the Prospectus Supplement. In giving my consent, I do not thereby admit that I am within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Act.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Leslie T. Thornton

Leslie T. Thornton

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Wgl (NYSE:WGL)
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