ATO Atmos Energy Corp

Exhibit 1.1

ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

$1,700,000,000

Common Stock

(no par value per share)

EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

December 3, 2024

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10019

and the Managers and Forward Purchasers listed in Schedule A hereto.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Atmos Energy Corporation, a Texas and Virginia corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., CIBC World Markets Corp., Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Huntington Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Regions Securities LLC, TD Securities (USA) LLC, Truist Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (each, a “Manager” and collectively, the “Managers”), and BNP Paribas, Bank of America, N.A., Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, as Agent, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Huntington Securities, Inc., JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Mizuho Markets Americas LLC (with Mizuho Securities USA LLC acting as agent), MUFG Securities EMEA plc, Regions Securities LLC, The Toronto-Dominion Bank, Truist Bank and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (in such capacity, each, a “Forward Purchaser” and collectively, the “Forward Purchasers”) as follows:

SECTION 1. Description of Securities. The Company proposes to issue and sell (i) through or to the Managers, as sales agents and/or principals, or (ii) in connection with one or more Confirmations (as hereinafter defined) entered into with the Forward Purchasers, in each case, shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $1,700,000,000 (the “Shares”), from time to time during the term of this Agreement and on the terms set forth in Section 3 of this Agreement. For purposes of selling the Shares through the Managers, the Company hereby appoints the Managers as exclusive agents of the Company for the purpose of soliciting purchases of the Shares from the Company pursuant to this Agreement and each Manager agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to solicit purchases of the Shares on the terms and subject to the conditions stated herein. The Company hereby reserves the right to issue and sell shares of Common Stock other than through or to the Managers during the term of this Agreement on terms that it deems appropriate.

The Company may enter into one or more forward stock purchase transactions with the Forward Purchasers as set forth in the applicable Confirmations (as hereinafter defined). Subject to the terms and conditions herein and therein, under each Confirmation, the Company will deliver to the applicable Forward Purchaser, or an affiliate thereof, up to the number of Shares as may be sold in accordance with this Agreement in connection with such Confirmation. In connection therewith, the Company and the Forward Purchasers understand that the applicable Forward Purchaser, through the relevant Manager, acting as a forward seller, will effect sales of Shares on the terms set forth in Section 3 of this Agreement. “Confirmation” means, for each Forward Sale (as hereinafter defined) of the Shares, the contract evidencing such Forward Sale between the Company and the relevant Forward Purchaser, which shall be comprised of the Master Confirmation for Forward Sale, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Forward Purchaser, including all provisions incorporated by reference therein (each, a “Master Forward Confirmation”), and the related “Supplemental Confirmation” (as defined in such Master Forward Confirmation) and the related “Hedge Completion Notice” (as defined in such Master Forward Confirmation).

SECTION 2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Managers and the Forward Purchasers that:

(a) An automatic registration statement on Form S-3ASR (File No. 333-283563) (the “registration statement”) has heretofore become, and is, effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively called the “Act”); the registration statement and the Prospectus Supplement (as defined below) set forth the terms of an offering, sale and plan of distribution of shares of the Common Stock and/or other securities of the Company and contains or incorporates therein by reference additional information concerning the Company and its business; no stop order of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) preventing or suspending the use of any Basic Prospectus (as defined below), the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus (as defined below) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (as defined below), has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Registration Statement,” as used herein, means the registration statement, as amended at the time of such registration statement’s effectiveness for purposes of Section 11 of the Act (the “Effective Time”), as such section applies to each Manager, including (i) all documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, (ii) any information contained or incorporated by reference in a prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, to the extent such information is deemed, pursuant to Rule 430B or Rule 430C under the Act, to be part of the registration statement at the Effective Time, and (iii) any registration statement filed to register the offer and sale of Shares pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Basic Prospectus,” as used herein, means the base prospectus filed as part of each Registration Statement, together with any amendments or supplements thereto as of the date of this Agreement. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Prospectus Supplement,” as used herein, means the final prospectus supplement, relating to the Shares, filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act on or before the second business day after the date hereof (or such earlier time as may be required under the Act), in the form furnished by the Company to each Manager in connection with the offering of the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Prospectus,” as used herein, means the Prospectus Supplement together with the Basic Prospectus attached to or used with the Prospectus Supplement. “Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses,” as used herein, means the documents

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listed on Annex A attached hereto. Any reference herein to the registration statement, the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference, or deemed to be incorporated by reference, therein (the “Incorporated Documents”), including, unless the context otherwise requires, the documents, if any, filed as exhibits to such Incorporated Documents. Any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), on or after the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, or the date of such Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, as the case may be, and deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.

(b) (i) At the respective times the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Managers pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the Act, as of the time of each sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation (each, a “Time of Sale”) and Settlement Date (as defined below), if any, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations under the Act; (ii) the Basic Prospectus complied or will comply, at the time it was or will be filed with the Commission, complies as of the date hereof (if filed with the Commission on or prior to the date hereof) and will comply, as of each Time of Sale, if any, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares, in all material respects with the rules and regulations under the Act; (iii) each of the Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus will comply, as of the date that it is filed with the Commission, the date of the Prospectus Supplement, as of each Time of Sale and Settlement Date, if any, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares, in all material respects with the rules and regulations under the Act; (iv) the Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and any further Incorporated Documents so filed and incorporated by reference, when they are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and (iv) each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Act and has been filed or will be filed in accordance with the Act (to the extent required thereby).

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(c) (i) at the Effective Time with respect to the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, the Registration Statement did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) as of each Time of Sale, the Prospectus (as amended and supplemented at such Time of Sale) and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and (iii) as of its date and at any Settlement Date, the Prospectus did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Managers expressly for use in the Prospectus or in the General Disclosure Package, which information is specified in Section 6(b).

(d) Each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Managers, did not, does not and will not include any material information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; any electronic roadshow relating to the offering of the Shares, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, as of the Time of Sale, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(e) Other than the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus and any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Act or Rule 134 under the Act, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Managers) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any Shares required to be filed with the Commission without the Managers’ consent (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives being referred to herein as a “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), other than any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.

(f) (A) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 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), and (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” and was not an “ineligible issuer,” in each case, as defined in Rule 405 of the Act; and (B) at the time of filing of the Registration Statement, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act. The Company agrees to pay the fees required by the Commission relating to the Shares within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r).

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(g) To the extent that the Registration Statement is not available for the sales of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation or the Company is not a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 or otherwise is unable to make the representations set forth in Section 2(f) at any time when such representations are required, the Company shall file a new registration statement with respect to any additional shares of Common Stock necessary to complete such sales of the Shares and shall cause such registration statement to become effective as promptly as practicable. After the effectiveness of any such registration statement, all references to “Registration Statement” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include such new registration statement, including all documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, and all references to “Basic Prospectus” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the final form of prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in any such registration statement at the time such registration statement became effective.

(h) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Texas and the Commonwealth of Virginia and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a material adverse change, or a development known to the Company involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs, management or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

(i) Each “significant subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Act) of the Company (each a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”), if any, (a) has been duly organized and is validly existing as an entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, (b) has corporate or limited liability company power and authority, as applicable, to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and (c) is duly qualified as a foreign entity to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except in the cases of clauses (b) and (c) where the failure to have such power and authority or to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The only Subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries listed on Schedule I, and the Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed on Schedule II.

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(j) The Company has an authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements, acquisitions or employee benefit plans each referred to in the Registration Statement, pursuant to the exercise of options or vesting of share unit awards issued under employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, or pursuant to the Company’s Equity Distribution Agreement dated as of May 8, 2024 and any forward sale confirmations entered into thereunder); and all of the issued shares of capital stock, including the Common Stock, of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company; the Company’s Common Stock has been registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock from the NYSE, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

(k) All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or limited liability company membership interests, as the case may be, of each Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity except for such liens, encumbrances, equities or claims as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock or limited liability company membership interests, as the case may be, of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary.

(l) The Shares (including the Settlement Shares (as defined in the applicable Master Forward Confirmation)) have been duly authorized by the Company and reserved for issuance by the Company, and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, will be fully paid and non-assessable and will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares (including the Settlement Shares) will not be subject to preemptive or similar rights.

(m) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation.

(n) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter, bylaws or other organizational documents or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) except for such

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defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and (i) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation and any other agreement or instrument entered into or issued or to be entered into or issued by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated in each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares (including the Settlement Shares) as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”), and (ii) compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other action on the part of the Company and any of the subsidiaries and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges, encumbrances or a Repayment Event that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of (y) the provisions of the charter, bylaws or other organizational documents of the Company or any subsidiary or (z) any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations except, with respect to (z), as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right, whether with or without giving of notice or passage of time or both, to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary.

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

(p) There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending against, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which is required to be disclosed in the Basic Prospectus or Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or which might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might reasonably be expected to affect the properties, assets or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, except what does not result in a Material Adverse Effect, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation or the performance by the Company and its subsidiaries of its obligations hereunder or thereby.

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(q) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries own or possess or have the right to use, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them the absence of which would have a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement, conflict, invalidity or inadequacy would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(r) The Company has not entered into any other sales agency or distribution agreements or similar arrangements with any agent or other representative in respect of the Shares or any at the market offerings of Common Stock in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) of the Act that remain in force.

(s) There have been issued and, at each Time of Sale, Settlement Date and Representation Date (as defined below), as the case may be, there shall be in full force and effect orders or authorizations of the regulatory authorities of the states of Colorado, Kentucky and Virginia authorizing the issuance and sale of the Shares (including the Settlement Shares) on terms herein set forth or contemplated, and no other filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation, the issuance and sale of the Shares (including the Settlement Shares) and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation, except for the registration of the Shares under the Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Managers.

(t) The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents, and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

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(u) There are no persons or entities with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered under the Registration Statement who have not properly waived such rights in connection with the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement and in connection with this offering of Shares.

(v) The Company and its subsidiaries have good title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or (b) would not singly or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the leases and subleases of the Company and its subsidiaries under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are in full force and effect, except as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(w) The Company has not sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation pursuant to the Act or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

(x) The financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus with respect to the Company, when considered in relation to the financial statements taken as a whole, present fairly, in all material respects in accordance with GAAP, the financial information set forth therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements of the Company.

(y) Ernst & Young LLP, who have audited financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, whose report is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, who have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and who have delivered the initial letter referred to in Section 5(g) hereof, are independent registered public accountants as required by the Act.

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(z) The interactive data in the eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement 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.

(aa) The Company and each of its subsidiaries are not, and as of each Time of Sale and Settlement Date, if any, and upon the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and upon consummation of the transactions contemplated by any Confirmation, none of them will be, (i) an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or (ii) a “business development company” (as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Company Act).

(bb) (i) Each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance in all respects with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code except where failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (a) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that would result in a Material Adverse Effect, (b) no “accumulated funding deficiency” (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code), whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that would result in a Material Adverse Effect, (c) the fair market value of the assets under each Plan exceeds the actuarial present value of the benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan) except where failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and (d) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA) that would result in a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service as to its qualified status and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification that would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(cc) The Company is in compliance, in all material respects, with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to the extent currently applicable.

(dd) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and local income and franchise tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof and have paid all taxes due thereon, except such as are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries that has had, and the Company does not have any knowledge of any tax deficiency that would have, a Material Adverse Effect.

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(ee) The Company and its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties, except where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

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

(gg) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to provide reasonable assurance

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that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries that is required to be disclosed in the reports the Company files, furnishes, submits or otherwise provides to the Commission under the Exchange Act is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities in such a manner as to allow timely decisions regarding the required disclosure; such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

(hh) Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers or counsel for the Managers and the Forward Purchasers in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby on the date of such certificate, to each Manager and Forward Purchaser.

(ii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

(jj) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-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 Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(kk) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), (collectively, “Sanctions”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business

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with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is subject to Sanctions, or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any operations or transact any business outside of the United States. All of the proceeds from the offering will be used in the United States.

(ll) 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.

(mm) Except pursuant to this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

(nn) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any of their respective directors, officers, affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

(oo) This Agreement and each Master Forward Confirmation has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes, and any Supplemental Confirmation will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and will constitute, a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The description of this Agreement and the Master Forward Confirmations set forth in the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package is correct in all material respects.

(pp) Assuming that the Managers comply with Rule 173 of the Securities Act in connection with the sales of Shares in an amount not less than the Number of Shares (as defined in the Master Forward Confirmations), (i) the issuance and sale by the Company of the Settlement Shares to the Forward Purchasers or their affiliates in settlement of each Master Forward Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation in accordance with the terms thereof and the delivery by the Forward Purchasers or their affiliates of the Settlement Shares, during the term of and at settlement of the applicable Master Forward Confirmation and any such Supplemental Confirmation to close out open borrowings of Common Stock created in the course of the hedging activities created by the Forward Purchasers or their affiliates relating to its exposure under the applicable Master Forward Confirmation and such Supplemental Confirmation will not require registration under the

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Securities Act, (ii) the Company will not have an obligation to file a prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act regulations in connection with any Settlement Shares delivered to the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate by the Company upon such settlement, and (iii) no prospectus supplement will be required to be filed under Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act in connection with any Settlement Shares delivered by the Forward Purchasers or their affiliates to close out open borrowings created in the course of the hedging activities created by the Forward Purchasers or their affiliates relating to their exposure under the applicable Master Forward Confirmation and such Supplemental Confirmation.

(qq) Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, (x)(i) to the Company’s knowledge, there has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data, or equipment owned by the Company or its subsidiaries or of any data of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors that they maintain or that, to their best knowledge after due inquiry, any third party maintains on their behalf (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) that had, or would reasonably be expected to have had, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data that had, or would reasonably be expected to have had, a Material Adverse Effect; (y) the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the protection of IT Systems and Data from a security breach or unauthorized use, access, misappropriation, modification or other compromise, except as would not, in the case of this clause (y), individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (z) the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.

SECTION 3. Sale and Delivery of Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and each of the Managers agree that (x) the Company may from time to time seek to sell Shares through the Managers, acting as sales agents, or directly to the Managers acting as principals (any such agented or principal sale, a “Direct Sale”) or (y) the Company may, in consultation with the Forward Purchasers and the Managers, instruct the Forward Purchasers or their affiliates acting as forward sellers (any such sale, a “Forward Sale”) to borrow, offer and sell Shares through the Managers (acting as agents or principals of the Forward Purchasers), as follows:

(a) The Company may submit to a Manager its orders (including any price, time or size limits or other customary parameters or conditions) to sell Shares on any Trading Day (as defined below) in a form and manner as mutually agreed to by the Company and such Manager; provided, however, that the Company will only submit its orders to one of the Managers on a single Trading Day. Such instruction shall also specify whether such Shares (i) will be sold through the Manager, acting as sales agent or principal in a Direct Sale, or (ii) borrowed by a Forward Purchaser or its affiliates and sold through the relevant Manager, as forward seller in connection with a Forward Sale. As used herein, “Trading Day” shall mean any trading day on the NYSE.

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(b) Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, each Manager shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to execute any Company order submitted to it hereunder to sell Shares and with respect to which such Manager has agreed to act as sales agent or principal, if a Direct Sale, and/or as forward seller, if a Forward Sale. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) there can be no assurance that any Manager will be successful in selling the Shares, (B) a Manager will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Shares for any reason other than a failure by such Manager to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares as required under this Agreement, and (C) Managers shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Managers and the Company.

(c) The Company shall not authorize the issuance and sale of, and the Managers shall not sell as sales agents, any Share at a price lower than the minimum price therefor designated from time to time by the Company and notified to the Managers in writing, which price shall be at least that which has been duly authorized by the Company. In addition, the Company or any Manager may, upon notice to the other party hereto by telephone (confirmed promptly by email or facsimile), suspend an offering of the Shares with respect to which such Manager is acting as sales agent; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold, or with respect to Shares that the Company or the Forward Purchaser has agreed to sell hereunder prior to the giving of such notice. No sale of Shares under this Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation shall occur after December 3, 2027, unless the Company provides to the Managers written evidence satisfactory to them that it has authorized sales to be made after that date.

(d) Each of the Managers hereby covenants and agrees to sell the Shares on behalf of the Company only as permitted by the Act and the applicable securities laws and regulations of any jurisdiction.

(e) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that either (i) a Forward Purchaser is, in its good faith and commercially reasonable judgment, unable, after using commercially reasonable efforts, to borrow and deliver for sale the full number of Shares to be borrowed and sold by such Forward Purchaser under this Agreement or (ii) in the good faith and commercially reasonable judgment of any Forward Purchaser, such Forward Purchaser would incur a stock loan cost that is greater than the Maximum Stock Loan Rate (as defined in the relevant Supplemental Confirmation) to do so, then the relevant Manager shall be required to sell on behalf of such Forward Purchaser only the aggregate number of Shares that such Forward Purchaser is able to borrow in connection with establishing a commercially reasonable hedge position at a cost of no more than the Maximum Stock Loan Rate.

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(f) (i) The compensation to the Managers for sales of the Shares with respect to which each Manager acts as sales agent hereunder shall be equal to 1.00% of the gross offering proceeds of the Shares sold by such Manager pursuant to this Agreement, and (ii) the compensation payable to the Manager for sales of Shares with respect to which the Managers acts as forward sellers shall be reflected in a reduction of 1.00% in the Initial Forward Price (as such term is defined in each Master Forward Confirmation). The remaining proceeds shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company or the Forward Purchasers, as applicable, for such sales (the “Net Proceeds”). The Company may sell Shares to the Managers as principals at a price agreed upon at the relevant Time of Sale. Any compensation or commission due and payable to any Manager hereunder with respect to any sale of Shares during a calendar month shall be paid by the Company to such Manager in arrears on the first Trading Day of following calendar month, by wire or internal bank transfer of same day funds to an account designated by such Manager.

(g) Settlement for sales of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement will occur on the first Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading or such other day that is otherwise required or permitted by Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, as amended at the time of such settlement) following the date on which such sales are made. On each settlement date for any Direct Sale (each such day, a “Direct Settlement Date”), the Shares sold through or to a Manager for settlement on such date shall be issued and delivered by the Company to such Manager against payment of the gross proceeds from the sale of such Shares. Settlement for all such Shares shall be effected by free delivery of the Shares by the Company or its transfer agent to such Manager’s or its designee’s account (provided the Manager shall have given the Company written notice of such designee prior to the Direct 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, in return for payments in same day funds delivered to the account designated by the Company. If the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) shall default on its obligation to deliver the Shares on any Direct Settlement Date, the Company shall (A) hold such Manager harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or expense (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company, and (B) pay such Manager any commission, discount or other compensation to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default.

(h) On each date of settlement for any Forward Sale (each such day, a “Forward Settlement Date,” and together with a Direct Settlement Date, a “Settlement Date”), the Shares shall be delivered by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliates to the Manager in book-entry form to the Manager’s account at The Depository Trust Company against payment by the Manager of the Net Proceeds from the sale of such Shares in same day funds delivered to an account designated by the Forward Purchaser.

(i) The Manager participating in any Direct or Forward Sale shall provide written confirmation (which may be by facsimile or email) to the Company following the close of trading on the NYSE each day in which the Shares are sold under this Agreement setting forth (A) the amount of the Shares sold on such day and the gross offering proceeds received from such sale, (B) the commission payable by the Company to such Manager with respect to such sales, and (C) the aggregate Net Proceeds to the Company or the Forward Purchaser, as applicable.

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(j) At each Time of Sale, Settlement Date and Representation Date (as defined below), the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement as if such representation and warranty were made as of such date but modified to incorporate the disclosures contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, in each case as amended or supplemented as of such date. Any obligation of a Manager to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell the Shares on behalf of the Company as sales agent shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein (as modified in the manner described above), to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the continuing satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 5 of this Agreement.

(k) If any party 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 Shares, it shall promptly notify the other party and sales of the Shares under this Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.

(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall not request the sale of any Shares that would be sold, and no Manager or Forward Purchaser shall be obligated to sell, during any period in which the Company is in possession of material non-public information.

SECTION 4. Covenants of the Company. The Company agrees with each of the Managers and the Forward Purchasers:

(a) To make no amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, any Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus after the date of this Agreement and during the period in which a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), prior to having furnished the Managers with a copy of the proposed form thereof and given the Managers a reasonable opportunity to review the same (other than any report filed under the Exchange Act or any prospectus supplement relating to the offering of securities other than Common Stock); to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus Supplement and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule); and during such same period to advise the Managers, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus has been filed or electronically transmitted for filing, of the issuance of any stop

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order by the Commission, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any such stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus relating to the Shares or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its best efforts to obtain its withdrawal.

(b) To furnish the Managers with copies of the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits) and copies of the Prospectus (or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented) in such quantities as the Managers may from time to time reasonably request; and if, after the date of this Agreement and during the period in which a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), either (i) any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (ii) for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act, to notify the Managers promptly to suspend solicitation of purchases of the Shares and forthwith upon receipt of such notice, each Manager shall suspend its solicitation of purchases of the Shares and shall cease using the Prospectus (provided that the Company’s furnishing to the Managers of its schedule of ordinary course blackout periods shall constitute “notice” for purposes of this subclause 4(b)(ii) with respect to filings that trigger such ordinary course blackout periods); and if the Company shall decide to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, it will promptly advise the Managers by telephone (with confirmation in writing) and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, will advise the Managers when the Managers are free to resume such solicitation and will prepare and furnish to the Managers as many copies as the Managers may reasonably request of such amendment or supplement; and in case the Managers are required to deliver under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), a prospectus relating to the Shares after the nine-month period referred to in Section 10(a)(3) of the Act, or after the time a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement is required pursuant to Item 512(a) of Regulation S-K under the Act, upon the request of the Managers, and at its own expense, to prepare and deliver to the Managers as many copies as the Managers may request of an amended Registration Statement or amended or supplemented prospectus complying with Item 512(a) of Regulation S-K or Section 10(a)(3) of the Act, as the case may be. The requirements to furnish documents to the Managers in this subsection may be met by filing such documents with the Commission, unless otherwise required by law.

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(c) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Managers or Forward Purchasers may reasonably request in order to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of such states as the Managers or Forward Purchasers may request and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as necessary under such laws for the distribution of the Shares, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation to do business, or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.

(d) To make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event no later than eighteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as such date is defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries complying with Rule 158 under the Act and covering a period of at least twelve consecutive months beginning after such effective date.

(e) To pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including the cost of all qualifications of the Shares under state securities laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers in connection with such qualifications and with legal investment surveys), any costs relating to the listing of the Shares on the NYSE and the cost of printing this Agreement and the reasonable documented out-of-pocket expenses of the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, including the reasonable fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel for the Managers and the Forward Purchasers in connection with this Agreement and the Registration Statement and ongoing services in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder (it being understood that, except as provided in this subsection (e), the Managers and the Forward Purchasers will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the cost of printing any Agreement among Managers, if applicable).

(f) To use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shares to be listed for trading on the NYSE and to maintain such listing.

(g) On the date hereof, upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder, and each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Shares), (ii) there is filed with the Commission any document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus (other than a Current Report on Form 8-K, unless any of the Managers or Forward Purchasers shall otherwise reasonably request), (iii) the Shares are delivered to the Managers as principals on a Settlement Date, or (iv) such other date as the Managers reasonably request (the date hereof, such recommencement date and each such date referred to in (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above, a “Representation Date”), to furnish or cause to be furnished to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers forthwith a certificate dated and delivered the date of effectiveness of such amendment, the date of filing with the Commission of such supplement or other document, or the relevant Settlement Date, as the case may be, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Managers, to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 5(h) of this Agreement which were last furnished to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers are true and correct at the time of such amendment, supplement, filing, or delivery, as the case may

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be, as though made at and as of such time (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such time) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in said Section 5(h), modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such certificate.

(h) On the date hereof, upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder, and at each Representation Date, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers or counsel to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers a written opinion and negative assurance letter of the General Counsel of the Company, or other internal counsel of the Company satisfactory to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, in their reasonable judgment (collectively, “Company Counsel”), dated as of such Representation Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers in their reasonable judgment, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, counsel may furnish the Managers and the Forward Purchasers with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Managers and the Forward Purchasers may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 4(h) 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).

(i) On the date hereof, upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder, and at each Representation Date, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, counsel to the Company, shall deliver a written opinion and negative assurance letter, dated as of such Representation Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, counsel may furnish the Managers and the Forward Purchasers with a Reliance Letter to the effect that the Managers and the Forward Purchasers may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 4(i) 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).

(j) On the date hereof, upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder, and at each Representation Date, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, as Virginia counsel for the Company, shall deliver a written opinion, dated as of such Representation Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation

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Dates, counsel may furnish the Managers and the Forward Purchasers with a Reliance Letter to the effect that the Managers and the Forward Purchasers may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 4(j) 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).

(k) On the date hereof, upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder, and at each Representation Date, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, counsel to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, shall deliver a written opinion and negative assurance letter, dated as of such Representation Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, counsel may furnish the Managers and the Forward Purchasers with a Reliance Letter to the effect that the Managers and the Forward Purchasers may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 4(k) 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).

(l) On the date hereof, upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder, if the Company has filed a current report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information with the Commission during the suspension period, and each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented to include additional amended financial information, (ii) the Shares are delivered to the Managers as principals on a Settlement Date, (iii) the Company shall file an annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q, (iv) there is filed with the Commission any document (other than an annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q) incorporated by reference into the Prospectus which contains additional or amended financial information, or (v) on such other dates as may be reasonably requested by the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, to cause Ernst & Young LLP, or other independent accountants satisfactory to the Managers (the “Accountants”), forthwith to furnish the Managers and the Forward Purchasers a letter, dated the date of effectiveness of such amendment, the date of filing of such supplement or other document with the Commission, or the Settlement Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the 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.

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(m) The obligations of any party contained in Sections 4(g), 4(h), 4(i), 4(j), 4(k), and 4(l) may be satisfied by delivery on an alternative date, which certificates, opinions, and letters may be dated as of such alternative date; provided that such alternative date is mutually agreed upon by the Company and the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, if applicable.

(n) The obligation to deliver or cause to be delivered the documents referred to in Sections 4(g), 4(h), 4(i), 4(j), 4(k), and 4(l) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no instruction by the Company to any Manager to sell Shares under this Agreement is in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers an instruction to any Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3(a) hereof (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date for which no such waiver is made; provided, however, that the Company may elect, in its sole discretion, to deliver or cause to be delivered the documents referred to in Sections 4(g), 4(h), 4(i), 4(j), 4(k), and 4(l) and thereby satisfy its obligations hereunder, notwithstanding the fact that no instruction by the Company to the Managers to sell Shares under this Agreement is in effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not deliver or cause to be delivered the documents referred to in Sections 4(g), 4(h), 4(i), 4(j), 4(k), and 4(l) then before the Company delivers an instruction pursuant to Section 3(a) or any Manager sells any Shares, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered documents of the same tenor as those referred to in Sections 5(c), 5(d), 5(e), 5(f), 5(g), and 5(h) of this Agreement.

(o) To make available its appropriate officers and to cause such officers to participate in a call with the Managers, the Forward Purchasers and their counsel on a quarterly basis, or otherwise as the Manager selling the Shares at such time may reasonably request; such call shall be for the purpose of updating the Managers’ due diligence review of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. The obligations set forth in the preceding sentence of this Section 4(o) shall be waived for any quarterly call that would otherwise occur but at which time a waiver as described in Section 4(n) hereof is in effect; provided, however, that the Company may elect, in its sole discretion, to conduct a quarterly call as set forth in the first sentence of this Section 4(o) and thereby satisfy its obligations hereunder, notwithstanding the fact that a waiver as described in Section 4(n) hereof is in effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if during the period that the provisions of this Section 4(o) are waived or calls are to be postponed by operation of the next sentence, a Representation Date has occurred or a quarterly call set forth in the first sentence of this Section 4(o) would have occurred, it shall be a precondition to recommencing sales of Shares hereunder that the Company shall first make available its appropriate officers and to cause such officers to participate in a call with the Managers and the Forward Purchasers upon such Managers’ request in the manner set forth in the first sentence of this Section 4(o). Additionally, if any call required by the first sentence of this Section 4(o) would otherwise be required by this Section 4(o) to be conducted during

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a period when the Company, in its sole discretion, determines that it is unable to sell Shares to the public because of the operation of a Company black-out period or because it may be in possession of material, non-public information that it is unwilling to disclose at the time, such call(s) shall be postponed until such time as the Company provides notice to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers that it has determined, in its sole discretion, that such black-out or postponement period has ended or has otherwise been terminated. Any suspension of the provisions of this Section 4(o) shall not affect the Company’s obligations provided for elsewhere in this Agreement.

(p) To reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, Shares for the purpose of enabling the Company to satisfy its obligations hereunder.

(q) That it consents to each Manager and each Forward Purchaser trading in the Common Stock for the Manager’s or Forward Purchaser’s own account and for the accounts of its clients at the same time as sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement.

(r) If, to the knowledge of the Company, any condition set forth in Section 5(a) or 5(i) of this Agreement shall not have been satisfied on the applicable Settlement Date, to offer to any person who has agreed to purchase the Shares from the Company as the result of an offer to purchase solicited by the Managers the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.

(s) That each acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase the Shares hereunder shall be deemed to be an affirmation to the Managers that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such acceptance as though made at and as of such date, and an undertaking that such representations and warranties will be true and correct as of the Settlement Date for the Shares relating to such acceptance as though made at and as of such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Shares).

(t) To comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in such rule, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.

(u) To disclose in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in its annual report on Form 10-K the number of Shares sold through or to the Managers and by the forward sellers under this Agreement and the Net Proceeds to the Company with respect to Shares sold under this Agreement, in each case, during the period covered by the report.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Managers’ Obligations. The obligations of each of the Managers and the Forward Purchasers hereunder with respect to any order submitted to a Manager by the Company to sell Shares or any agreement by a Manager to purchase Shares as principal are subject to the condition that (i) the representations and warranties on the part of the Company on the date hereof, and as of any Time of Sale and Settlement Date are true and correct, (ii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and (iii) the following additional conditions precedent:

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(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus, any amendment or supplement thereto and each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Act (in the case of a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Act); and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with or otherwise satisfied.

(b) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there shall not have occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting particularly the business or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole, or any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, which in any such case makes it impracticable or inadvisable in the reasonable judgment of the Managers to proceed with the public offering, sale, delivery or purchase of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement.

(c) The Company shall furnish to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, at every date specified in Section 4(h) of this Agreement, opinions of Company Counsel, addressed to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(h).

(d) The Managers and the Forward Purchasers shall have received, at every date specified in Section 4(i) of this Agreement, the favorable opinions of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, counsel to the Company, required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(i).

(e) The Managers and the Forward Purchasers shall have received, at every date specified in Section 4(j) of this Agreement, the favorable opinions of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, as Virginia counsel for the Company, required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(j).

(f) The Managers and the Forward Purchasers shall have received, at every date specified in Section 4(k) of this Agreement, the favorable opinions of Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, counsel to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(k).

(g) At the dates specified in Section 4(l) of this Agreement, the Managers and the Forward Purchasers shall have received from the Accountants the comfort letters required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(l).

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(h) The Company will deliver to the Managers and the Forward Purchasers a certificate, dated as of and delivered on each Representation Date, to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of such Representation Date as though made at and as of such Representation Date; (ii) the Company has duly performed, in all material respects, all obligations required to be performed by it pursuant to the terms of this Agreement at or prior to such Representation Date; (iii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, the Prospectus Supplement and each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus have been timely filed with the Commission under the Act (in the case of a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Act), and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission have been complied with or otherwise satisfied; and (iv) there has been no material adverse change, or a development known to the Company involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs, management or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.

(i) All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Act to have been filed by each Time of Sale or related Settlement Date shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424 (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)).

(j) The Shares shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject only to notice of issuance at or prior to the Settlement Date.

(k) The Common Stock shall be 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.

SECTION 6. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) Indemnification of the Managers. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Manager, each Forward Purchaser, their respective affiliates, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls such Manager or Forward Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, (ii) or any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Act (a “road show”) or any General Disclosure Package (including any General Disclosure Package that

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has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Manager or Forward Purchaser furnished to the Company in writing by such Manager or Forward Purchaser expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Manager or Forward Purchaser consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.

(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Manager and each Forward Purchaser agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers, its affiliates, its employees and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Manager or Forward Purchaser furnished to the Company in writing by such Manager or Forward Purchaser expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, any road show or any General Disclosure Package (including any General Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Manager or Forward Purchaser consists of the following information in the Prospectus: the 2^nd paragraph under the heading “Conflicts of Interest” in the section “Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest).”

(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under paragraph (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under paragraph (a) or (b) above. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the

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Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person or other Indemnified Parties; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interest between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel and except as described in the preceding sentence) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Manager, Forward Purchaser, their respective affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Manager or such Forward Purchaser shall be designated in writing by such Manager or such Forward Purchaser and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding, and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Managers and the Forward Purchasers on the other, from the offering of the Shares 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) but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Managers and the Forward Purchasers on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Managers and the Forward Purchasers on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Shares (which shall be

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deemed to include the proceeds that would be received by the Company upon physical settlement of the Confirmation assuming that the aggregate amount payable by the Forward Purchaser under the Confirmation is equal to the aggregate amount of the net proceeds realized upon the sale of the Shares) bear to the total commissions received by the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, in each case as determined by this Agreement. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Managers and the Forward Purchasers on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Managers and the Forward Purchasers and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company, the Managers and the Forward Purchasers agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph (d) above were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Managers were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (d) and (e), in no event shall a Manager or Forward Purchaser be required to contribute any amount in excess of (i) the amount by which the total commissions received by such Manager or Forward Purchaser in connection with the sale of Shares on behalf of the Company, and (ii) the total compensation received by the Manager in connection with the sale of Shares on behalf of the Forward Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement exceeds the amount of any damages that such Manager or Forward Purchaser has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Managers’ obligations and Forward Purchasers’ obligations to contribute pursuant to paragraphs (d) and (e) are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this Section 6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

SECTION 7. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, the Managers and Forward Purchasers, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of the Managers or the Forward Purchasers or any of their respective controlling persons, affiliates, employees, directors or officers, or by or on behalf of the Company, or any affiliate, employee, officer, director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

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SECTION 8. Termination.

(a) The Company shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to offers and sales of Shares in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that (i) if the Shares have been sold through the Managers for the Company, then Sections 3(g) and 4(f) of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect with respect to and to the extent of such Shares sold, (ii) with respect to any pending Direct Sale or Forward Sale to or through the Managers, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of compensation of the Managers, shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the termination, and (iii) Sections 4(e), 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 18 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

(b) Each Manager and each Forward Purchaser shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the offers and sales of Shares by such Manager in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 4(e), 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 18 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

(c) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 8(a) or (b) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Sections 4(e), 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 18 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

(d) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided that such termination shall not be effective until the receipt of such notice by the Managers and the Forward Purchasers or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of the Shares, such sale shall settle in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(g) of this Agreement.

SECTION 9. Notices. Except as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements under this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered by hand, overnight courier, mail, email or facsimile and, if to the Managers, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to BofA Securities, Inc., One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, Attention: ATM Execution Group, email: dg.atm_execution@bofa.com; BNP Paribas Securities Corp., 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, Attention: Robert McDonald, email: dl.nyk.ste@us.bnpparibas.com; CIBC World Markets Corp., 300 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10017, Attention: Mark Siconolfi, email: mark.siconolfi@cibc.com and Greg Ogborn, email: greg.ogborn@cibc.com; Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Douglas Cheng, email:

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douglas.cheng@ca-cib.com with a copy to equitycapitalmarkets@ca-cib.com; Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Registration Department; Huntington Securities, Inc., 41 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, Attention: Peter Dippolito, email: peter.dippolito@huntington.com, with copy to equitycapitalmarkets@huntington.com; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10179, Attention: Sanjeet Dewal, email: Sanjeet.S.Dewal@JPMorgan.com; Mizuho Securities USA LLC, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, email: US-ECM@us.mizuho-sc.com; MUFG Securities Americas Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6^th Floor, New York, New York 10020, Attention: Capital Markets Group, Fax: (646) 434-3455, Email: FLOEStransactions@us.sc.mufg.jp and ECM@us.sc.mufg.jp; Regions Securities LLC, 615 South College Street, Suite 600, Charlotte, NC 28202; TD Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: ECM ATM Execution Team, Michael Murphy; 1 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017, email: TDS_ATM@tdsecurities.com and Michael.murphy3@tdsecurities.com; Truist Securities, Inc., 3333 Peachtree Road NE, 11^th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, email: dl.atm.offering@truist.com; Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 500 West 33rd Street, New York, New York 10001, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, Fax: (212) 214-5918; if to the Forward Purchasers, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to Bank of America, N.A., One Bryant Park, 8th Fl., New York, NY 10036, Attention: Strategic Equity Solutions Group, Telephone: 646-855-8900, email: dg.issuer_derivatives_notices@bofa.com; BNP Paribas, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Robert A. McDonald, email: dl.nyk.ste@us.bnpparibas.com; Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, 300 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10017, Attention: Mark Siconolfi, email: mark.siconolfi@cibc.com and Greg Ogborn, email: greg.ogborn@cibc.com; Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, 12 place des États-Unis CS 70052, 92547 Montrouge Cedex, France, Attention: Legal Department, Fax: 33.1.41.89.64.79 or 33.1.41.89.29.86, with a copy sent to Service Trading/Produits Dérivés, Attention: Mimoun Nadir, Telephone No. 33.1.41.89.95.84, e-mail: eqd-corporates-emea@ca-cib.com, with a copy sent to Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank c/o Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., as agent, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10019, Attention: Jonathan Fecowicz, Telephone No. (212) 261-3546, e-mail: jonathan.fecowicz@ca-cib.com, antonie.jounet@ca-cib.com; Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Registration Department; Huntington Securities, Inc., 41 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, Attention: Peter Dippolito, email: peter.dippolito@huntington.com, with copy to equitycapitalmarkets@huntington.com; JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, New York Branch, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179 Attention: EDG Marketing Support, email: edg_notices@jpmorgan.com and edg_ny_corporate_sales_support@jpmorgan.com, Fax: (866) 886-4506; Mizuho Securities USA LLC, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, Attention: Mariano Gaut, Managing Director, Telephone No. (212) 205-7605, e-mail: Mariano.gaut@mizuhogroup.com, with a copy to: Mizuho Markets Americas LLC, c/o Mizuho Securities USA LLC, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, Attention: US Equity Derivatives Notices, Telephone No. (646) 949-9531, e-mail: Derivs-EQNoticesUS@mizuhogroup.com; MUFG Securities EMEA plc, Ropemaker Place, 25 Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9AJ, United Kingdom, Attention: Derivative Confirmations, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7577 2898/2875, email: docsconfirms@int.sc.mufg.jp, with a copy to: ECM@us.sc.mufg.jp; Regions Securities LLC, 615 South College Street, Suite 600, Charlotte, NC 28202; The Toronto-Dominion Bank c/o TD Securities (USA) LLC, as agent,

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1 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017, Attention: Global Equity Derivatives, Telephone: (212) 827-7306, E-mail: TDUSA-GEDUSInvestorSolutionsSales@tdsecurities.com and Michael.murphy3@tdsecurities.com and Adriano.pierroz@tdsecurities.com; Truist Bank, 3333 Peachtree Road NE, 11^th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, email: dl.atm.offering@truist.com and michael.collins@truist.com; Wells Fargo Bank, National Association c/o Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 500 West 33rd Street, New York, New York 10001, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, Fax: (212) 214-5918, and, if to the Company, it shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: General Counsel, Fax: (972) 855-3080. Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose.

SECTION 10. Parties at Interest. The Agreement herein set forth has been made solely for the benefit of the Managers, the Forward Purchasers and the Company and to the extent provided in Section 6 of this Agreement the affiliates, employees, controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in such section, and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives and executors and administrators. No other person, partnership, association or corporation (including a purchaser, as such purchaser, from the Managers and the Forward Purchasers) shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.

SECTION 11. No Fiduciary Relationship. The Company hereby acknowledges that each Manager is acting solely as sales agent and/or principal in connection with the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Manager and each Forward Purchaser is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of any Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, the Company or any other person. Additionally, each Manager and Forward Purchaser is not advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Manager has advised or is advising the Company on other matters). Each Manager and each Forward Purchaser advises that such Manager, Forward Purchaser and their respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of securities and financial services and that it or its affiliates may enter into contractual relationships with purchasers or potential purchasers of the Company’s securities and that some of these services or relationships may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and need not be disclosed to the Company, unless otherwise required by law. The Company has consulted with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and each Manager and each Forward Purchaser shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company or any other person with respect thereto. Any review by each of the Managers and Forward Purchasers of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of such Manager or such Forward Purchaser and shall not be on behalf of the Company. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against any of the Managers and Forward Purchasers for breach of fiduciary duty or

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alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that each of the Managers and Forward Purchasers shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

SECTION 12. Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company, the Managers and the Forward Purchasers with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement.

SECTION 13. Law; Construction; Submission to Jurisdiction This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The parties hereto irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in connection with all matters relating hereto and waive any objection to the laying of venue in, and any claim of inconvenient forum with respect to, these courts. Nothing in this provision shall prohibit a party from bringing an action to enforce a money judgment in any other jurisdiction.

SECTION 14. Headings. The Section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.

SECTION 15. Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the Company, the Managers and the Forward Purchasers hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

SECTION 16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may be executed by each of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts, and by each of the parties hereto and thereto on separate counterparts, each of which counterparts, when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. Electronic signatures complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law will be deemed original signatures for purposes of this Agreement. Transmission by telecopy, electronic mail or other transmission method of an executed counterpart of this Agreement will constitute due and sufficient delivery of such counterpart.

32

SECTION 17. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Managers, the Forward Purchasers, the Company and, to the extent provided in Section 6 hereof, the officers, directors, employees, affiliates and controlling persons of the Company, the Managers and the Forward Purchasers referred to in such section, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from the Managers shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 18. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

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

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

As used in this Section 18:

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

“Covered Entity” means any of the following:

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

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

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

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

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

33

SECTION 19. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Managers and the Forward Purchasers are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their clients, as well as other information that will allow the Managers and the Forward Purchasers to properly identify their clients.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

34

If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding among the Company, the Managers and the Forward Purchasers, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this Agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement among the Company, the Managers and the Forward Purchasers. Alternatively, the execution of this Agreement by the Company and its acceptance by or on behalf of the Managers and the Forward Purchasers may be evidenced by an exchange of facsimile or other electronic transmission or other written communications.

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

CREDIT AGRICOLE SECURITIES (USA) INC.

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

HUNTINGTON SECURITIES, INC.

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

MIZUHO SECURITIES USA LLC

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

MUFG SECURITIES AMERICAS INC.

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

REGIONS SECURITIES LLC

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

TRUIST SECURITIES, INC.

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

TD SECURITIES (USA) LLC

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC

as Manager

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE

as Forward Purchaser

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

CRÉDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK

as Forward Purchaser

By:  Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., as agent

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

MIZUHO MARKETS AMERICAS LLC

MIZUHO SECURITIES USA LLC, as agent

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Signature Page to Equity Distribution Agreement

Schedule A

Schedule A

MUFG Securities EMEA plc

Ropemaker Place, 25 Ropemaker Street

London EC2Y 9AJ, United Kingdom

Regions Securities LLC

615 South College Street, Suite 600

Charlotte, NC 28202

The Toronto-Dominion Bank

c/o TD Securities (USA) LLC, as agent

1 Vanderbilt Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Truist Bank

3333 Peachtree Road NE, 11^th Floor

Atlanta, GA 30326

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association

c/o Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

500 West 33rd Street, 14th Floor

New York, New York 10001

Schedule I

SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES

None.

Schedule II

LIST OF ALL SUBSIDIARIES

Atmos Energy Holdings, Inc.

Atmos Energy Kansas Securitization I, LLC

Atmos Energy Louisiana Industrial Gas, LLC

Atmos Energy Services, LLC

Atmos Exploration and Production, Inc.

Atmos Gathering Company, LLC

Atmos Pipeline and Storage, LLC

Atmos Power Systems, Inc.

Blue Flame Insurance Services, Ltd.

Egasco, LLC

Fort Necessity Gas Storage, LLC

Phoenix Gas Gathering Company

Trans Louisiana Gas Pipeline, Inc.

Trans Louisiana Gas Storage, Inc.

UCG Storage, Inc.

WKG Storage, Inc.

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF OPINIONS AND LETTER OF GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE COMPANY

TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 4(H)

1. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Texas and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

2. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

3. The information in the Registration Statement under Item 15, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by me and is correct in all material respects.

4. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements, acquisitions or employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus; pursuant to the exercise of options or vesting of share unit awards under employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus; pursuant to the Company’s Equity Distribution Agreement dated as of May 8, 2024 and any forward sale confirmations entered into thereunder; or pursuant to any forward sale confirmations entered into under the Company’s Equity Distribution Agreement dated as of March 31, 2023); the shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company; the Company’s Common Stock has been registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating such registration or listing, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

5. The Equity Distribution Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

6. Each Master Forward Confirmation has been duly authorized, executed, and delivered by the Company.

7. The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided in the Equity Distribution Agreement and, if applicable, a Confirmation, will be duly and validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable. The issuance of the Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

8. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (other than financial statements and schedules and other information of an accounting or financial nature included or incorporated by reference therein, as to which I express no opinion or belief), when they were filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act.

A-1

9. To the best of my knowledge, there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party, or to which the property of the Company or any subsidiary is subject, before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, which might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Equity Distribution Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder, or which is required to be described in the Prospectus that is not described as required.

10. The information in (a) the Prospectus under “Business – Other Regulation” and “Description of Common Stock,” (b) the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 (the “10-K”) under “Item 1. – Business – Ratemaking Activity” and under “Item 1. – Business – Other Regulation” and (c) “Note 14. – Commitments and Contingencies” to the Company’s consolidated financial statements included in the 10-K, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, the Company’s articles of incorporation and bylaws or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by me and is correct in all material respects.

11. All descriptions in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus of contracts and other documents to which the Company or its subsidiaries are a party are accurate in all material respects; to the best of my knowledge, there are no franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes, leases or other instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto other than those described or referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits thereto, and the descriptions thereof or references thereto are correct in all material respects.

12. To the best of my knowledge, (i) neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in violation of its charter, bylaws or other organizational document and (ii) no default by the Company or any subsidiary exists in the due performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except with respect to (ii) above, for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

13. There have been issued and, as of the date hereof, are in full force and effect orders or authorizations of the regulatory authorities of the States of Colorado, Kentucky and Virginia authorizing the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company on the terms set forth or contemplated in the Equity Distribution Agreement; and no other filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign (other than under the Act and the Exchange Act, which have been obtained, or as may be required under the securities or blue sky laws of the various states, as to which I express no opinion), is necessary or required in connection with the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Equity Distribution Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation, or any Supplemental Confirmation, or for the offering, issuance, sale or delivery of the Shares by the Company pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation, or any Supplemental Confirmation.

A-2

14. The execution, delivery and performance of the Equity Distribution Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation, and any Supplemental Confirmation by the Company, the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Equity Distribution Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation, and any Supplemental Confirmation and the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”), and compliance by the Company with its obligations under the Equity Distribution Agreement, each Master Forward Confirmation, and any Supplemental Confirmation do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, violate or constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or any other agreement or instrument, known to me, to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (except for such violations, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not have a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the Company or the charter, bylaws or other organizational documents of any subsidiary, or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree, known to me, of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, binding on the Company or any subsidiary or any of their respective properties, assets or operations. I express no opinion in this paragraph regarding federal or state securities laws.

Except for the financial statements and related notes and schedules and other information of an accounting or financial nature included or incorporated by reference therein, as to which I express no opinion or belief, no facts have come to my attention that led me to believe: (a) that the Registration Statement, at the time it became effective (which shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 158(c) of the Act) or the Prospectus, as of its date, were not appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Act; or (b)(i) that the Registration Statement, at the time it became effective, contained a untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (ii) that the Prospectus, as of its date or the date hereof, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

A-3

Exhibit B

FORM OF OPINION OF VIRGINIA COUNSEL TO THE COMPANY

TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 4(J)

1. Based solely on the Good Standing Certificate, the Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia as of the date of the Good Standing Certificate.

2. The Company has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Equity Distribution Agreement (including, without limitation, issuing the Shares) and each Confirmation.

3. The Company has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize (a) the execution and delivery of the Equity Distribution Agreement, and each Confirmation and (b) the consummation of the transactions contemplated therein. Each of the Equity Distribution Agreement and each Confirmation has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.

4. Neither the execution and delivery by the Company of the Equity Distribution Agreement or any Confirmation or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by the Equity Distribution Agreement will (a) violate the Articles of Incorporation or the Bylaws, (b) violate any statutory law or regulation of the Commonwealth of Virginia applicable to the Company, or (c) except for those that have been obtained or made, require filing with, notice to, or consent, approval, authorization or order of any Virginia governmental authority pursuant to any statutory law or regulation, but excluding all consents, approvals, authorizations and other actions required for the ongoing operation of business of the Company.

5. Assuming that all offers and sales of the Shares will (a) comply with the “Minimum Price,” “Offering Size Limit” and “ATM Pricing Formula” and (b) be completed on or prior to the “Offering Deadline,” if applicable, each as set forth in the Authorizing Resolutions, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Equity Distribution Agreement and/or a Confirmation, the Shares will have been duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

B-1

Annex A

PERMITTED FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES

None.

Exhibit 1.2

Dear Sir(s):

The purpose of this communication (this “Master Confirmation”) is to set forth the terms and conditions of the transactions to be entered into from time to time between [Dealer] (“Dealer”) and Atmos Energy Corporation (“Counterparty”) in accordance with the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, dated as of December 3, 2024 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”), among Counterparty and the Managers and the Forward Purchasers party thereto (as amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time) on the Trade Dates specified herein (collectively, the “Transactions” and each, a “Transaction”). This communication constitutes a “Confirmation” as referred to in the Agreement specified below. Each Transaction will be evidenced by a supplemental confirmation (each, a “Supplemental Confirmation”) substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto and a written hedge completion notice (if any) furnished by Dealer (each, a “Hedge Completion Notice”, and each such Hedge Completion Notice together with the relevant Supplemental Confirmation and this Master Confirmation, a “Confirmation” for purposes of the Agreement specified below) substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto. Each Confirmation will be a confirmation for purposes of Rule 10b-10 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

1. Each Confirmation incorporates the 2002 ISDA Equity Derivatives Definitions (the “Equity Definitions”), as published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (“ISDA”). For purposes of the Equity Definitions, each Transaction will be deemed to be a Share Forward Transaction.

Each Confirmation shall supplement, form a part of and be subject to an agreement (the “Agreement”) in the form of the ISDA 2002 Master Agreement (the “ISDA Form”), as published by ISDA, as if Dealer and Counterparty had executed the ISDA Form on the date hereof (but without any Schedule except for the election of New York law (without regard to New York’s choice of laws doctrine other than Title 14 of Article 5 of the New York General Obligations Law (the “General Obligations Law”)) as the governing law and US Dollars (“USD”) as the Termination Currency).

All provisions contained in the Agreement are incorporated into and shall govern each Confirmation except as expressly modified below. Each Confirmation evidences a complete and binding agreement between Dealer and Counterparty as to the terms of the relevant Transaction and replaces any previous agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

The Transactions hereunder shall be the sole Transactions under the Agreement. If there exists any ISDA Master Agreement between Dealer or any of its Affiliates and Counterparty or any confirmation or other agreement between Dealer or any of its Affiliates and Counterparty pursuant to which an ISDA Master Agreement is deemed to exist between Dealer or any of its Affiliates and Counterparty, then notwithstanding anything to the contrary in such ISDA Master Agreement, such confirmation or agreement or any other agreement to which Dealer or such other Affiliates and Counterparty are parties, the Transactions hereunder shall not be considered transactions under, or otherwise governed by, such existing or deemed ISDA Master Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency among the Agreement, this Master Confirmation, any Supplemental Confirmation and the Equity Definitions, the following will prevail in the order of precedence indicated: (i) such Supplemental Confirmation; (ii) this Master Confirmation; (iii) the Equity Definitions; and (iv) the Agreement.

2. The terms of the particular Transactions to which this Master Confirmation relates are as follows:

General Terms:

3. Effectiveness.

The effectiveness of each Supplemental Confirmation and the related Transaction on the Effective Date for such Supplemental Confirmation shall be subject to satisfaction (or waiver by Dealer) of the following conditions:

(a) the representations and warranties of Counterparty contained in the Equity Distribution Agreement, and any certificate delivered pursuant thereto by Counterparty shall be true and correct on such Effective Date as if made as of such Effective Date;

(b) Counterparty shall have performed all of the obligations required to be performed by it under the Equity Distribution Agreement on or prior to such Effective Date;

(c) all of the conditions set forth in Section 5 of the Equity Distribution Agreement shall have been satisfied;

(d) such Supplemental Confirmation shall be dated during the period commencing on the date of the Equity Distribution Agreement and expiring on the earlier to occur of (i) the date on which on which the gross sale price of Shares sold pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement and any similar agreement or agreements with one or more other dealers and dated the date thereof is equal to or exceeds USD1,700,000,000 and (ii) the date on which the Equity Distribution Agreement is terminated;

(e) all of the representations and warranties of Counterparty hereunder and under the Agreement shall be true and correct on such Effective Date as if made as of such Effective Date;

(f) Counterparty shall have performed all of the obligations required to be performed by it hereunder and under the Agreement on or prior to such Effective Date, including without limitation its obligations under Sections 5 and 6 hereof; and

(g) Counterparty shall have delivered to Dealer an opinion of counsel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Dealer, with respect to the matters set forth in Section 3(a) of the Agreement (subject to customary exceptions, limitations, qualifications and assumptions reasonably acceptable to Dealer) and that the maximum number of Shares initially issuable under such Transaction have been duly authorized and, upon issuance pursuant to the terms of such Transaction, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Master Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation, if in respect of any Transaction (x) on or prior to 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on any Forward Hedge Settlement Date, in connection with establishing its commercially reasonable hedge position in respect of such Transaction Dealer, in its good faith and commercially reasonable judgment, is unable, after using commercially reasonable efforts, to borrow and deliver for sale the full number of Shares to be borrowed and sold pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement on such Forward Hedge Settlement Date or (y) in Dealer’s good faith and commercially reasonable judgment, it would incur a stock loan cost of more than a rate equal to the Maximum Stock Loan Rate for such Transaction with respect to all or any portion of such full number of Shares, the effectiveness of the related Supplemental Confirmation and such Transaction shall be limited to the number of Shares Dealer is so able to borrow in connection with establishing its commercially reasonable hedge position of such Transaction at a cost of not more than a rate equal to the Maximum Stock Loan Rate for such Transaction, which, for the avoidance of doubt, may be zero. “Forward Hedge Settlement Date” will mean a Trading Day that is one Settlement Cycle immediately following the Trading Day on which the sale of any Forward Hedge Shares occurs pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement.

4. Additional Mutual Representations and Warranties. In addition to the representations and warranties in the Agreement, each party represents and warrants to the other party that it is an “eligible contract participant”, as defined in the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act (as amended), and an “accredited investor” as defined in Section 2(a)(15)(ii) of the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended) (the “Securities Act”), and is entering into each Transaction hereunder as principal and not for the benefit of any third party.

5. Additional Representations, Warranties and Agreements of Counterparty. Counterparty represents and warrants to Dealer that the representations and warranties of Counterparty which are set forth in Section 2 of the Equity Distribution Agreement are true and correct as of the date hereof, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to any earlier date, in which case they shall have been true and correct as of such earlier date in all material respects and will be deemed to have represented and warranted to Dealer that such representations and warranties are true and correct as of the date of each Supplemental Confirmation, each Trade Date for any Transaction and each Forward Hedge Settlement Date for any Transaction. Such representations and warranties hereby are deemed to be repeated to Dealer on the date hereof and on each such other date as if set forth herein. In addition to the representations and warranties in Section 1 of the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Agreement and those contained elsewhere herein, Counterparty represents and warrants to Dealer, and agrees with Dealer, that:

(a) without limiting the generality of Section 13.1 of the Equity Definitions, it acknowledges that Dealer is not making any representations or warranties with respect to the treatment of any Transaction, including without limitation ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share, ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (or any successor issue statements) or under the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Liabilities & Equity Project;

(b) it shall not take any action to reduce or decrease the number of authorized and unissued Shares below the sum of (i) the aggregate Number of Shares across all Transactions hereunder plus (ii) the total number of Shares issuable upon settlement (whether by physical settlement, net share settlement or otherwise) of any other transaction or agreement to which it is a party;

(c) it will not repurchase any Shares if, immediately following such repurchase, the aggregate Number of Shares across all Transactions hereunder would be equal to or greater than 4.9% of the number of then-outstanding Shares and it will notify Dealer promptly upon the announcement or consummation of any repurchase of Shares in an amount that, taken together with the amount of all repurchases since the date of the last such notice (or, if no such notice has been given, since the Trade Date), exceeds 0.5% of the number of then-outstanding Shares; it is not entering into this Master Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation to create actual or apparent trading activity in the Shares (or any security convertible into or exchangeable for Shares), or to raise or depress or otherwise manipulate the price of the Shares (or any security convertible into or exchangeable for Shares) for the purpose of inducing the purchase or sale of the Shares (or any security convertible into or exchangeable for Shares) by others;

(d) neither it nor any of its officers or directors is aware of any material non-public information regarding itself or the Shares; it is entering into this Master Confirmation and each Supplemental Confirmation and will provide any Settlement Notice in good faith and not as part of a plan or scheme to evade compliance with Rule 10b-5 or any other provision of the federal securities laws; it has not entered into or altered any hedging transaction relating to the Shares corresponding to or offsetting any Transaction; and it has consulted with its own advisors as to the legal aspects of its adoption and implementation of this Master Confirmation and each Supplemental Confirmation under Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act (“Rule 10b5-1”);

(e) as of the date hereof and the Trade Date for each Transaction no state or local (including non-U.S. jurisdictions) law, rule, regulation or regulatory order applicable to the Shares would give rise to any reporting, consent, registration or other requirement (including without limitation a requirement to obtain prior approval from any person or entity) as a result of Dealer or its affiliates owning or holding (however defined) Shares in connection with any Transaction; provided that Counterparty makes no such representation or warranty regarding any such requirement that is applicable generally to the ownership of equity securities by Dealer;

(f) as of the date hereof, the Trade Date for each Transaction and the date of any payment or delivery by Counterparty or Dealer under any Transaction, it is not and will not be “insolvent” (as such term is defined under Section 101(32) of the Bankruptcy Code);

(g) it is not as of the date hereof, and on the Trade Date for each Transaction and after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby and by each Supplemental Confirmation will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;

(h) as of the date hereof and the Trade Date for each Transaction it: (i) is an “institutional account” as defined in FINRA Rule 4512(c); and (ii) is capable of evaluating investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to all transactions and investment strategies involving a security or securities, and will exercise independent judgment in evaluating any recommendations of Dealer or its associated persons; and

(i) IT UNDERSTANDS AS OF THE DATE HEREOF AND AS OF THE TRADE DATE FOR EACH TRANSACTION THAT EACH TRANSACTION IS SUBJECT TO COMPLEX RISKS WHICH MAY ARISE WITHOUT WARNING AND MAY AT TIMES BE VOLATILE AND THAT LOSSES MAY OCCUR QUICKLY AND IN UNANTICIPATED MAGNITUDE AND IS WILLING TO ACCEPT SUCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND ASSUME (FINANCIALLY AND OTHERWISE) SUCH RISKS.

6. Additional Covenants of Counterparty.

(a) Counterparty acknowledges and agrees that any Shares delivered by Counterparty to Dealer on any Physical Settlement Date or Net Share Settlement Date for any Transaction will be (i) newly issued, (ii) approved for listing or quotation on the Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance, and (iii) registered under the Exchange Act, and, when delivered by Dealer (or an affiliate of Dealer) to securities lenders from whom Dealer (or an affiliate of Dealer) borrowed Shares in connection with hedging its exposure to such Transaction, will be freely saleable without further registration or other restrictions under the Securities Act in the hands of those securities lenders, irrespective of whether any such stock loan is effected by Dealer or an affiliate of Dealer . Accordingly, Counterparty agrees that any Shares so delivered will not bear a restrictive legend and will be deposited in, and the delivery thereof shall be effected through the facilities of, the Clearance System. In addition, Counterparty represents and agrees that any such Shares shall be, upon such delivery, duly and validly authorized, issued and outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable, free of any lien, charge, claim or other encumbrance.

(b) Counterparty agrees that Counterparty shall not enter into or alter any hedging transaction relating to the Shares corresponding to or offsetting any Transaction. Without limiting the generality of the provisions set forth opposite the caption “Unwind Activities” in Section 2 of this Master Confirmation, Counterparty acknowledges that it has no right to, and agrees that it will not seek to, control or influence Dealer’s decision to make any “purchases or sales” (within the meaning of Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(B)(3)) under or in connection with any Transaction, including, without limitation, Dealer’s decision to enter into any hedging transactions.

(c) Counterparty acknowledges and agrees that any amendment, modification, waiver or termination of this Master Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation must be effected in accordance with the requirements for the amendment or termination of a “plan” as defined in Rule 10b5-1(c). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any such amendment, modification, waiver or termination shall be made in good faith and not as part of a plan or scheme to evade the prohibitions of Rule 10b-5, and no such amendment, modification or waiver shall be made at any time at which Counterparty or any officer, director, manager or similar person of Counterparty is aware of any material non-public information regarding Counterparty or the Shares.

(d) Counterparty shall promptly provide notice thereof to Dealer (i) upon the occurrence of any event that would constitute a Potential Event of Default, an Event of Default or a Termination Event in respect of which Counterparty is a Defaulting Party or an Affected Party, as the case may be, and (ii) upon announcement of any event that, if consummated, would constitute an Extraordinary Event or Potential Adjustment Event.

(e) Neither Counterparty nor any of its “affiliated purchasers” (as defined by Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act (“Rule 10b-18”)) shall take any action that would reasonably be expected to cause any purchases of Shares by Dealer or any of its Affiliates in connection with any Cash Settlement or Net Share Settlement of any Transaction not to meet the requirements of the safe harbor provided by Rule 10b-18 if such purchases were made by Counterparty. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, during any Unwind Period for any Transaction, except with the prior written consent of Dealer, Counterparty will not, and will cause its affiliated purchasers (as defined in Rule 10b-18) not to, directly or indirectly (including, without limitation, by means of a derivative instrument) purchase, offer to purchase, place any bid or limit order that would effect a purchase of, or announce or commence any tender offer relating to, any Shares (or equivalent interest, including a unit of beneficial interest in a trust or limited partnership or a depository share) or any security convertible into or exchangeable for the Shares. However, the foregoing shall not (a) limit Counterparty’s ability, pursuant to any issuer “plan” (as defined in Rule 10b-18), to re-acquire Shares from employees in connection with such plan or program, (b) limit Counterparty’s ability to withhold Shares to cover tax liabilities associated with such a plan, (c) prohibit any purchases effected by or for an issuer “plan” by an “agent independent of the issuer” (each as defined in Rule 10b-18), (d) otherwise restrict Counterparty’s or any of its affiliates’ ability to repurchase Shares under privately negotiated, off-exchange transactions with any of its employees, officers, directors, affiliates or any third party will not result in market transactions or (e) limit Counterparty’s ability to grant stock and options to “affiliated purchasers” (as defined in Rule 10b-18) or the ability of such affiliated purchasers to acquire such stock or options in connection with any issuer “plan” (as defined in Rule 10b-18) for directors, officers and employees or any agreements with respect to any such plan for directors, officers or employees of any entities that are acquisition targets of Counterparty, and in connection with any such purchase under (a) through (e) above, Counterparty will be deemed to represent to Dealer that such purchase does not constitute a “Rule 10b-18 purchase” (as defined in Rule 10b-18).

(f) Counterparty will not be subject to any “restricted period” (as such term is defined in Regulation M promulgated under the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”)) in respect of Shares or any security with respect to which the Shares are a “reference security” (as such term is defined in Regulation M) during any Unwind Period for any Transaction.

(g) During any Unwind Period, Counterparty shall: (i) prior to the opening of trading in the Shares on any day on which Counterparty makes, or expects to be made, any public announcement (as defined in Rule 165(f) under the Securities Act) of any Merger Transaction, to the extent permitted by applicable law, notify Dealer of such public announcement; (ii) promptly notify Dealer following any such announcement that such announcement has been made; (iii) promptly (but in any event prior to the next opening of the regular trading session on the Exchange) provide Dealer with written notice specifying (A) Counterparty’s average daily Rule 10b-18 Purchases (as defined in Rule 10b-18) during the three full calendar months immediately preceding the announcement date for the Merger Transaction that were not effected through Dealer or its affiliates and (B) the number of Shares purchased pursuant to the proviso in Rule 10b-18(b)(4) under the Exchange Act for the three full calendar months preceding such announcement date. Such written notice shall be deemed to be a certification by Counterparty to Dealer that such information is true and correct. In addition, Counterparty shall promptly notify Dealer of the earlier to occur of the completion of such transaction and the completion of the vote by target shareholders. Counterparty acknowledges that any such notice may result in a Regulatory Disruption, a Trading Condition or, if such notice relates to an event that is also an ISDA Event, an Early Valuation, or may affect the length of any ongoing Unwind Period; accordingly, Counterparty acknowledges that its delivery of such notice must comply with the standards set forth in Section 6(c) above. “Merger Transaction” means any merger, acquisition or similar transaction involving a recapitalization as contemplated by Rule 10b-18(a)(13)(iv) under the Exchange Act. For the avoidance of doubt, a Merger Transaction or the announcement thereof shall not give either party the right to designate an Early Valuation Date for any Transaction and/or to accelerate or preclude an election by Counterparty of Physical Settlement for any Settlement of any Transaction, unless such Merger Transaction or the announcement thereof is also an ISDA Event.

7. Termination on Bankruptcy. The parties hereto agree that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement or the Equity Definitions, each Transaction constitutes a contract to issue a security of Counterparty as contemplated by Section 365(c)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code and that a Transaction and the obligations and rights of Counterparty and Dealer (except for any liability as a result of breach of any of the representations or warranties provided by Counterparty in Section 4 or Section 5 above) shall immediately terminate, without the necessity of any notice, payment (whether directly, by netting or otherwise) or other action by Counterparty or Dealer, if, on or prior to the final Physical Settlement Date, Cash Settlement Payment Date or Net Share Settlement Date, as the case may be, for such Transaction an Insolvency Filing occurs or any other proceeding commences with respect to Counterparty under the Bankruptcy Code (a “Bankruptcy Termination Event”).

8. Additional Provisions.

(a) Dealer acknowledges and agrees that Counterparty’s obligations under the Transactions are not secured by any collateral and that neither this Master Confirmation nor any Supplemental Confirmation is intended to convey to Dealer rights with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and by any Supplemental Confirmation that are senior to the claims of common stockholders in any U.S. bankruptcy proceedings of Counterparty; provided that nothing herein shall limit or shall be deemed to limit Dealer’s right to pursue remedies in the event of a breach by Counterparty of its obligations and agreements with respect to this Master Confirmation, any Supplemental Confirmation or the Agreement; provided further that nothing herein shall limit or shall be deemed to limit Dealer’s rights in respect of any transaction other than the Transactions.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) The parties hereto intend for:

(i) each Transaction to be a “securities contract” as defined in Section 741(7) of the Bankruptcy Code, and the parties hereto to be entitled to the protections afforded by, among other Sections, Sections 362(b)(6), 362(b)(27), 362(o), 546(e), 546(j), 555 and 561 of the Bankruptcy Code;

(ii) the rights given to Dealer pursuant to “Early Valuation” in Section 2 above to constitute “contractual rights” to cause the liquidation of a “securities contract” and to set off mutual debts and claims in connection with a “securities contract”, as such terms are used in Sections 555 and 362(b)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code;

(iii) any cash, securities or other property provided as performance assurance, credit support or collateral with respect to the Transactions to constitute “margin payments” and “transfers” under a “securities contract” as defined in the Bankruptcy Code;

(iv) all payments for, under or in connection with the Transactions, all payments for Shares and the transfer of Shares to constitute “settlement payments” and “transfers” under a “securities contract” as defined in the Bankruptcy Code; and

(v) any or all obligations that either party has with respect to this Master Confirmation, any Supplemental Confirmation or the Agreement to constitute property held by or due from such party to margin, guaranty or settle obligations of the other party with respect to the transactions under the Agreement (including the Transactions) or any other agreement between such parties.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Agreement, this Master Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation, in no event will Counterparty be required to deliver in the aggregate in respect of all Settlement Dates, Net Share Settlement Dates or other dates on which Shares are delivered in respect of any amount owed under any Transaction a number of Shares greater than 1.25 times the Number of Shares for such Transaction as of the Trade Date for such Transaction (the “Capped Number”). The Capped Number shall be subject to adjustment only on account of (x) Potential Adjustment Events of the type specified in (1) Sections 11.2(e)(i) through (vi) of the Equity Definitions or (2) Section 11.2 (e)(vii) of the Equity Definitions so long as, in the case of this sub-clause (2), such event is within Issuer’s control, (y) Merger Events requiring corporate action of Issuer (or any surviving entity of the Issuer hereunder in connection with any such Merger Event) and (z) announcements with respect to a Merger Event that are not outside Issuer’s control. Counterparty represents and warrants to Dealer (which representation and warranty shall be deemed to be repeated for all Transactions on each day that any Transaction is outstanding) that the aggregate Capped Number across all Transactions hereunder is equal to or less than the number of authorized but unissued Shares that are not reserved for future issuance in connection with transactions in the Shares (other than the Transactions) on the date of the determination of such aggregated Capped Number. In the event Counterparty shall not have delivered the full number of Shares otherwise deliverable under any Transaction as a result of this Section 8(d) (the resulting deficit for such Transaction, the “Deficit Shares”), Counterparty shall be continually obligated to deliver Shares, from time to time until the full number of Deficit Shares have been delivered pursuant to this paragraph, on a pro rata basis across all Transactions hereunder, when, and to the extent that, (A) Shares are repurchased, acquired or otherwise received by Counterparty or any of its subsidiaries after the date hereof (whether or not in exchange for cash, fair value or any other consideration), (B) authorized and unissued Shares reserved for issuance in respect of other transactions prior to such date which prior to the relevant date become no longer so reserved and (C) Counterparty additionally authorizes any unissued Shares that are not reserved for transactions other than the Transactions (such events as set forth in clauses (A), (B) and (C) above, collectively, the “Share Issuance Events”). Counterparty shall promptly notify Dealer of the occurrence of any of the Share Issuance Events (including the number of Shares subject to clause (A), (B) or (C) and the corresponding number of Shares to be delivered for each Transaction) and, as promptly as reasonably practicable, deliver such Shares thereafter. Counterparty shall not, until Counterparty’s obligations under the Transactions have been satisfied in full, use any Shares that become available for potential delivery to Dealer as a result of any Share Issuance Event for the settlement or satisfaction of any transaction or obligation other than the Transactions or reserve any such Shares for future issuance for any purpose other than to satisfy Counterparty’s obligations to Dealer under the Transactions.

(e) The parties intend for this Master Confirmation and each Supplemental Confirmation to constitute a “Contract” as described in the letter dated October 6, 2003 submitted on behalf of Goldman, Sachs & Co. to Paula Dubberly of the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Staff”) to which the Staff responded in an interpretive letter dated October 9, 2003.

(f) The parties intend for each Transaction (taking into account purchases of Shares in connection with any Cash Settlement or Net Share Settlement of any Transaction) to comply with the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(A) under the Exchange Act and for this Master Confirmation and each Supplemental Confirmation to constitute a binding contract or instruction satisfying the requirements of 10b5-1(c) and to be interpreted to comply with the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c).

(g) Notwithstanding any provisions of the Agreement, all communications relating to the Transactions or the Agreement shall be transmitted exclusively through Dealer at the notice address specified under “Dealer’s Contact Details for Purpose of Giving Notice” in Section 2 of this Master Confirmation.

(h) Counterparty acknowledges that:

(i) during the term of the Transactions, Dealer and its affiliates may buy or sell Shares or other securities or buy or sell options or futures contracts or enter into swaps or other derivative securities in order to establish, adjust or unwind its commercially reasonable hedge position with respect to the Transactions;

(ii) Dealer and its affiliates may also be active in the market for the Shares and derivatives linked to the Shares other than in connection with commercially reasonable hedging activities in relation to the Transactions, including acting as agent or as principal and for its own account or on behalf of customers;

(iii) Dealer shall make its own determination as to whether, when or in what manner any hedging or market activities in Counterparty’s securities shall be conducted and shall do so in a manner that it deems appropriate in its commercially reasonable discretion to hedge its price and market risk with respect to the Forward Price and the Settlement Price for each Transaction; provided, that if the provisions of this Transaction require adjustment to reflect the economic effect on an adjustment event on Dealer’s hedge, such adjustment shall be made as if and to the extent Dealer had a commercially reasonable hedge;

(iv) any market activities of Dealer and its affiliates with respect to the Shares may affect the market price and volatility of the Shares, as well as the Forward Price and the Settlement Price for each Transaction, each in a manner that may be adverse to Counterparty; and

(v) each Transaction is a derivatives transaction; Dealer may purchase or sell shares for its own account at an average price that may be greater than, or less than, the price received by Counterparty under the terms of the relevant Transaction.

(i) Counterparty and Dealer agree and acknowledge that (A) the Transactions contemplated by this Master Confirmation will be entered into in reliance on the fact that this Master Confirmation and each Supplemental Confirmation hereto form a single agreement between Counterparty and Dealer, and Dealer would not otherwise enter into such Transactions; (B) this Master Confirmation, together with each Supplemental Confirmation hereto, is a “qualified financial contract,” as such term is defined in Section 5-701(b)(2) of the General Obligations Law; (C) each Supplemental Confirmation hereto, regardless of whether transmitted electronically or otherwise, constitutes a “confirmation in writing sufficient to indicate that a contract has been made between the parties” hereto, as set forth in Section 5-701(b)(3)(b) of the General Obligations Law; and (D) this Master Confirmation and each Supplemental Confirmation hereto constitute a prior “written contract,” as set forth in Section 5-701(b)(1)(b) of the General Obligations Law, and each party hereto intends and agrees to be bound by this Master Confirmation and such Supplemental Confirmation.

(j) Counterparty and Dealer agree that, upon the execution and delivery of any Supplemental Confirmation relating to a Transaction by Counterparty, each of the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements and other provisions of this Master Confirmation and the Supplemental Confirmation for such Transaction (including, without limitation, Dealer’s right to designate an Early Valuation Date in respect of such Transaction pursuant to the provisions opposite the caption “Early Valuation” in Section 2 and the termination of such Transaction following a Bankruptcy Termination Event as described in Section 7) shall govern, and be applicable to, such Transaction as of the first Trading Day of the Forward Hedge Selling Period for such Transaction as if the Trade Date for such Transaction were such first Trading Day.

9. Indemnification. Counterparty agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Dealer, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, and controlling persons (Dealer and each such person being an “Indemnified Party”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), joint or several, incurred by or asserted against such Indemnified Party for the violation of federal or state securities law and which arise out of, are in connection with, or relate to, any breach of any covenant or representation made by the Counterparty in this Master Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation or the performance by Counterparty of its obligations under the Transactions. In addition, Counterparty will reimburse any Indemnified Party for all reasonable expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) as they are incurred in connection with the investigation of, preparation for or defense or settlement of any pending or threatened claim or any action, suit or proceeding arising therefrom, whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto and whether or not such claim, action, suit or proceeding is initiated or brought by or on behalf of Counterparty. Counterparty will not be liable under the foregoing indemnification provision to the extent that any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense is found in a nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from Dealer’s willful misconduct, gross negligence or bad faith in performing the services that are subject of the Transactions. If for any reason the foregoing indemnification is unavailable to any Indemnified Party or insufficient to hold harmless any Indemnified Party, then Counterparty shall contribute, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to the amount paid or payable by the Indemnified Party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability. Counterparty also agrees that no Indemnified Party shall have any liability to Counterparty or any person asserting claims on behalf of or in right of Counterparty in connection with or as a result of any matter referred to in this Master Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation except to the extent that any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses incurred by Counterparty result from the material breach of any covenant or representation made by Dealer in this Master Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation or the Agreement or any willful misconduct, fraud or bad faith of the Indemnified Party. The provisions of this Section 9 shall survive the completion of the Transactions contemplated by this Master Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation and any assignment and/or delegation of the Transactions made pursuant to the Agreement, this Master Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation shall inure to the benefit of any permitted assignee of Dealer. For the avoidance of doubt, any payments due as a result of this provision may not be used to set off any obligation of Dealer upon settlement of the Transactions.

10. Beneficial Ownership. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement, this Master Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation, in no event shall Dealer be entitled to receive, or be deemed to receive, or have the “right to acquire” (within the meaning of NYSE Rule 312.04(g)) Shares to the extent that, upon such receipt of such Shares, (i) the “beneficial ownership” (within the meaning of Section 13 of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder) of Shares by Dealer, any of its affiliates’ business units subject to aggregation with Dealer for purposes of the “beneficial ownership” test under Section 13 of the Exchange Act and all persons who may form a “group” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act) with Dealer with respect to “beneficial ownership” of any Shares (collectively, “Dealer Group”) would be equal to or greater than the lesser of (x) 4.9% of the outstanding Shares (such condition, an “Excess Section 13 Ownership Position”), and (y) 4.9% of the outstanding Shares as of the Trade Date for any Transaction (such number of Shares, the “Threshold Number of Shares” and such condition, the “Excess NYSE Ownership Position”) or (ii) Dealer, Dealer Group or any person whose ownership position would be aggregated with that of Dealer or Dealer Group (Dealer, Dealer Group or any such person, a “Dealer Person”) under Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law or any state or federal bank holding company or banking laws, or any federal, state or local laws, regulations or regulatory orders applicable to ownership of Shares (“Applicable Laws”), would own, beneficially own, constructively own, control, hold the power to vote or otherwise meet a relevant definition of

ownership in excess of a number of Shares equal to (x) the lesser of (A) the maximum number of Shares that would be permitted under Applicable Laws and (B) the number of Shares that would give rise to reporting or registration obligations or other requirements (including obtaining prior approval by a state or federal regulator) of a Dealer Person under Applicable Laws and with respect to which such requirements have not been met or the relevant approval has not been received or that would give rise to any consequences under the constitutive documents of Counterparty or any contract or agreement to which Counterparty is a party, in each case minus (y) 1% of the number of Shares outstanding on the date of determination (such condition described in clause (ii), an “Excess Regulatory Ownership Position”). If any delivery owed to Dealer under any Transaction is not made, in whole or in part, as a result of this provision, (i) Counterparty’s obligation to make such delivery shall not be extinguished and Counterparty shall make such delivery as promptly as practicable after, but in no event later than one Exchange Business Day after, Dealer gives notice to Counterparty that such delivery would not result in (x) Dealer Group directly or indirectly so beneficially owning in excess of the lesser of (A) 4.9% of the outstanding Shares and (B) the Threshold Number of Shares or (y) the occurrence of an Excess Regulatory Ownership Position and (ii) if such delivery relates to a Physical Settlement of any Transaction, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Dealer shall not be obligated to satisfy the portion of its payment obligation with respect to such Transaction corresponding to any Shares required to be so delivered until the date Counterparty makes such delivery.

11. Non-Confidentiality. The parties hereby agree that (i) effective from the date of commencement of discussions concerning the Transactions, Counterparty and each of its employees, representatives, or other agents may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure of the Transactions and all materials of any kind, including opinions or other tax analyses, provided by Dealer and its affiliates to Counterparty relating to such tax treatment and tax structure; provided that the foregoing does not constitute an authorization to disclose the identity of Dealer or its affiliates, agents or advisers, or, except to the extent relating to such tax structure or tax treatment, any specific pricing terms or commercial or financial information, and (ii) Dealer does not assert any claim of proprietary ownership in respect of any description contained herein or therein relating to the use of any entities, plans or arrangements to give rise to a particular United States federal income tax treatment for Counterparty.

12. Restricted Shares. If Counterparty is unable to comply with the covenant of Counterparty contained in Section 6(a)(iii) above because of a change in law or a change in the policy of the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff, or Dealer otherwise determines in its reasonable opinion based on advice of counsel that any Shares to be delivered to Dealer by Counterparty under any Transaction may not be freely returned by Dealer to securities lenders as described in the covenant of Counterparty contained in Section 6(a)(iii) above, then delivery of any such Settlement Shares (the “Unregistered Settlement Shares”) shall be effected pursuant to Annex A hereto, unless waived by Dealer.

13. Use of Shares. Dealer acknowledges and agrees that, except in the case of a Private Placement Settlement (as defined in Annex A hereto), Dealer shall use any Shares delivered by Counterparty to Dealer or an affiliate on any Settlement Date to return to securities lenders to close out borrowings created by Dealer in connection with its hedging activities related to exposure under the Transactions or otherwise in compliance with applicable law.

14. Rule 10b-18. In connection with bids and purchases of Shares in connection with any Net Share Settlement or Cash Settlement of any Transaction, Dealer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to conduct its activities, or cause its affiliates to conduct their activities, in a manner consistent with the requirements of paragraphs (b)(2), (b)(3) and (b)(4) of the safe harbor provided by Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, as if such provisions were applicable to such purchases and taking into account any applicable Securities and Exchange Commission no-action letters as appropriate, and subject to any delays between the execution and reporting of a trade of the Shares on the Exchange and other circumstances beyond Dealer’s control; provided further that, without limiting the generality of this Section 14, Dealer shall not be responsible for any failure to comply with Rule 10b-18(b)(3) to the extent any transaction that was executed (or deemed to be executed) by or on behalf of Counterparty or an “affiliated purchaser” (as defined under Rule 10b-18) pursuant to a separate agreement is not deemed to be an “independent bid” or an “independent transaction” for purposes of Rule 10b-18(b)(3).

15. Governing Law. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement, the Agreement, this Master Confirmation, any Supplemental Confirmation and all matters arising in connection with the Agreement this Master Confirmation and any Supplemental Confirmation shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York (without reference to its choice of laws doctrine other than Title 14 of Article 5 of the New York General Obligations Law).

16. Set-Off.

(a) The parties agree that upon the occurrence of an Event of Default or Termination Event with respect to a party who is the Defaulting Party or the Affected Party (“X”), the other party (“Y”) will have the right (but not be obliged) without prior notice to X or any other person to set-off or apply any obligation of X owed to Y (whether or not matured or contingent and whether or not arising under the Agreement, and regardless of the currency, place of payment or booking office of the obligation) against any obligation of Y owed to X (whether or not matured or contingent and whether or not arising under the Agreement, and regardless of the currency, place of payment or booking office of the obligation). Y will give notice to the other party of any set-off effected under this Section 16.

Amounts (or the relevant portion of such amounts) subject to set-off may be converted by Y into the Termination Currency at the rate of exchange at which such party would be able, acting in a reasonable manner and in good faith, to purchase the relevant amount of such currency. If any obligation is unascertained, Y may in good faith estimate that obligation and set-off in respect of the estimate, subject to the relevant party accounting to the other when the obligation is ascertained. Nothing in this Section 16 shall be effective to create a charge or other security interest. This Section 16 shall be without prejudice and in addition to any right of set-off, combination of accounts, lien or other right to which any party is at any time otherwise entitled (whether by operation of law, contract or otherwise).

(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, Dealer agrees not to set off or net amounts due from Counterparty with respect to any Transaction against amounts due from Dealer to Counterparty with respect to contracts or instruments that are not Equity Contracts. “Equity Contract” means any transaction or instrument that does not convey to Dealer rights, or the ability to assert claims, that are senior to the rights and claims of common stockholders in the event of Counterparty’s bankruptcy and would be classified as equity according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

17. Staggered Settlement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Dealer may, by prior notice to Counterparty, satisfy its obligation to deliver any Shares or other securities on any date due (an “Original Delivery Date”) by making separate deliveries of Shares or such securities, as the case may be, at more than one time on or prior to such Original Delivery Date, so long as the aggregate number of Shares and other securities so delivered on or prior to such Original Delivery Date is equal to the number required to be delivered on such Original Delivery Date.

18. Waiver of Trial by Jury. EACH OF COUNTERPARTY AND DEALER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES (ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ON BEHALF OF ITS STOCKHOLDERS) ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE TRANSACTION OR THE ACTIONS OF DEALER OR ITS AFFILIATES IN THE NEGOTIATION, PERFORMANCE OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF.

19. Jurisdiction. THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND THE UNITED STATES COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK IN CONNECTION WITH ALL MATTERS RELATING HERETO AND WAIVE ANY OBJECTION TO THE LAYING OF VENUE IN, AND ANY CLAIM OF INCONVENIENT FORUM WITH RESPECT TO, THESE COURTS. NOTHING IN THIS PROVISION SHALL PROHIBIT A PARTY FROM BRINGING AN ACTION TO ENFORCE A MONEY JUDGMENT IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION.

20. Counterparts. This Master Confirmation may be executed in any number of counterparts, all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument, and any party hereto may execute this Master Confirmation by signing and delivering one or more counterparts.

21. Delivery of Cash. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Master Confirmation or any Supplemental Confirmation shall be interpreted as requiring Counterparty to deliver cash or other assets in respect of the settlement of the Transactions, except in circumstances where the required cash or other asset settlement thereof is permitted for classification of the contract as equity by ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity, as in effect on the date hereof.

22. Adjustments. For the avoidance of doubt, whenever the Calculation Agent, the Hedging Party or the Determining Party is called upon to make an adjustment pursuant to the terms of this Master Confirmation, any Supplemental Confirmation or the Equity Definitions to take into account the effect of an event, the Calculation Agent, the Hedging Party or the Determining Party, as applicable, shall make such adjustment by reference to the effect of such event on the Hedging Party, assuming that the Hedging Party maintains a commercially reasonable hedge position at the time of the event.

23. Other Forward Transactions. Counterparty agrees that (x) it shall not enter into, or permit to exist, any Transaction hereunder if Counterparty is party to any other issuer forward sale or similar transaction (including, without limitation, any “Transaction” under (as and defined under) any substantially identical master forward confirmation) with any financial institution other than Dealer (an “Other Forward Transaction”) and (y) Counterparty shall not enter into, or permit to exist, any Other Forward Transaction at any time at which Counterparty is party to a Transaction hereunder, in each case unless no part of the Forward Hedge Selling Period under any Transaction hereunder occurs during any part of the corresponding period under such Other Forward Transaction and no Unwind Date under any Transaction hereunder occurs on a corresponding date under such Other Forward Transaction. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing prohibitions shall not apply during any time at which this Master Confirmation remains in effect but no Transaction evidenced by a Supplemental Confirmation hereunder shall exist.

24. Review of Confirmation. Counterparty hereby agrees (a) to check this Master Confirmation carefully and promptly upon receipt so that errors or discrepancies can be promptly identified and rectified and (b) to confirm that the foregoing (in the exact form provided by Dealer) correctly sets forth the terms of the agreement between Dealer and Counterparty hereunder, by manually signing this Master Confirmation or this page hereof as evidence of agreement to such terms and providing the other information requested herein and immediately returning an executed copy to us.

25. Counterparty Payee Tax Representations. For the purposes of Section 3(f) of the Agreement, Counterparty represents that:

26. Tax Forms. For the purpose of Section 4(a)(i) or 4(a)(ii) of the Agreement, Counterparty agrees to deliver the following documents (each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Dealer), as applicable:

27. Payer Tax Representation. Dealer and Counterparty each make the following representation:

It is not required by any applicable law, as modified by the practice of any relevant governmental revenue authority, of any Relevant Jurisdiction to make any deduction or withholding for or on account of any Tax from any payment (other than interest under Section 9(h) of this Agreement) to be made by it to the other party under this Agreement. In making this representation, it may rely on (i) the accuracy of any representations made by the other party pursuant to Section 3(f) of this Agreement, (ii) the satisfaction of the agreement contained in Section 4(a)(i) or 4(a)(iii) of this Agreement and the accuracy and effectiveness of any document provided by the other party pursuant to Section 4(a)(i) or 4(a)(iii) of this Agreement and (iii) the satisfaction of the agreement of the other party contained in Section 4(d) of this Agreement, except that it will not be a breach of this representation where reliance is placed on clause (ii) above and the other party does not deliver a form or document under Section 4(a)(iii) by reason of material prejudice to its legal or commercial position.

28. Other Provisions.

[Insert if relevant for Dealer]

Agreed and accepted by:

ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

Signature Page to the Master Confirmation

ANNEX A

PRIVATE PLACEMENT PROCEDURES

If Counterparty delivers Unregistered Settlement Shares pursuant to Section 12 above (a “Private Placement Settlement”), then:

(a) all Unregistered Settlement Shares shall be delivered to Dealer (or any affiliate of Dealer designated by Dealer) pursuant to the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 4(a)(2) thereof;

(b) as of or prior to the date of delivery, Dealer and any potential purchaser of any such shares from Dealer (or any affiliate of Dealer designated by Dealer) identified by Dealer shall be afforded a commercially reasonable opportunity to conduct a due diligence investigation with respect to Counterparty customary in scope for private placements of equity securities of similar size (including, without limitation, the right to have made available to them for inspection all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and other information reasonably requested by them); provided that prior to receiving or being granted access to any such information, Dealer, such affiliate of Dealer or such potential purchaser, as the case may be, may be required by Counterparty to enter into a customary nondisclosure agreement with Counterparty in respect of any such due diligence investigation;

(c) as of the date of delivery, Counterparty shall enter into an agreement (a “Private Placement Agreement”) with Dealer (or any affiliate of Dealer designated by Dealer) in connection with the private placement of such shares by Counterparty to Dealer (or any such affiliate) and the private resale of such shares by Dealer (or any such affiliate), substantially similar to private placement purchase agreements customary for private placements of equity securities of similar size, in form and substance commercially reasonably satisfactory to Dealer, which Private Placement Agreement shall include, without limitation, provisions substantially similar to those contained in such private placement purchase agreements relating, without limitation, to the indemnification of, and contribution in connection with the liability of, Dealer and its affiliates and obligations to use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain customary opinions, accountants’ comfort letters and lawyers’ negative assurance letters, and shall provide for the payment by Counterparty of all commercially reasonable fees and expenses in connection with such resale, including all commercially reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for Dealer, and shall contain representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of Counterparty reasonably necessary or advisable to establish and maintain the availability of an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for such resales; and

(d) in connection with the private placement of such shares by Counterparty to Dealer (or any such affiliate) and the private resale of such shares by Dealer (or any such affiliate), Counterparty shall, if so requested by Dealer, prepare, in cooperation with Dealer, a private placement memorandum in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Dealer.

In the case of a Private Placement Settlement, Dealer shall, in its good faith discretion, adjust the amount of Unregistered Settlement Shares to be delivered to Dealer hereunder in a commercially reasonable manner to reflect the fact that such Unregistered Settlement Shares may not be freely returned to securities lenders by Dealer and may only be saleable by Dealer at a discount to reflect the lack of liquidity in Unregistered Settlement Shares.

If Counterparty delivers any Unregistered Settlement Shares in respect of a Transaction, Counterparty agrees that (i) such Shares may be transferred by and among Dealer and its affiliates and (ii) after the minimum “holding period” within the meaning of Rule 144(d) under the Securities Act has elapsed after the applicable Settlement Date, Counterparty shall promptly remove, or cause the transfer agent for the Shares to remove, any legends referring to any transfer restrictions from such Shares upon delivery by Dealer (or such affiliate of Dealer) to Counterparty or such transfer agent of seller’s and broker’s representation letters customarily delivered by Dealer or its affiliates in connection with resales of restricted securities pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, each without any further requirement for the delivery of any certificate, consent, agreement, opinion of counsel, notice or any other document, any transfer tax stamps or payment of any other amount or any other action by Dealer (or such affiliate of Dealer).

Annex A-1

EXHIBIT A

SUPPLEMENTAL CONFIRMATION

Dear Sir(s):

The purpose of this Supplemental Confirmation is to confirm the terms and conditions of the Transaction entered into between [Dealer] (“Dealer”) and Atmos Energy Corporation (“Counterparty”) (together, the “Contracting Parties”) on the Trade Date specified below. This Supplemental Confirmation is a binding contract between Dealer and Counterparty as of the relevant Trade Date for the Transaction referenced below.

Exhibit A-1

Agreed and accepted by:

ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION

Signature Page to the Supplemental Confirmation

Schedule I

FORWARD

PRICE

REDUCTION

AMOUNTS

REGULAR

DIVIDEND

AMOUNTS

Schedule I-1

EXHIBIT B

HEDGE COMPLETION NOTICE

Dear Sir(s):

This Hedge Completion Notice (“Hedge Completion Notice”) is furnished by [Dealer] (“Dealer”) to Atmos Energy Corporation (“Counterparty”) (together, the “Contracting Parties”) in accordance with the Supplemental Confirmation dated [    ], 20[ ] (the “Supplemental Confirmation”) between the Contracting Parties. This Hedge Completion Notice specifies the terms required by the Supplemental Confirmation and supplements, forms a part of, and is subject to the Supplemental Confirmation, and Master Confirmation dated as of [DATE], 2024 (the “Master Confirmation”), between the Contracting Parties, as each may be amended or supplemented from time to time.

The terms required by the Supplemental Confirmation are as follows:

Exhibit 5.1

December 3, 2024

Atmos Energy Corporation

1800 Three Lincoln Centre

5430 LBJ Freeway

Dallas, Texas 75240

Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-283563)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-283563, (the “Registration Statement”), of Atmos Energy Corporation, a corporation incorporated under the laws of Texas and Virginia (the “Company”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the offering by the Company of shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price to the public of up to $1,700,000,000 (the “Shares”). The Shares will be issued pursuant to (i) that certain Equity Distribution Agreement dated as of December 3, 2024 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”) among the Company and the Managers and Forward Purchasers (the “Forward Purchasers”) named in Schedule A thereto and (ii) the Master Confirmations for Forward Sale, each dated December 3, 2024, between the Company and each of the Forward Purchasers (each, a “Master Forward Confirmation,” and collectively, the “Master Forward Confirmations”), and any related Supplemental Confirmations (as defined in the applicable Master Forward Confirmation).

In arriving at the opinion expressed below, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction as being true and complete copies of the originals, of specimen Common Stock certificates and such other documents, corporate records, certificates of officers of the Company and of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable to enable us to render the opinions set forth below. In our examination, we have assumed without independent investigation the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued against payment therefor in accordance with the Equity Distribution Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

200 Park Avenue | New York, NY 10166-0193 | T: 212.351.4000 | F: 212.351.4035 | gibsondunn.com

December 3, 2024

Page 2

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following additional exceptions, qualifications, limitations and assumptions:

A. The effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Securities Act will not have been terminated or rescinded.

B. We render no opinion herein as to matters involving any laws other than the Texas Business Organizations Code. This opinion is limited to the effect of the current state of the Texas Business Organizations Code and the facts as they currently exist. We express no opinion regarding any federal or state laws or regulations related to the regulation of utilities. We assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion in the event of future changes in such laws or the interpretations thereof or such facts.

C. We note that the Company is incorporated in the State of Texas and in the Commonwealth of Virginia and that you are receiving an opinion of Virginia counsel as to matters relating to Virginia law.

D. All offers and sales of the Shares will (i) comply with the minimum offering price limitation, pricing formula, and offering size limit set forth in the authorization of the offering and sale of the Shares by the Company’s Board of Directors and (ii) be completed on or prior to December 3, 2027, unless an extension to such date is authorized by the Company.

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and we further consent to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement and the prospectus that forms a part thereof. In giving these consents, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Exhibit 5.2

December 3, 2024

Atmos Energy Corporation

1800 Three Lincoln Centre

5430 LBJ Freeway

Dallas, Texas 75240

Atmos Energy Corporation

Public Offering of Shares of Common Stock

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as Virginia counsel to Atmos Energy Corporation, a Texas and Virginia corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Company’s offering and sale of shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price to the public of up to $1,700,000,000 (the “Shares”).

The Shares are being offered and sold (a) as described in the prospectus, dated December 3, 2024 (the “Base Prospectus”), contained in the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No 333-283563) (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company on December 3, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Registration Statement, and the prospectus supplement thereto, dated December 3, 2024 (the “Prospectus Supplement,” and, together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”) and (b) pursuant to (i) that certain Equity Distribution Agreement, dated December 3, 2024 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”), among the Company and the Managers and Forward Purchasers named in Schedule A thereto and (ii) the Master Confirmations for Forward Sale, each dated December 3, 2024, between the Company and each of the Forward Purchasers (each, a “Master Forward Confirmation,” and collectively, the “Master Forward Confirmations”), and any related Supplemental Confirmations (as defined in the applicable Master Forward Confirmation).

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

In connection with the foregoing, we have examined the following:

(a) the Registration Statement;

(b) the Prospectus;

(c) an executed copy of the Equity Distribution Agreement;

(d) an executed copy of each Master Forward Confirmation;

ATLANTA AUSTIN BANGKOK BEIJING BOSTON BRUSSELS CHARLOTTE DALLAS DUBAI HOUSTON

LONDON LOS ANGELES MIAMI NEW YORK RICHMOND SAN FRANCISCO TOKYO TYSONS WASHINGTON, DC

www.HuntonAK.com

Atmos Energy Corporation

December 3, 2024

Page 2

(e) an executed copy of an Officer’s Certificate of the Company, dated the date hereof, to which the following documents are incorporated by reference:

(i) Virginia Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended through the date hereof (the “Articles of Incorporation”);

(ii) the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as amended through the date hereof (the “Bylaws”); and

(iii) resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company, adopted on September 18, 2024 (the “Authorizing Resolutions”);

(f) a certificate issued by the State Corporation Commission of the Commonwealth of Virginia on the date hereof, to the effect that the Company is existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and in good standing (the “Good Standing Certificate”); and

(g) originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such corporate records of the Company, certificates of corporate officers and public officials and such other documents as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of rendering this opinion letter.

For purposes of the opinions expressed below, we have assumed (i) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, (ii) the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals thereof, (iii) the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of all corporate records and other information made available to us by the Company, (iv) the legal capacity of all natural persons, (v) the genuineness of all signatures, (vi) the due authorization, requisite entity authority of, and the execution and delivery of all documents by all parties in each of their respective capacities thereunder (other than the authorization, execution and delivery of documents by the Company to the extent expressly set forth in our opinions below) and the validity, binding effect and enforceability thereof on all parties, (vii) the execution, delivery and performance of the Equity Distribution Agreement by each of the parties thereto do not and will not result in the breach of, or constitute a default under, any agreement, instrument or other document (other than the Virginia organizational documents of the Company, as to which we express our opinion herein) to which such party is a party, (viii) except to the extent expressly set forth in our opinions herein as to the Company with respect to the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Equity Distribution Agreement and each Confirmation, that the consummation of the transactions under the Equity Distribution Agreement by each party thereto as to its respective obligations under such documents do not violate the law of any jurisdiction where such obligations are to be incurred or performed or the law of any other applicable jurisdiction, and (ix) that no parties to the documents have commenced any action toward dissolution or received notice from any governmental official regarding dissolution.

Atmos Energy Corporation

December 3, 2024

Page 3

As to factual matters, we have relied upon, and assumed the accuracy of, representations included in the documents submitted to us, upon statements and certificates and other comparable documents of officers and representatives of the Company, upon statements made to us in discussions with management and upon certificates of public officials. We have not undertaken any independent investigation of factual matters.

The law covered by the opinions expressed herein is limited to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The opinions expressed herein: (i) address only those laws, rules and regulations that are in effect and with respect to which copies are generally available on the date hereof and that, in our experience, are normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Equity Distribution Agreement and each Confirmation, excluding all laws, rules and regulations that may be applicable to any party by virtue of the particular assets, activities or operations of such party that are not applicable to business entities generally and further excluding those laws, rules and regulations that, as a matter of customary practice, are understood to be covered only when an opinion refers to them expressly; and (ii) do not include any opinion as to (a) the laws of any municipality or any local government, authority or instrumentality within any state, or (b) any laws, rules or regulations related to: (1) telecommunications, communications, or transportation, (2) antitrust or unfair competition, (3) securities or blue sky, (4) environmental matters, (5) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyances, fraudulent transfers, or fraud, (6) zoning or land use or leasing, building or construction, (7) fiduciary duties, (8) pension or employee benefits, (9) tax, (10) labor, employment or federal contracts, (11) privacy, (12) healthcare, (13) qualification of entities doing business in foreign (out of state) jurisdictions, (14) health, safety, food or drugs, (15) public utilities or energy, (16) insurance, (17) patent, copyright or trademark, or other intellectual property, (18) any mandatory choice of law rule, (19) foreign asset control, foreign investment in the United States, national security, terrorism, or money laundering, (20) corrupt practices, racketeering or criminal or civil forfeiture, (21) commodities, swaps or other derivatives or futures or indices or similar instruments, and (22) banking and financial institutions.

Based upon the foregoing and such other information and documents as we have considered necessary for the purposes hereof and appropriate to render the opinions set forth below, and subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that (subject to compliance with the pertinent provisions of the Securities Act, and to compliance with such securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction as may be applicable):

Atmos Energy Corporation

December 3, 2024

Page 4

1. Based solely on the Good Standing Certificate, the Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia as of the date of the Good Standing Certificate.

2. The Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued against payment therefor in accordance with the Equity Distribution Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter with the Commission as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Base Prospectus, which is part of the Registration Statement, and the Prospectus Supplement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

This opinion letter is rendered solely for your benefit and may not be distributed to or relied upon by any other person, quoted in whole or in part or otherwise reproduced in any other document, nor is it to be filed with any governmental agency, without our prior written consent. This opinion letter is rendered as of the date hereof and addresses only those laws, rules and regulations that are in effect, and with respect to which copies are generally available on the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you or any other person of changes of law or facts, circumstances, events or developments that hereafter may be brought to our attention and that may alter, affect or modify the opinions expressed herein. Our opinion letter is expressly limited to the matters set forth above and we render no opinions, whether by implication or otherwise, as to any other matters relating to the Company or the Securities.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP