scas1_051607.htm
As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 16,
2007
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
—————————
FORM
S-1
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
—————————
SECURITY
CAPITAL ASSURANCE LTD
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Bermuda
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
6351
(Primary
Standard Industrial
Classification
Code Number)
|
Not
Applicable
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification Number)
|
|
One
Bermudiana Road
Hamilton
HM 11, Bermuda
(441)
292-7448
|
|
(Address,
including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
of
registrant’s
principal executive offices)
|
|
CT
Corporation System
111
Eighth Avenue
New
York, New York 10011
(212)
590-9200
|
|
(Name,
address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area
code,
of
agent for service)
|
|
—————————
Copies
to:
|
|
Gerard
M. Meistrell, Esq.
Cahill
Gordon & Reindel LLP
80
Pine Street
New
York, New York 10005
(212)
701-3000
|
Lee
A. Meyerson, Esq.
Simpson
Thacher & Bartlett LLP
425
Lexington Avenue
New
York, New York 10017
(212)
455-2000
|
—————————
Approximate
date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon
as practicable after the effective date of this registration
statement.
—————————
If
any of
the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed
or
continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933,
check the following box. [ ]
If
this
Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to
Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and
list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective
registration statement for the same
offering. [ ]
If
this
Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the
Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration
statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering. [ ]
If
this
Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the
Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration
statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering. [ ]
—————————
Calculation
of Registration Fee
Title
of each class of securities to be registered
|
Amount
to be registered
|
Proposed
maximum offering price per share (1)
|
Proposed
maximum
aggregate
offering price (1)(2)
|
Amount
of registration fee
|
Common
Shares, $0.01 par value per common share
|
11,132,025
|
$32.97
|
$367,022,864.25
|
$11,267.60
|
(1)
|
Estimated
solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration
fee.
The estimate is made pursuant to Rule 457(c) based on $32.97, which
represents the average of the high and low sales prices of the common
shares as reported on The New York Stock Exchange on May 9,
2007.
|
(2)
|
Includes
shares which the underwriters have the option to purchase from the
selling
stockholder to cover over-allotments, if
any.
|
—————————
The
registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates
as
may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file
a
further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement
shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the
Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become
effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting
pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The
information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may
be
changed. These securities may not be sold until the
registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell
nor does
it solicit an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction
where the offer or sale is not
permitted.
|
Subject
to Completion. Dated May 16, 2007.
9,680,022
Shares
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd
Common
Shares
Our
parent, XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, as selling shareholder, is offering
9,680,022 of our common shares. We will not receive any of the
proceeds from the sale of common shares by the selling shareholder.
Our
common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
“SCA.” The last reported sale price of our common shares on the
New York Stock Exchange on May 15, 2007, was $32.96.
To
read about factors that you should consider before buying our common shares,
see
“Risks Relating to Our Business and this Offering” beginning on page 3 and
“Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2006, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has
approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or
adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offense.
|
|
|
Initial
public offering
price
|
$
|
$
|
Underwriting
discount
|
$
|
$
|
Proceeds,
before expenses, to the selling shareholder
|
$
|
$
|
To
the
extent that the underwriters sell more than 9,680,022 common shares, the
underwriters have the option to purchase up to an additional 1,452,003 common
shares from the selling shareholder at the public offering price less the
underwriting discount.
The
underwriters expect to deliver the common shares against payment in New York,
New York on
,
2007.
Goldman,
Sachs & Co.
|
JPMorgan
|
Merrill
Lynch & Co.
|
Prospectus
dated
,
2007.
Common
shares may be offered or sold in
Bermuda only in compliance with the provisions of the Investment Business Act
2003 of Bermuda, which regulates the sale of securities in
Bermuda. In addition, the Bermuda Monetary Authority, which we refer
to as the “BMA,” must approve all issuances and transfers of securities of a
Bermuda exempted company. We have received from the BMA permission
for the issue of our common shares, and for the free transferability of our
common shares as long as the common shares are listed on the New York Stock
Exchange or other appointed stock exchange. Any other transfers
remain subject to approval by the BMA. The BMA accepts no
responsibility for the financial soundness of any proposal or for the
correctness of any of the statements made or opinions expressed in this
prospectus.
You
should rely only on the information contained in this
prospectus. Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized any other
person to provide you with different information. This prospectus is
an offer to sell only the shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances
and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information
contained in this prospectus is current only as of its
date.
PROSPECTUS
SUMMARY
This
summary highlights selected information described more fully elsewhere, or
incorporated by reference, in this prospectus and may not contain all of the
information that is important to you. You should read the entire
prospectus, including “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements,” and the information incorporated by reference
herein before making an investment decision with respect to our common
shares. References in this prospectus to the terms “we,” “us,” “our
company” or other similar terms mean Security Capital Assurance Ltd, which we
refer to as “SCA,” and its consolidated subsidiaries unless the context
otherwise requires. Unless otherwise indicated, all figures assume
that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional common
shares from the selling shareholder.
Our
Company
We
are a
Bermuda-domiciled holding company whose operating subsidiaries provide financial
guaranty insurance, reinsurance, and other credit enhancement products to the
public finance and structured finance markets throughout the United States
and
internationally. We were formed on March 17, 2006 by XL Capital Ltd (“XL
Capital”) in anticipation of contributing its ownership interests in its
financial guarantee insurance and financial guarantee reinsurance operating
businesses to us and selling an interest in us to the public through an initial
public offering of our common shares (the “IPO”). The contribution of the
businesses from XL Capital to us occurred on July 1, 2006 and the IPO was
consummated on August 4, 2006. As a result of the IPO, XL Capital
owned approximately 63% of our voting common shares, although there are certain
limitations on XL Capital’s voting rights with respect to the common shares it
owns. The aforementioned operating businesses consisted of: (i) XL Capital
Assurance Inc. (“XLCA”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, XL Capital Assurance
(U.K.) Limited (“XLCA-UK”) and (ii) XL Financial Assurance Ltd.
(“XLFA”). Prior to the IPO, XLCA was an indirect wholly owned
subsidiary of XL Capital and substantially all of XLFA was indirectly owned
by
XL Capital, except for a $54.0 million preferred stock interest which is owned
by Financial Security Assurance Holdings Ltd. (“FSAH”), which was paid down to
$39.0 million on March 30, 2007.
XLCA
is
an insurance company domiciled in the State of New York and is licensed to
conduct financial guarantee insurance business throughout all 50 of the United
States, as well as in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia
and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, XLCA through its wholly owned
subsidiary, XLCA-UK, which is an insurance company organized under the laws
of
England, is permitted to conduct business in England, Ireland, Spain, France,
Portugal, Italy, The Netherlands, Greece, Norway and Germany. To facilitate
distribution of their products, XLCA maintains a branch office abroad in
Singapore and XLCA-UK maintains a branch office in Madrid. In addition, XLCA
has
an office in California. XLCA and XLCA-UK are primarily engaged in providing
credit protection through the issuance of financial guarantee insurance policies
and credit default swaps. XLCA began writing direct financial guarantee
insurance in 2000.
XLFA
is
incorporated in Bermuda and is registered as a Class 3 insurer under The
Insurance Act of 1978. XLFA is primarily engaged in the business of
providing reinsurance of financial guarantee insurance policies and credit
default swaps issued by XLCA, subsidiaries of FSAH and, on a limited basis,
certain other non-affiliated triple-A-rated financial guarantee primary
insurance companies. XLFA began providing financial guarantee reinsurance in
1999.
Our
insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries are rated “Aaa” by Moody’s Investors
Service, Inc., which we refer to as “Moody’s,” “AAA” by Standard & Poor’s, a
division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., which we refer to as “S&P,” and
“AAA” by Fitch, Inc., which we refer to as “Fitch.” Each of these
ratings is the highest applicable rating available from that
agency. Ratings are a measure of our subsidiaries’ ability to meet
obligations to their policyholders and not an evaluation of SCA or an investment
in SCA’s securities, including the shares of common stock offered
hereby.
XL
Capital is a public company whose shares are listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol “XL.” XL Capital, through its operating subsidiaries,
is a leading provider of insurance and reinsurance coverages and financial
products and services to industrial, commercial and professional service firms,
insurance companies and other enterprises on a worldwide basis.
Competitive
Strengths
We
believe that our competitive strengths will enable us to capitalize on
opportunities in the credit enhancement and protection markets. These
strengths include:
Our
Established Triple-A Franchise. We are one of six financial
guarantors with triple-A ratings from Moody’s, S&P and Fitch and the only
financial guaranty reinsurer with triple-A ratings from Moody’s, S&P and
Fitch. In the principal market for financial guaranty insurance,
typically there is either a requirement or strong commercial preference for
triple-A-rated insurance policies. In the reinsurance market, a
triple-A-rated reinsurer provides greater rating agency capital relief to the
ceding insurer than a lower-rated reinsurer. Triple-A ratings and
market acceptance are difficult and time-consuming to achieve in the financial
guaranty industry. We believe that, in addition to our ratings, the
market acceptance of our financial guarantees and our established track record
in the financial guaranty industry allow us to compete effectively in our
existing lines of business and will be advantageous to us as we enter new
markets and expand our presence in existing ones.
Our
Focus on Risk-Adjusted Returns. We have a disciplined
approach to underwriting that emphasizes risk-adjusted profitability over market
share. Our approach is driven by client service without compromising
our credit underwriting process. Our business is organized around
integrated teams comprising transactors, credit and quantitative analysts,
risk
management professionals and attorneys.
Our
Diversified, High Quality Portfolio. We have a diversified,
high-quality portfolio, comprised of $48.1 billion, $53.8 billion and $16.3
billion of consolidated net par outstanding (principal amount of guaranteed
obligations net of amounts ceded to reinsurers) in the public finance,
structured finance and international finance, respectively, as of March 31,
2007. Our reinsurance business gives us access to credit exposures
that we may not otherwise have the opportunity to obtain through our primary
insurance business. As of March 31, 2007, the weighted average credit
rating of the obligations that we guaranty was “A+.”
Our
Acceptance by Fixed-Income Oriented Institutions. Our
customers include a broad base of fixed-income oriented
institutions. We provide an opportunity for investors to diversify
their credit risk exposure to the other, larger financial
guarantors.
Our
Experienced Management, Underwriting Team and Board. Our
senior management has an average of more than 19 years experience in the
insurance, reinsurance and credit and financial guaranty markets. We
also have a team of 9 senior underwriters with an average of approximately
22
years of financial guaranty or similar credit experience. Our Board
of Directors also has substantial financial services industry
experience.
Our
Global Presence. We provide credit enhancement products to
our customers in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and other parts
of
the world through our operations in the United States, the United Kingdom,
Bermuda, Spain and Singapore. Through our U.K.-licensed subsidiary,
we are able to write business in the U.K. and also in most European countries
using a designated authorization known as “passporting.” Our range of
licenses allows us to participate broadly in the global credit enhancement
market.
Corporate
Strategy
Our
goals
are to provide new credit capacity to investors in triple-A-guaranteed
securities, profitably increase our share of the financial guaranty market
across all major product lines and become an industry leader in return on
equity. We plan to achieve these goals through the following
strategies:
Maintain
Triple-A Financial Strength. Maintaining our triple-A
financial strength ratings is paramount to our overall strategy. We
plan to achieve this through disciplined risk selection, prudent operating
and
financial leverage and conservative investment guidelines.
Focus
on Profitable Growth. We see a growing need for our credit
enhancement and protection products due to increasing long-term demand, as
well
as the desire of financial intermediaries, such as banks and other market
participants, to diversify their credit risk exposure to triple-A-rated
financial guarantors. We plan to focus on profit-
ability
by increasing penetration in our target product and geographic markets,
selecting business based on specific risk-adjusted financial and operating
targets such as return on equity and the effect of such business on net
income.
Leverage
Existing Platform. We have made significant investments in
staff and infrastructure to support future growth. As a result, we
believe that we have significant capacity to increase the number and size of
the
transactions that we underwrite using our existing platform and personnel,
thereby reducing our expense ratio and increasing our profit margins over
time.
Dual
Insurance and Reinsurance Strategy. While primary insurance
comprises the vast majority of our business, we also intend to continue to
provide triple-A-rated reinsurance on a selective
basis. Triple-A-rated reinsurance capacity is scarce in the
industry. As a result, we believe that we can complement our
insurance business by focusing on sectors of the market with favorable
opportunities for us to write reinsurance, particularly where it might be
inefficient for us to access such opportunities through our primary insurance
business.
Attract
and Retain Top Talent. Our ability to continue to attract
and retain top talent is critical to executing our strategy
successfully. As we expand our business, we will continue to identify
individuals who adhere to the highest professional standards and who share
our
dedication to superior performance and building long-term shareholder
value.
Risks
Relating to Our Business and this Offering
We
face
certain risks that you should also consider. These risks could
materially affect our ability to implement our strategy and
include:
Possibility
of Negative Ratings Action. The maintenance of our triple-A
ratings is essential for us to continue to operate in the triple-A financial
guaranty insurance and reinsurance markets. Any decrease in the
ratings of either our insurance or our reinsurance subsidiaries below current
levels by any of S&P, Moody’s or Fitch would have a material adverse effect
on our ability to compete with other large monoline financial guaranty
companies, which are our principal competitors, all of which currently have
triple-A ratings from S&P, Moody’s and Fitch.
Risks
Relating to Our Competitive Standing. The financial guaranty
industry is highly competitive. The principal sources of direct and
indirect competition are other financial guaranty insurance companies, most
of
which have significantly more resources than we do and have been in the industry
for longer than we have. Our ability to compete with other financial
guarantors is affected by the fact that our guaranteed bonds in certain product
lines generally have not traded at parity, and in the future may not trade
at
parity, with those of our principal competitors in these lines of
business. In particular, our guaranteed bonds in certain markets, in
particular the fixed rate municipal market, trade at a small discount to those
of our principal competitors. We believe that this trading
differential has been caused by our short operating track record and small
size
compared to that of our competitors, as well as a continued perception among
some investors of a ratings linkage between us and XL
Capital. Failure on our part to achieve trading parity with more
established financial guarantors with respect to our guaranteed bonds in any
particular market could make our guarantees in that market somewhat less
attractive, possibly affecting our profitability.
Sufficient
Capital Resources. To the extent that our existing capital
is insufficient to meet our ongoing capital requirements or cover losses, we
may
need to raise additional funds through financings or curtail our growth and
reduce our insured exposure. If we cannot obtain adequate capital on
favorable terms or at all, our business, operating results and financial
condition could be adversely affected. In addition, as an offshore
reinsurer, our subsidiary XLFA is required to post collateral security with
respect to any reinsurance liabilities that it assumes from ceding insurers
domiciled in the United States in order for U.S. ceding companies to obtain
full
statutory and regulatory credit for our reinsurance. XLFA satisfies
such statutory requirements by providing to primary insurers letters of credit
issued under our credit facility. To the extent that we are required
to post additional security in the future, we may require additional letter
of
credit capacity and we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such
additional capacity or arrange for other types of security on commercially
acceptable terms.
Adequacy
of Loss Reserves. We establish loss and loss adjustment
expense reserves based on estimates involving actuarial and statistical
projections of the ultimate settlement and administration costs of claims on
the
policies we write. If our loss reserves are at any time determined to
be inadequate, we will be required to increase our loss reserves at the time
of
such determination. Such an increase would cause a corresponding
increase in our liabilities and a reduction in our profitability, which could
have a material adverse effect on our business.
Risks
Relating to General Economic Conditions. General economic
factors, including fluctuations in interest rates, as well as terrorist acts
or
natural or other catastrophes, may adversely affect our loss experience or
the
demand for our products. Our loss experience could be materially
adversely affected by extended national or regional economic recessions,
business failures, rising unemployment rates, terrorist attacks, natural or
other catastrophic events such as hurricanes and earthquakes, acts of war,
or
combinations of such factors.
Risk
Associated with a Recently Proposed Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
(“SFAS”) Pertaining to Accounting for Financial Guarantee Insurance
Contracts. On April 18, 2007, the Financial Accounting
Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Proposed SFAS, Accounting for Financial
Guarantee Insurance Contracts – an interpretation of FASB Statement No.
60. This proposed Statement would clarify how FASB Statement No. 60,
Accounting and Reporting by Insurance Enterprises, applies to financial
guarantee insurance contracts. This proposed Statement, among other
things, would change current industry practices with respect to the recognition
of premium revenue and claim liabilities. In addition, this proposed
Statement would require that the measurement of the initial deferred premium
revenue (liability) be the present value of the contractual premium due pursuant
to the terms of the financial guarantee insurance contract, thereby changing
current industry accounting practice with respect to insurance contracts priced
on an installment basis by requiring that the present value of all contractual
premiums due under such contracts, currently or in the future, be recorded
on
the company’s balance sheet as premiums receivable. Under current
industry practice such premiums are not reflected on the balance
sheet. We expect that the initial effect of applying the revenue
recognition provisions of the Statement as currently proposed will be material
to our financial statements and that implementation of the proposed guidance
in
regard to the recognition of claim liabilities will cause us to de-recognize
our
reserves for unallocated losses and loss adjustment expenses and preclude it
from providing such reserves in the future. The FASB has indicated
that the final Statement is expected to be issued in the third quarter of 2007
and become effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 2007. We are continuing to evaluate the effect of
this proposed Statement on our financial statements. For further
information about the proposed Statement, see our Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q
for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, which is incorporated by reference in
this
prospectus.
Risks
Relating to Potential Conflicts of Interest with XL
Capital. Questions relating to conflicts of interest may
arise between us and XL Capital in a number of areas. Three of our directors,
each of whom was nominated to our Board of Directors by XL Capital, are officers
or directors of XL Capital, including the chairman of our Board of Directors,
who is also the chairman of the board of directors of each of XL Capital and
Primus Guaranty Ltd. Until XL Capital’s ownership of our then-outstanding common
shares is first reduced to 35% or less, XL Capital will have the right, pursuant
to the transition agreement, to nominate such number of nominees for director
as
would equal one nominee less than a majority of the nominees for director.
Cetain of these directors own significant numbers of XL Capital ordinary shares,
and options to purchase XL Capital ordinary shares, and certain of them
participate in XL Capital pension plans. Ownership interests of our directors
or
officers in XL Capital ordinary shares and participation in XL Capital pension
plans, or service as a director or officer of both our company and XL Capital,
could give rise to potential conflicts of interest when a director or officer
is
faced with a decision that could have different implications for the two
companies. These potential conflicts could arise, for example, over matters
such
as the desirability of an acquisition opportunity, employee retention or
recruiting, capital raising activities or our dividend policy. We cannot assure
you that any conflicts will be resolved in a manner that is in our or your
best
interests, if at all.
Our
Bye-laws contain provisions relating to potential conflicts of interest and
allocation of corporate opportunities between our company, on the one hand,
and
XL Capital and those of its officers, directors and employees who are also
officers, directors or employees of our company, on the other hand. These
provisions, in effect, provide that: (i) XL Capital (but only to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law) will have no obligation to refrain from
competing with us or doing business with any of our clients, competitors or
vendors and (ii) each of our directors, officers or employees who is also a
director, officer or employee of XL Capital will have satisfied (but only
to
the
fullest extent permitted by applicable law) any fiduciary duties to us and
our
shareholders with respect to corporate opportunities if such director, officer
or employee acts in good faith in a manner consistent with those policies that
are set forth in our Bye-laws.
Our
Ongoing Arrangements with XL Capital. Effective upon our
IPO, we and XL Capital entered into a series of service agreements pursuant
to
which XL Capital provides us, for a period of up to two years, transitional
services, including treasury, payroll and other financial services, human
resources and employee benefit services, legal services, information systems
and
network services, tax and treasury services, investment management and
procurement and sourcing support. We also entered into a transition agreement
with XL Capital, which governs the relationship between us and XL Capital and
reinsurance agreements with subsidiaries of XL Capital.
Although
XL Capital is contractually obligated to provide us with services during the
terms of the master services agreements, we cannot assure you that these
services will be sustained at the same level after the expiration of such
agreements, or that we will be able to replace these services in a timely manner
or on comparable terms. Our costs of procuring those services from unaffiliated
third parties may, therefore, increase as a result of our transition into a
stand-alone company, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial
condition and results of operations.
Risks
Relating to this Offering. Future sales of common shares by
XL Capital may adversely affect the market price of our common
shares. Also, there are regulatory, statutory and Bye-law limitations
on the ownership and transfer of our common shares that may affect the liquidity
of our shares or may delay or prevent a takeover of our business.
For
more
information about these and other risks relating to our business and this
offering, please see “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2006, which is incorporated by reference in this
prospectus. You should carefully consider these risks, together with
the other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this
prospectus, before investing in our common shares.
__________________________
Our
principal executive offices are located at One Bermudiana Road, Hamilton HM11,
Bermuda. Our telephone number is (441) 294-7448. Our website address is
www.scafg.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated
by
reference into, or otherwise included in, this prospectus.
You
can
also obtain additional information about us in the reports and other documents
incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See “Where to Find More
Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference” in this
prospectus.
THE
OFFERING
Issuer
|
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd
|
Selling
Shareholder
|
XL
Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd (“XLI”)
|
Common
shares offered by the selling shareholder
|
9,680,022
common shares (1)
|
Use
of proceeds
|
We
will not receive any proceeds from this offering. All proceeds
of this offering will be received by the selling
shareholder. We will pay all expenses of the
offering.
|
Dividend
policy
|
We
presently pay quarterly cash dividends on our common shares at a
rate of
$.02 per common share. See “Dividend
Policy.”
|
NYSE
symbol
|
SCA.
|
|
|
(1) This
number does not include any common shares that may be sold by the selling
shareholder, XLI, to the underwriters upon the exercise by the underwriters
of
their option to purchase additional common shares from the selling
shareholder. If the option to purchase additional common shares is
exercised in full, the selling shareholder will sell an additional 1,452,003
common shares.
SUMMARY
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The
summary consolidated statement of operations and balance sheet data as of and
for each of the years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 are derived from
our audited consolidated financial statements. The summary
consolidated balance sheet data as of March 31, 2007 and statement of
operations data for the three month periods ended March 31, 2006 and March
31,
2007 have been derived from our unaudited consolidated financial data as
presented in our Quarterly Report on Form 10−Q for the quarterly period ended
March 31, 2007, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and
reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered
necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position and results of
operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as at
the
end of and for the periods presented. The results of operations for the first
three months of 2007 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may
be
expected for the full fiscal year. For information with respect to
the expenses of this offering, which we have agreed to pay and which may affect
our future results, see “Underwriting.”
You
should read the following summary consolidated financial information together
with the other information contained in this prospectus, including “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and
our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and our Quarterly
Report on Form 10−Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2007, which are
incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
|
|
Year
Ended
December
31,
|
|
|
Three
Month Ended
March
31,
|
|
(in
thousands, except percentages
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement
of Operations Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
premiums written
|
|
$ |
276,562
|
|
|
$ |
285,439
|
|
|
$ |
408,999
|
|
|
$ |
82,183
|
|
|
$ |
104,958
|
|
Net
premiums written
|
|
|
268,439
|
|
|
|
244,912
|
|
|
|
395,932
|
|
|
|
74,591
|
|
|
|
84,725
|
|
Net
premiums earned
|
|
|
116,281
|
|
|
|
151,839
|
|
|
|
183,115
|
|
|
|
37,813
|
|
|
|
46,379
|
|
Net
investment income
|
|
|
35,746
|
|
|
|
51,160
|
|
|
|
77,724
|
|
|
|
15,062
|
|
|
|
26,125
|
|
Net
realized gains (losses)
on
investments
|
|
|
(178 |
) |
|
|
(3,221 |
) |
|
|
(16,180 |
) |
|
|
(5,683 |
) |
|
|
112
|
|
Net
losses and loss adjustment
expenses
|
|
|
21,274
|
|
|
|
26,021
|
|
|
|
14,958
|
|
|
|
3,449
|
|
|
|
(801 |
) |
Acquisition
costs, net
|
|
|
8,259
|
|
|
|
12,231
|
|
|
|
16,240
|
|
|
|
2,682
|
|
|
|
3,970
|
|
Operating
expenses
|
|
|
58,395
|
|
|
|
67,621
|
|
|
|
78,999
|
|
|
|
17,095
|
|
|
|
24,070
|
|
Income
before income tax and minority interest
|
|
|
76,708
|
|
|
|
87,974
|
|
|
|
128,442
|
|
|
|
21,376
|
|
|
|
38,448
|
|
Income
tax expense (benefit)
|
|
|
1,920
|
|
|
|
(1,277 |
) |
|
|
3,133
|
|
|
|
15
|
|
|
|
79
|
|
Income
before minority interest
|
|
|
74,788
|
|
|
|
89,251
|
|
|
|
125,309
|
|
|
|
21,361
|
|
|
|
38,369
|
|
Minority
interest – dividends on redeemable preferred shares
|
|
|
15,934
|
|
|
|
8,805
|
|
|
|
7,954
|
|
|
|
4,612
|
|
|
|
1,114
|
|
Net
income
|
|
|
58,854
|
|
|
|
80,446
|
|
|
|
117,355
|
|
|
|
16,749
|
|
|
|
37,255
|
|
Selected
ratios (based on GAAP statement of operations
data)(1):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss
ratio(2)
|
|
|
18.3 |
% |
|
|
17.1 |
% |
|
|
8.2 |
% |
|
|
9.1 |
% |
|
|
(1.7 |
%) |
Expense
ratio(3)
|
|
|
57.3 |
% |
|
|
52.6 |
% |
|
|
52.0 |
% |
|
|
52.3 |
% |
|
|
60.5 |
% |
Combined
ratio(4)
|
|
|
75.6 |
% |
|
|
69.7 |
% |
|
|
60.2 |
% |
|
|
61.4 |
% |
|
|
58.7 |
% |
(1)
|
These
ratios are used by management in order to compare our performance
to
benchmarks commonly used by rating agencies and analysts that monitor
the
insurance industry.
|
(2)
|
Represents
net losses and loss adjustment expenses divided by net premiums
earned.
|
(3)
|
Represents
operating expenses and acquisition costs, net divided by net premiums
earned.
|
(4)
|
Represents
net losses and loss adjustment expenses, operating expenses and
acquisition costs, net divided by net premiums
earned.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Summary
Balance Sheet Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
|
$ |
71,247
|
|
|
$ |
54,593
|
|
|
$ |
202,548
|
|
|
$ |
299,619
|
|
Total
investments (at fair market value)
|
|
|
1,157,205
|
|
|
|
1,364,461
|
|
|
|
1,958,363
|
|
|
|
1,902,621
|
|
Reinsurance
balances recoverable on unpaid
losses
|
|
|
60,914
|
|
|
|
69,217
|
|
|
|
88,616
|
|
|
|
87,206
|
|
Total
assets
|
|
|
1,472,193
|
|
|
|
1,684,315
|
|
|
|
2,496,814
|
|
|
|
2,564,528
|
|
Unpaid
losses and loss adjustment expenses
|
|
|
115,734
|
|
|
|
147,368
|
|
|
|
178,517
|
|
|
|
175,926
|
|
Deferred
premium revenue
|
|
|
487,093
|
|
|
|
592,585
|
|
|
|
795,906
|
|
|
|
850,604
|
|
Total
liabilities
|
|
|
618,774
|
|
|
|
765,983
|
|
|
|
1,076,278
|
|
|
|
1,115,902
|
|
Minority
interest-redeemable preferred shares of subsidiary
|
|
|
48,689
|
|
|
|
50,518
|
|
|
|
54,016
|
|
|
|
39,000
|
|
Total
shareholders’ equity
|
|
|
804,730
|
|
|
|
867,814
|
|
|
|
1,366,520
|
|
|
|
1,409,626
|
|
|
|
As
of and for the
Year
Ended December 31,
|
|
|
As
of and for the
Three
Months Ended March 31,
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Summary
Portfolio Information:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
par value written and assumed
|
|
$ |
32,277
|
|
|
$ |
34,529
|
|
|
$ |
52,181
|
|
|
$ |
10,552
|
|
|
$ |
12,249
|
|
Adjusted
Gross Premiums(1)
|
|
|
295
|
|
|
|
396
|
|
|
|
556
|
|
|
|
110
|
|
|
|
139
|
|
Total
premiums written
|
|
|
277
|
|
|
|
285
|
|
|
|
409
|
|
|
|
82
|
|
|
|
105
|
|
Net
in-force business (principal and interest)
|
|
|
97,301
|
|
|
|
121,898
|
|
|
|
183,702
|
|
|
|
134,883
|
|
|
|
197,061
|
|
_____________________
(1)
|
Adjusted
Gross Premiums is a non-GAAP measure of new business production that
management uses to evaluate our business because it provides comparability
between upfront premiums and installment premiums, unlike GAAP total
premiums written. Adjusted Gross Premiums for any period equals
the sum of: (i) upfront premiums written in such period, (ii)
current installment premiums due on business written in such period
and
(iii) expected future installment premiums on contracts written during
such period that remain in force and for which there is a binding
obligation on the part of the insured to pay the future installments,
discounted at 7%. The 7% discount rate was established when our
subsidiaries first started reporting Adjusted Gross Premiums based
upon
the view that 7% was the appropriate discount for these future premiums
and that rate has not been changed in order to preserve comparability
between and among periods. This measure adjusts for the fact,
as described above, that upfront premiums are recorded in full as
total
premiums written when written but future installment premiums are
not.
|
In
general, the only contractual provisions that would adversely affect the
insured’s obligation to pay such future installment premiums are early
termination, prepayments and adjustments based upon gross par
outstanding. Future installment premiums can be negatively affected
by prepayments and refundings, including accelerated prepayments, early
terminations, credit losses or other factors impacting our in-force book of
business. Our estimate of such circumstances is reflected in the
estimate of future installment premiums written and assumed included in the
calculation of Adjusted Gross Premiums.
Management
uses this measure to review trends in new business written because it views
this
measure as providing comparability between business written on an upfront
premium basis and business written on an installment basis. This
measure is viewed by management as an essential component of information
necessary to assess forward-looking earnings potential, which is substantially
dependent on the size of our in-force book of business.
Management
also compares our Adjusted Gross Premiums production to industry figures on
a
quarterly basis and uses this measure to assess employee productivity, as well
as our market share and competitive position. Our aggregate
compensation is determined within the context of our compensation plans taking
into consideration certain unique aspects of our business, including its start
up nature, and has been based upon several key performance factors, including
Adjusted Gross Premiums production. Allocation of such compensation
to individual employees is based upon similar key performance
criteria.
In
addition to presenting total premiums written, we believe that disclosure of
Adjusted Gross Premiums enables investors and other users of our financial
information to analyze our performance in a manner similar to the way in which
management analyzes performance. In this regard, we believe that
providing only a U.S. GAAP presentation of gross premiums written makes it
more
difficult for users of our financial information to evaluate our underlying
business. Also, we believe that analysts, investors and rating
agencies who follow us and our subsidiaries include these items in their
analyses for the same reasons, and they request that we and our subsidiaries
provide this non-GAAP financial information on a regular basis. See
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations—Overview—Key Factors Affecting Profitability” included in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.
The
following is a reconciliation of total premiums written to Adjusted Gross
Premiums. Total premiums written is the most directly comparable GAAP financial
measure.
|
|
Years
ended
Ended
December 31,
|
|
|
Three
Months
Ended
March 31,
|
|
(U.S
dollars in millions)
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
Total
upfront premiums written
|
|
$ |
166.4
|
|
|
$ |
163.8
|
|
|
$ |
278.3
|
|
|
$ |
52.4
|
|
|
$ |
72.9
|
|
Total
installment premiums written
|
|
|
110.2
|
|
|
|
121.6
|
|
|
|
130.7
|
|
|
|
29.8
|
|
|
|
32.1
|
|
Total
premiums written
|
|
|
276.6
|
|
|
|
285.4
|
|
|
|
409.0
|
|
|
|
82.2
|
|
|
|
105.0
|
|
Present
value of estimated future installment premiums written and assumed
on
contracts issued in the current period, discounted at 7%
|
|
|
18.4
|
|
|
|
110.4
|
|
|
|
147.1
|
|
|
|
28.1
|
|
|
|
33.9
|
|
Adjusted
Gross Premiums
|
|
$ |
295.0
|
|
|
$ |
395.8
|
|
|
$ |
556.1
|
|
|
$ |
110.3
|
|
|
$ |
138.9
|
|
CAUTIONARY
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
prospectus contains “forward-looking” statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. This prospectus, our annual report to ordinary shareholders,
any
proxy statement, any other Form 10-K, Form 10Q, or Form 8-K of ours, or any
other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of us may include
forward-looking statements that reflect our current views with respect to future
events and financial performance. Statements that include the words “expect”;
“intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “anticipate,” “will,” “may” and similar
statements of a future or forward-looking nature identify forward-looking
statements. All forward-looking statements address matters that involve risks
and uncertainties. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such
statements.
We
believe that these factors include, but are not limited to, the
following:
·
|
changes
in rating agency policies or practices, including adverse changes
to the
financial strength or financial enhancement ratings of any or all
of our
operating subsidiaries;
|
·
|
ineffectiveness
or obsolescence of our business strategy, due to changes in current
or
future market conditions or other
factors;
|
·
|
the
performance of our invested assets or losses on credit
derivatives;
|
·
|
availability
of capital (whether in the form of debt or equity) and liquidity
(including letter of credit
facilities);
|
·
|
the
timing of claims payments being faster or the receipt of reinsurance
recoverables being slower than anticipated by
us;
|
·
|
increased
competition on the basis of pricing, capacity, terms or other
factors;
|
·
|
greater
frequency or severity of claims and loss activity, including as a
result
of natural or man-made catastrophic events, than our underwriting,
reserving or investment practices anticipate based on historical
experience or industry data;
|
·
|
developments
in the world’s financial and capital markets that adversely affect the
performance of our investments and our access to such
markets;
|
·
|
changes
in, or termination of, our ongoing reinsurance agreements with certain
subsidiaries of XL Capital or FSA;
|
·
|
changes
in regulation or tax laws applicable to us or our customers or suppliers
such as our reinsurers;
|
·
|
changes
in the rating agencies’ views on third-party inward
reinsurance;
|
·
|
changes
in the availability, cost or quality of reinsurance or retrocession,
including a material adverse change in the ratings of our reinsurers
or
retrocessionaires;
|
·
|
changes
with respect to XL Capital (including changes in its ownership percentage
in us) or our relationship with XL
Capital;
|
·
|
changes
that may occur in our operations as a public
company;
|
·
|
changes
in accounting policies or practices or the application
thereof;
|
·
|
changes
in the officers of our company or our
subsidiaries;
|
·
|
legislative
or regulatory developments;
|
·
|
changes
in general economic conditions, including inflation, interest rates,
foreign currency exchange rates and other factors;
and
|
·
|
the
effects of business disruption or economic contraction due to war,
terrorism or natural or other catastrophic
events.
|
The
foregoing review of important factors should not be construed as exhaustive
and
should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are
included or incorporated herein or elsewhere. We undertake no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result
of
new information, future developments or otherwise.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
We
will
not receive any proceeds from the sale of common shares by the selling
shareholder in this offering.
DIVIDEND
POLICY
We
presently pay quarterly cash dividends on our common shares at a rate of $.02
per common share. The timing and amount of any future cash dividends,
however, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend
upon our results of operations and cash flows, our financial position and
capital requirements, general business conditions, legal, tax, regulatory,
rating agency and contractual constraints or restrictions and any other factors
that our Board of Directors deems relevant.
We
are a
holding company and, as such, have no substantial operations of our
own. We do not have any significant assets other than our ownership
of the shares of our direct and indirect subsidiaries, including XLCA, XLCA-UK
and XLFA. Dividends and other permitted distributions from our
insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries are expected to be the principal source
of funds for meeting any ongoing cash requirements, including any debt service
payments and other expenses, and for paying any dividends to
shareholders. For a description of certain of the restrictions
applicable to the payment of dividends by XLCA, XLCA-UK and XLFA, see
“Business—Regulation” and “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common
Shares—Because we are a holding company and substantially all of our operations
are conducted by our subsidiaries, our ability to meet any ongoing cash
requirements, including any debt service payments or other expenses, and to
pay
dividends on our common shares in the future will depend on our ability to
obtain cash dividends or other cash payments or obtain loans from our
subsidiaries, which are regulated insurance companies that depend upon ratings
from independent rating agencies. Our subsidiaries’ ability to pay
dividends, or make loans, to us is consequently limited by regulatory and rating
agency constraints,” which risk factor is set forth in our Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, which is incorporated by reference
in
this prospectus.
For
additional information see “Liquidity and Capital Resources” included in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and
our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended
March 31, 2007.
PRICE
RANGE OF COMMON SHARES
Our
common shares are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol “SCA.” The following table sets forth the high, low and
closing sales prices per common share of our common shares as reported on the
New York Stock Exchange composite tape, of our common shares per fiscal quarter
commencing from our initial public offering.
|
|
High
|
|
|
Low
|
|
|
Close
|
|
2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1st
Quarter
|
|
$ |
32.40
|
|
|
$ |
27.02
|
|
|
$ |
28.23
|
|
2nd Quarter
(through May 15)
|
|
$ |
34.59
|
|
|
$ |
27.27
|
|
|
$ |
32.96
|
|
2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3rd
Quarter (beginning August 2)
|
|
$ |
24.50
|
|
|
$ |
20.50
|
|
|
$ |
23.95
|
|
4th
Quarter
|
|
$ |
28.16
|
|
|
$ |
22.92
|
|
|
$ |
27.83
|
|
The
last
reported sale price of our common shares as reported by the New York Stock
Exchange on May 15, 2007 was $32.96 per share.
CAPITALIZATION
The
following table sets forth our consolidated capitalization as of March 31,
2007. This table should be read in conjunction with “Selected
Consolidated Financial Information” included elsewhere in this prospectus and
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations” and our unaudited consolidated financial statements and related
notes, included in our Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2007,
which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
(in
thousands, except share and per share
amounts)
|
|
|
|
Minority
interest-redeemable preferred shares of
subsidiary:
|
|
|
|
Series
A redeemable preferred shares (par value of $120 per share; 10,000
shares
authorized;
363 issued and outstanding as at March 31, 2007)
|
|
$ |
39,000
|
|
Series
B preferred shares (par value of $120 per share; 2,000 shares authorized;
no shares issued and outstanding as at March 31, 2007) (1)
|
|
|
|
|
Total
redeemable preferred
shares
|
|
|
39,000
|
|
Shareholders’
equity (2):
|
|
|
|
|
Common
shares, $0.01 par value per common share, 500,000,000 common shares
authorized; 65,303,054 common shares issued and
outstanding
|
|
|
653
|
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
|
|
988,554
|
|
Retained
earnings
|
|
|
433,753
|
|
Accumulated
other comprehensive income
|
|
|
(13,334 |
) |
Total
shareholders’ equity
|
|
|
|
|
Total
capitalization
|
|
$ |
|
|
_____________________
(1)
|
In
December 2004, XLFA entered into a put option agreement and an asset
trust
expense reimbursement agreement with Twin Reefs Asset Trust, which
we
refer to as the “Asset Trust.” The put option agreement
provides XLFA with the irrevocable right to require the Asset Trust
at any
time and from time to time to purchase XLFA’s non-cumulative perpetual
Series B preferred shares with an aggregate liquidation preference
of up
to $200 million. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital
Resources—XLFA Soft Capital Facility” included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, which is incorporated
by
reference in this prospectus.
|
(2)
|
On
April 5, 2007, we issued 250,000 of our Fixed/Floating Rate Series
A
Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preference Shares, liquidity preference
$1,000
per share, for net proceeds of $246.6 million. Our total pro
forma capitalization at March 31, 2007 adjusted for the aforementioned
issuance was $1,695.2 million.
|
SELECTED
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The
following table presents our selected consolidated statement of operations
and
balance sheet data. The financial data set forth below as of and for
the years ended December 31, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 are derived from
our consolidated financial statements. The financial data as of
December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and for the years ended December 31, 2003,
2004, 2005 and 2006 have been audited. The data presented below as of
March 31, 2007 and for the three month periods ended March 31, 2006 and March
31, 2007 have been derived from our unaudited consolidated financial data as
presented in our Quarterly Report on Form 10−Q for the quarterly period ended
March 31, 2007, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and
reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered
necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position and results of
operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as at
the
end of and for the periods presented. The results of operations for the first
three months of 2007 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may
be
expected for the full fiscal year. For information with respect to
the expenses of this offering, which we have agreed to pay and which may affect
our future results, see “Underwriting.”
You
should read the following consolidated financial information together with
the
other information contained in this prospectus, including “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and
our consolidated financial statements and related notes, included in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and our Quarterly
Report on Form 10−Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2007, which are
incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
|
|
|
|
|
Three
Months Ended
March
31,
|
|
(in
thousands, except per share amounts)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement
of operations data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
premiums written
|
|
$ |
161,108
|
|
|
$ |
260,321
|
|
|
$ |
232,541
|
|
|
$ |
233,269
|
|
|
$ |
353,728
|
|
|
$ |
70,780
|
|
|
$ |
89,495
|
|
Reinsurance
premiums assumed
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
premiums written
|
|
|
198,007
|
|
|
|
319,452
|
|
|
|
276,562
|
|
|
|
285,439
|
|
|
|
408,999
|
|
|
|
82,183
|
|
|
|
104,958
|
|
Ceded
premiums
|
|
|
(87,903 |
) |
|
|
(67,414 |
) |
|
|
(8,123 |
) |
|
|
(40,527 |
) |
|
|
(13,607 |
) |
|
|
(7,592 |
) |
|
|
(20,233 |
) |
Net
premiums written
|
|
|
110,104
|
|
|
|
252,038
|
|
|
|
268,439
|
|
|
|
244,912
|
|
|
|
395,932
|
|
|
|
74,591
|
|
|
|
84,725
|
|
Net
premiums earned
|
|
|
57,585
|
|
|
|
103,072
|
|
|
|
116,281
|
|
|
|
151,839
|
|
|
|
183,115
|
|
|
|
37,813
|
|
|
|
46,379
|
|
Net
investment income
|
|
|
25,962
|
|
|
|
22,754
|
|
|
|
35,746
|
|
|
|
51,160
|
|
|
|
77,724
|
|
|
|
15,062
|
|
|
|
26,125
|
|
Net
realized (losses) gains on investments
|
|
|
15,896
|
|
|
|
3,621
|
|
|
|
(178 |
) |
|
|
(3,221 |
) |
|
|
(16,180 |
) |
|
|
(5,683 |
) |
|
|
112
|
|
Net
realized and unrealized gains (losses) on derivative financial
instruments
|
|
|
6,066
|
|
|
|
15,606
|
|
|
|
12,687
|
|
|
|
(6,681 |
) |
|
|
(8,385 |
) |
|
|
(3,850 |
) |
|
|
(6,929 |
) |
Fee
income and other
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
revenues
|
|
|
105,683
|
|
|
|
148,374
|
|
|
|
164,636
|
|
|
|
193,847
|
|
|
|
238,639
|
|
|
|
44,602
|
|
|
|
65,687
|
|
Net
losses and loss adjustment expenses
|
|
|
4,584
|
|
|
|
20,038
|
|
|
|
21,274
|
|
|
|
26,021
|
|
|
|
14,958
|
|
|
|
3,449
|
|
|
|
(801 |
) |
Acquisition
costs, net
|
|
|
1,136
|
|
|
|
6,776
|
|
|
|
8,259
|
|
|
|
12,231
|
|
|
|
16,240
|
|
|
|
2,682
|
|
|
|
3,970
|
|
Operating
expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
before income tax and minority interest
|
|
|
64,398
|
|
|
|
69,841
|
|
|
|
76,708
|
|
|
|
87,974
|
|
|
|
128,442
|
|
|
|
21,376
|
|
|
|
38,448
|
|
Income
tax expense (benefit)
|
|
|
(246 |
) |
|
|
(955 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,277 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
before minority interest
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Minority
interest – dividends on redeemable preferred shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Per
Share Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings
per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Diluted
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
________________________
|
|
As
of December 31
|
|
|
As
of
March
31,
|
|
(in
thousands, except per share amount)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance
sheet data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investments,
cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
$ |
660,990
|
|
|
$ |
935,703
|
|
|
$ |
1,228,452
|
|
|
$ |
1,419,054
|
|
|
$ |
2,160,911
|
|
|
$ |
2,202,240
|
|
Prepaid
reinsurance premiums
|
|
|
78,713
|
|
|
|
108,475
|
|
|
|
57,454
|
|
|
|
69,873
|
|
|
|
59,983
|
|
|
|
76,336
|
|
Deferred
acquisition costs
|
|
|
7,670
|
|
|
|
17,739
|
|
|
|
44,599
|
|
|
|
59,592
|
|
|
|
93,809
|
|
|
|
100,187
|
|
Reinsurance
balances recoverable on unpaid losses
|
|
|
5,979
|
|
|
|
11,400
|
|
|
|
60,914
|
|
|
|
69,217
|
|
|
|
88,616
|
|
|
|
87,206
|
|
Total
assets
|
|
|
786,437
|
|
|
|
1,137,631
|
|
|
|
1,472,193
|
|
|
|
1,684,315
|
|
|
|
2,496,814
|
|
|
|
2,564,528
|
|
Deferred
premium revenue
|
|
|
207,228
|
|
|
|
385,956
|
|
|
|
487,093
|
|
|
|
592,585
|
|
|
|
795,906
|
|
|
|
850,604
|
|
Unpaid
losses and loss adjustment expenses
|
|
|
21,735
|
|
|
|
47,195
|
|
|
|
115,734
|
|
|
|
147,368
|
|
|
|
178,517
|
|
|
|
175,926
|
|
Total
liabilities
|
|
|
277,365
|
|
|
|
469,213
|
|
|
|
618,774
|
|
|
|
765,983
|
|
|
|
1,076,278
|
|
|
|
1,115,902
|
|
Accumulated
other comprehensive income
|
|
|
8,907
|
|
|
|
2,501
|
|
|
|
(241 |
) |
|
|
(20,307 |
) |
|
|
(19,705 |
) |
|
|
(13,334 |
) |
Shareholders’
equity
|
|
|
465,066
|
|
|
|
621,563
|
|
|
|
804,730
|
|
|
|
867,814
|
|
|
|
1,366,520
|
|
|
|
1,409,626
|
|
Per
Share Data (1):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Book
value per share
|
|
$ |
10.08
|
|
|
$ |
13.47
|
|
|
$ |
17.45
|
|
|
$ |
18.81
|
|
|
$ |
21.31
|
|
|
$ |
21.98
|
|
_______________________
(1)
|
Based
on 46,127,245 shares outstanding as at December 31, 2002, 2003, 2004
and
2005 and 64,136,364 shares outstanding as at December 31, 2006 and
March
31, 2007.
|
SELLING
SHAREHOLDER
Prior
to
the consummation of this offering, XL Capital owned approximately 63% of our
voting common shares. After the completion of this offering, XL
Capital (through XLI) will beneficially own 31,016,449 of our common
shares, or approximately 47.5% of our outstanding voting common shares
(29,564,446 common shares, or approximately 45.3% of our outstanding voting
common shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common shares
from XLI is exercised in full).
XL
Capital is a Cayman Islands company, which, through its operating subsidiaries,
is a leading provider of insurance and reinsurance coverages and financial
products and services to industrial, commercial and professional service firms,
insurance companies and other enterprises on a worldwide basis. XL
Capital also provides structured financial and alternative risk transfer
products through its financial solutions operations and has a significant equity
ownership interest in Primus Guaranty Ltd., a Bermuda company, which, through
its subsidiaries, is a triple-A-rated seller of credit default swaps with
respect to both corporate and sovereign entities. As of March 31,
2007, XL Capital had consolidated total assets of approximately $62.1 billion
and consolidated shareholders’ equity of approximately $11.3
billion. Both XL Capital and Primus Guaranty Ltd. are subject to the
informational reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as
amended (the “Exchange Act”).
DESCRIPTION
OF SHARE CAPITAL
The
following summary of our share capital is qualified in its entirety by
applicable provisions of Bermuda law and our Memorandum of Association and
Bye-laws, copies of which have been filed as exhibits to the registration
statement of which this prospectus is a part. In this section, the
“company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Security Capital Assurance Ltd and not
to any of its subsidiaries.
General
We
have
an authorized share capital of $5,000,000, or 500,000,000 shares, par value
$0.01 per common share. Except as described below, our common shares
will have no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for additional
common shares, no rights of redemption, conversion or exchange and no sinking
fund rights. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding-up,
the holders of our common shares are entitled to share equally, in proportion
to
the number of common shares held by such holder, in our assets, if any remain
after the payment of all our debts and liabilities and the liquidation
preference of any outstanding preferred shares. All of the common
shares being sold in this offering are fully paid and
non-assessable. Holders of our common shares are entitled to receive
such dividends as lawfully may be declared from time to time by our Board of
Directors.
Subject
to certain limitations contained in our Bye-laws and any limitations prescribed
by applicable law, our Board of Directors is authorized to issue preference
shares in one or more series and to fix the designation, powers, preferences
and
rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such shares,
including but not limited to dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights,
terms of redemption/repurchase (including sinking fund provisions),
redemption/repurchase prices and liquidation preferences, and the number of
shares constituting, and the designation of, any such series, without further
vote or action by our shareholders. On April 5, 2007, we sold 250,000
of Fixed/Floating Series A Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preference Shares, par
value
$0.01 per share, having a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share, to certain
initial purchasers in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided
by
Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. For a
description of our Fixed/Floating Series A Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preference
Shares, see “—Fixed/Floating Series A Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preference
Shares” below.
For
a
description of XLFA’s Series A preferred shares, see “—XLFA Series A Preferred
Shares” below.
Voting
Rights and Adjustments
In
general, and except as provided below, shareholders have one vote for each
common share held by them and are entitled to vote at all meetings of
shareholders. However, if, and for so long as (and whenever), the
common shares of a shareholder, including votes conferred by “controlled
shares,” would otherwise represent more than 9.5% of the aggregate voting power
of all common shares entitled to vote on a matter, including an election of
directors, the votes conferred by such shares will be reduced by whatever amount
is necessary such that, after giving effect to any such reduction (and any
other
reductions in voting power required by our Bye-laws), the votes conferred by
such shares represent 9.5% of the aggregate voting power of all common shares
entitled to vote on such matters, provided that the foregoing
restrictions do not apply to common shares held by XL Capital or its
subsidiaries or, in certain circumstances, up to three transferees
thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing restrictions, the board may
make such final adjustments to the aggregate number of votes conferred by the
common shares of any person that the board considers fair and reasonable in
all
circumstances to ensure that such votes represent 9.5% of the aggregate voting
power of the votes conferred by all common shares entitled to vote generally
at
an election of directors. In addition, as a result of limitations on
XL Capital’s voting power contained in our Bye-laws, the votes conferred by the
common shares owned by XL Capital will not exceed, with respect to elections
of
directors, 50.1% of the aggregate voting power of all common shares entitled
to
vote generally at any election of directors or, with respect to any other matter
presented to our shareholders for their action or consideration, 47.5% of the
aggregate voting power of all common shares entitled to vote on such
matter. Either or both of such limitations on XL Capital shall cease
to apply, or may be adjusted upwards, upon our receipt of written confirmation
from each nationally recognized rating agency then providing a financial
strength rating for us and/or our subsidiaries that such financial strength
rating is or will be determined without reference to the ratings of XL Capital
or that the then financial strength rating issued by it will not at the time
of
such confirmation be adversely affected by the elimination or ad-
justment
of such limitation, and, in the case of any adjustment (as opposed to
elimination), the applicable percentages set forth above shall automatically
be
adjusted to those percentages as so determined by the foregoing;
provided, however, that, in the event that any such written
confirmation shall later be rescinded, such limitation shall be reinstated
at a
percentage equal to the lesser of (i) such percentage as is required by the
rescinding rating agency and (ii) the percentage set forth above originally
applicable to such limitation. These limitations and the related
considerations concerning their applicability will be of little practical
significance due to the reduction in XL Capital’s percentage ownership of our
common shares upon completion of this offering.
In
addition, our Board of Directors may limit a shareholder’s voting rights where
it deems appropriate to do so to avoid certain material adverse tax, legal
or
regulatory consequences to us or any of our subsidiaries or any shareholder
or
its affiliates. “Controlled shares” include, among other things, all
our shares that a person is deemed to own directly, indirectly (applying the
provisions of section 958(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”)) or constructively (applying the provisions of section 318(a) of
the Code, as modified by the rules of section 958(b)(1) through (4) of the
Code)
or as a member of a “group” of persons within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of
the Exchange Act. At March 31, 2007, there were 65,303,054
common shares outstanding (including restricted shares), of which 6,203,790
common shares would confer votes that represent 9.5% of the aggregate voting
power of all common shares entitled to vote generally at an election of
directors, assuming that all shares have one vote.
We
also
have the authority under our Bye-laws to request information from any
shareholder for the purpose of determining ownership of controlled shares by
such shareholder.
Restrictions
on Transfer of Common Shares
Each
transfer must comply with current BMA permission or have specific permission
from the BMA. We have received from the BMA permission for the issue
of our common shares, and for the free transferability of our common shares
as
long as the common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange or other
designated stock exchange. Any other transfers remain subject to
approval by the BMA. Our Board of Directors may decline to register a
transfer of any common shares if they have reason to believe that any non de
minimis adverse tax, regulatory or legal consequences to us, any of our
subsidiaries or any of our shareholders or indirect holders of shares or its
Affiliates may occur as a result of such transfer. Transfers must be
by instrument unless otherwise permitted by the Companies Act.
Notification
by Shareholder Controller of New or Increased Control
Any
person who, directly or indirectly, becomes a holder of at least 10 percent,
20
percent, 33 percent or 50 percent of our common shares must notify the BMA
in
writing within 45 days of becoming such a holder or 30 days from the date they
have knowledge of having such a holding, whichever is later. The BMA
may, by written notice, object to such a person if it appears to the BMA that
the person is not fit and proper to be such a holder. The BMA may
require the holder to reduce their holding of our common shares and direct,
among other things, that voting rights attaching to our common shares shall
not
be exercisable. A person that does not comply with such a notice or
direction from the BMA will be guilty of an offense.
Objection
to Existing Shareholder Controller
The
BMA
may at any time, by written notice, object to a person holding 10 percent or
more of our common shares if it appears to the BMA that the person is not or
is
no longer fit and proper to be such a holder. In such a case, the BMA
may require the shareholder to reduce its holding of our common shares and
direct, among other things, that such shareholder’s voting rights attaching to
the common shares shall not be exercisable. A person who does not
comply with such a notice or direction from the BMA will be guilty of an
offense.
The
restrictions on transfer and voting restrictions described above may have the
effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our
company.
Issuance
of Shares
Subject
to our Bye-laws and Bermuda law, our Board of Directors has the power to issue
any of our unissued shares as it determines, including the issuance of any
shares or class of shares with preferred, deferred or other special
rights.
Bye-laws
In
addition to the provisions of the Bye-laws described above under “—Voting Rights
and Adjustments,” the following provisions are a summary of some of the other
important provisions of our Bye-laws.
Our
Board of Directors
Our
Bye-laws provide that our Board of Directors shall consist of not less than
5
and not more than 15 directors, with the exact number of directors to be
determined by the Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors
presently consists of 9 persons and is divided into three
classes. See “Election of Directors” in our 2007 Proxy Statement,
which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Each director
generally will serve a three year term, with termination staggered according
to
class. Shareholders may remove a director only for cause (defined in
our Bye-laws to mean willful misconduct, fraud, gross negligence, embezzlement
or a conviction of, or a plea of “guilty” or “no contest” to, a felony or other
crime involving moral turpitude) by the affirmative vote of at least sixty-six
and two-thirds percent of the votes cast at a general meeting, provided
that the notice of any such meeting convened for the purpose of removing a
director shall contain a statement of the intention to do so and shall be
provided to that director at least 14 days before the
meeting. Vacancies on the Board of Directors can be filled by the
Board of Directors if the vacancy occurs as a result of, among other things,
death, disability, disqualification or resignation of a director, or an increase
in the size of the Board of Directors. In addition, our Bye-laws
recognize the right of XL Capital to nominate such number of nominees for
director as would equal one nominee less than a majority of the nominees for
director, pursuant to the transition agreement between us and XL Capital
executed in connection with the initial public offering of our common
shares. Such nominees will be allocated among the classes of our
Board of Directors as follows: (i) two nominees to Class I, whose
term will expire at our annual general meeting in 2010, (ii) one nominee to
Class II, whose term will expire at our annual general meeting in 2008, and
(iii) one nominee to Class III, whose term will expire at our annual general
meeting in 2009. Pursuant to the transition agreement, XL Capital has
agreed to vote its common shares, and to cause its subsidiaries to vote common
shares held by them, to elect a majority of our Board of Directors that is
both
(i) “independent” (as defined in the corporate governance rules of the listing
standards of the New York Stock Exchange, which we refer to as the “NYSE.”) and
(ii) neither a director nor an officer of XL Capital or any of its
subsidiaries.
Because
more than 50% of the voting power of our company is currently held by XL
Capital, we qualify as a “controlled company” under the rules of the
NYSE. As a controlled company, we may choose to exempt ourselves from
the rules of the NYSE that require that a majority of the directors comprising
our Board of Directors, and all of the directors comprising our nominating
and
governance committee and compensation committee, be independent within the
meaning of the rules of the NYSE. After the completion of this
offering, XL Capital will own less than 50% of the voting power of our company
and we will lose the ability to take advantage of these
exemptions. Based on the current composition of our Board of
Directors and the committees thereof, no changes in the current composition
of
the Board of Directors and the committees thereof would be required until one
year following XL Capital’s reduction of its holdings of our common shares below
the 50% threshold. At the end of such year, the only required change
in the composition of our Board of Directors and committees thereof would be
to
change the membership of the compensation committee such that each member is
independent within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE. A majority
of the directors comprising our Board of Directors and all of the directors
comprising our nominating and governance committee are currently independent
within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE and therefore our Board of Directors
and nominating and governance committee already meet the NYSE independence
standards.
Under
our
Bye-laws, subject to certain exceptions, including with respect to resolutions
relating to the size of the Board of Directors or removal of directors, which
require the affirmative vote of at least a two-thirds majority of the directors
then in office, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at any
meeting at which a quorum
is
present generally is required to authorize a resolution put to vote at a meeting
of the Board of Directors. Corporate action may also be taken by a
unanimous written resolution of the Board of Directors without a
meeting. A quorum shall be at least one-half of directors then in
office present in person or represented by a duly authorized
representative.
Shareholder
Action
At
the
commencement of any general meeting, two or more persons present in person
and
representing, in person or by proxy, more than 50% of the issued and outstanding
shares entitled to vote at the meeting shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business. In general, anything that may be done by
resolution of our shareholders in a general meeting may be taken, without a
meeting, by a resolution in writing signed by all of the shareholders entitled
to attend such meeting and vote on such resolution. Under our
Bye-laws, subject to certain exceptions, including as discussed under “—Our
Board of Directors” above, “—Amendment” below or with respect to significant
asset acquisitions and dispositions, the discontinuance or redomestication
of
our company, mergers and amalgamations, and the liquidation, dissolution or
winding-up of our company, which, in certain circumstances, require the
affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast in accordance with
our
Bye-laws, any questions proposed for the consideration of the shareholders
at
any general meeting generally shall be decided by the affirmative votes of
a
majority of the votes cast in accordance with our Bye-laws.
Our
Bye-laws contain advance notice requirements for shareholder proposals and
nominations for directors, including when proposals and nominations must be
received and the information to be included.
Indemnity
and Exculpation
Pursuant
to our Bye-laws, we will indemnify our officers, directors and employees to
the
fullest extent permitted by Bermuda law. Such indemnity will extend,
without limitation, to any matter in which an officer, director or employee
of
ours may be guilty of negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust
in
relation to us or any of our subsidiaries, but will not extend to any matter
in
which such officer, director or employee is found, by a court of competent
jurisdiction in a final judgment or decree not subject to appeal, guilty of
any
fraud or dishonesty in relation to us.
Our
Bye-laws will also provide that none of our officers, directors or employees
will be personally liable to us or our shareholders for any action or failure
to
act to the full extent that they are indemnified under our
Bye-laws.
Corporate
Opportunities
In
order
to avoid potential claims against us or the XL Group (as defined below), or
our
or their directors, officers or employees (including persons who hold positions
with both XL Group and with us or our subsidiaries), our Bye-laws contain
provisions exempting (but only to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law) us and them from claims based upon conflicts of interest, corporate
opportunity and certain related matters. In general, these provisions
recognize that we and the XL Group may engage in the same or similar business
activities and lines of business, have an interest in the same areas of
corporate opportunities and will continue to have contractual and business
relations with each other, including officers and directors of the XL Group
serving as our directors.
Our
Bye-laws provide that (but only to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law) the XL Group will have no obligation to refrain from:
·
|
engaging
in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as
us;
or
|
·
|
doing
business with any of our clients, competitors or
vendors.
|
If
one of
our directors, officers or employees who is also a director, officer or employee
of the XL Group acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter that
may
be a corporate opportunity for both us and the XL Group, our Bye-laws provide
that such director, officer or employee (but only to the fullest extent
permitted by ap-
plicable
law) will have satisfied his or her fiduciary duties with respect to such
corporate opportunity if such director, officer or employee acts in good faith
in a manner consistent with the following policy:
·
|
a
corporate opportunity made available to any person who is a director
but
not an officer or employee of ours and who is also a director, officer
or
employee of the XL Group will belong to us only if such corporate
opportunity is expressly made available to such person solely in
his or
her capacity as a director of ours;
and
|
·
|
a
corporate opportunity made available to any person who is an officer
and/or employee of ours and who is also an officer and/or employee
of the
XL Group will belong to us unless such corporate opportunity is expressly
made available to such person solely in his or her capacity as an
officer
or employee of the XL Group.
|
If
one of
our officers, directors or employees, who is also an officer, director or
employee of the XL Group, acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or
matter that may be a corporate opportunity for both us and the XL Group in
any
manner not addressed in the foregoing policy, our Bye-laws provide that such
officer, director or employee will not be liable to us or our shareholders,
but
only to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law (including for breach
of
fiduciary duty as an officer, director or employee of ours) by reason of the
fact that the XL Group pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity for
itself, directs such corporate opportunity to another person or does not present
such corporate opportunity to us. If a director, officer or employee
of the XL Group first acquires knowledge of a corporate opportunity principally
in such director’s, officer’s or employee’s capacity as a director, officer or
employee of our company, such corporate opportunity shall belong solely to
us
and not to the XL Group unless we have determined not to pursue such corporate
opportunity.
For
purposes of our Bye-laws, “corporate opportunities” include, but are not limited
to, business opportunities that we are financially able to undertake, which
are,
from their nature, in our line of business, are of practical advantage to us
and
are ones in which we, but for the provisions of our Bye-laws related to
corporate opportunities, would have an interest or a reasonable expectancy,
and
in which, by embracing the opportunities, the self-interest of the XL Group
or
its officers, directors or employees will be brought into conflict with our
self-interest. In addition, the term “XL Group” includes any Person
controlled by XL Capital Ltd (other than us and our subsidiaries).
By
becoming a shareholder in our company, you will be deemed to have notice of
and
have consented to the provisions of our Bye-laws related to corporate
opportunities that are described above. For a description of the
duties of our directors under Bermuda law, see “—Differences in Corporate
Law—Duties of Directors” below.
Amendment
Our
Bye-laws may be amended only by a resolution adopted by the Board of Directors
and by resolution of the shareholders, subject, in certain circumstances, to
the
affirmative vote of the holders of sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the
total
combined voting power of all issued and outstanding shares of our
company.
Anti-Takeover
Provisions and Insurance Regulations Concerning Change of
Control
Some
of
the provisions of our Bye-laws, as well as certain insurance regulations
concerning change of control, could delay or prevent a change of control of
our
company that a shareholder might consider favorable. See “Risk
Factors—Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Shares” in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, which is incorporated by
reference in this prospectus.
Differences
in Corporate Law
You
should be aware that the Companies Act, which applies to us, differs in certain
material respects from laws generally applicable to U.S. corporations and their
shareholders. In order to highlight these differences, set forth
below is a summary of certain significant provisions of the Companies Act
applicable to us (including modifications adopted pursuant to our Bye-laws)
that
differ in certain respects from provisions of the corporate law of
the
State
of
Delaware. Because the following statements are summaries, they do not
address all aspects of Bermuda law that may be relevant to us and our
shareholders.
Duties
of Directors
Under
Bermuda common law, members of a board of directors owe a fiduciary duty to
a
company to act in good faith in their dealings with or on behalf of such company
and to exercise their powers and fulfill the duties of their office
honestly. This duty has the following essential
elements:
·
|
a
duty to act in good faith in the best interests of such
company;
|
·
|
a
duty not to make a personal profit from opportunities that arise
from the
office of director;
|
·
|
a
duty to avoid conflicts of interest;
and
|
·
|
a
duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were
intended.
|
The
Companies Act imposes a duty on directors and officers of a Bermuda
company:
·
|
to
act honestly and in good faith, with a view to the best interests
of such
company; and
|
·
|
to
exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent
person
would exercise in comparable
circumstances.
|
In
addition, the Companies Act imposes various duties on officers of a company
with
respect to certain matters of management and administration of such
company.
The
Companies Act provides that in any proceedings for negligence, default, breach
of duty or breach of trust against any officer, if it appears to a court that
such officer is or may be liable in respect of the negligence, default, breach
of duty or breach of trust, but that he has acted honestly and reasonably,
and
that, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, including those
connected with his appointment, he ought fairly to be excused for the
negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust, such court may relieve
him, either wholly or partly, from any liability on such terms as such court
may
think fit. This provision has been interpreted to apply only to
actions brought by or on behalf of a company against such
officers. Our Bye-laws, however, provide that each of our present and
future shareholders waive all claims or rights of action that such shareholder
might have, individually or in the right of our company, against any of our
directors, officers or employees for any act or failure to act in the
performance of the duties of such director, officer or employee,
provided that this waiver does not extend to any matter in which such
director, officer or employee is found, by a court of competent jurisdiction
in
a final judgment or decree not subject to appeal, guilty of any fraud or
dishonesty in relation to us.
Under
Delaware law, the business and affairs of a corporation are managed by or under
the direction of its board of directors. In exercising their powers,
directors are charged with a fiduciary duty of care to protect the interests
of
the corporation and a fiduciary duty of loyalty to act in the best interests
of
its shareholders. The duty of care requires that directors act in an
informed and deliberate manner, and inform themselves, prior to making a
business decision, of all relevant material information reasonably available
to
them. The duty of care also requires that directors exercise care in
overseeing and investigating the conduct of corporate employees. The
duty of loyalty may be summarized as the duty to act in good faith, not out
of
self-interest, and in a manner that the director reasonably believes to be
in
the best interests of the shareholders.
Under
the
“business judgment rule,” courts generally do not second guess the business
judgment of directors and officers. A party challenging the propriety
of a decision of a board of directors bears the burden of rebutting the
presumption afforded to directors by the business judgment rule. If
the presumption is not rebutted, the business judgment rule attaches to protect
the directors from liability for their decisions. Where, however, the
presumption is rebutted, the directors bear the burden of demonstrating the
fairness of the relevant transaction. How-
ever,
when the board of directors takes defensive action in response to a threat
to
corporate control and approves a transaction resulting in a sale of control
of
the corporation, Delaware courts subject directors’ conduct to enhanced
scrutiny.
Interested
Directors
Under
Bermuda law and our Bye-laws, a transaction entered into by us, in which a
director has an interest, will not be voidable by us, and such director will
not
be liable to us for any profit realized pursuant to such transaction,
provided the nature of the interest is duly disclosed to our Nominating
and Governance Committee. In addition, our Bye-laws allow a director
to be taken into account in determining whether a quorum is present and to
vote
on a transaction in which the director has an interest following a declaration
of the interest to our Nominating and Governance Committee, provided
that the director is not disqualified from doing so by the chairman of the
meeting. Under Delaware law, such a transaction would not be voidable
if (i) the material facts with respect to such interested director’s
relationship or interests are disclosed or are known to the board of directors,
and the board of directors in good faith authorizes the transaction by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the disinterested directors, (ii) such
material facts are disclosed or are known to the shareholders entitled to vote
on such transaction, and the transaction is specifically approved in good faith
by vote of the majority of shares entitled to vote thereon or (iii) the
transaction is fair to the corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved
or ratified. Under Delaware law, an interested director could be held
liable for a transaction in which such director derived an improper personal
benefit.
Dividends
Bermuda
law does not permit the declaration or payment of dividends or distributions
of
contributed surplus by a company if there are reasonable grounds for believing
that a company, after the payment is made, would be unable to pay its
liabilities as they become due, or the realizable value of such company’s assets
would be less, as a result of the payment, than the aggregate of its liabilities
and its issued share capital and share premium accounts. The excess
of the consideration paid on issue of shares over the aggregate par value of
such shares must (except in certain limited circumstances) be credited to a
share premium account. Share premium may be distributed in certain
limited circumstances, for example, to pay up unissued shares which may be
distributed to shareholders in proportion to their holdings, but is otherwise
subject to limitation. In addition, our ability to declare and pay
dividends and other distributions is subject to Bermuda insurance laws and
regulatory constraints. See “Business—Regulation” in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, which is incorporated
by reference in this prospectus.
Under
Delaware law, subject to any restrictions contained in a company’s certificate
of incorporation, a company may pay dividends out of surplus or, if there is
no
surplus, out of net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is
declared and for the preceding fiscal year. Delaware law also
provides that dividends may not be paid out of net profits at any time when
capital is less than the capital represented by the outstanding stock of all
classes having a preference upon the distribution of assets.
Amalgamations,
Mergers and Similar Arrangements
We
may
acquire the business of another Bermuda exempted company or a company
incorporated outside Bermuda when conducting such business would benefit us
and
would be conducive to attaining our objectives contained within our Memorandum
of Association. Pursuant to our Bye-laws, we may, with the approval
of our board and, except in the case of certain amalgamations with and between
wholly-owned Bermudian subsidiaries, the affirmative vote of at least the
required majority of all of the shareholders of the amalgamating company
(whether or not, in respect of any given class of shares, such class ordinarily
carries the right to vote) at a general meeting at which a quorum is present,
amalgamate with another Bermuda company or with a body incorporated outside
Bermuda. In the case of an amalgamation, a shareholder may apply to a
Bermuda court for a proper valuation of such shareholder’s shares if such
shareholder is not satisfied that fair market value has been paid for such
shares. The court ordinarily would not disapprove the transaction on
that ground absent evidence of fraud or bad faith.
Under
Delaware law, with certain exceptions, a merger, consolidation or sale of all
or
substantially all the assets of a corporation must be approved by the board
of
directors and a majority of the outstanding shares entitled
to
vote
thereon. Under Delaware law, a shareholder of a corporation
participating in certain major corporate transactions may, under certain
circumstances, be entitled to appraisal rights pursuant to which such
shareholder may receive payment in the amount of the fair market value of the
shares held by such shareholder (as determined by a court) in lieu of the
consideration such shareholder would otherwise receive in the
transaction.
Takeovers
Bermuda
law provides that where an offer is made for shares of a company and, within
four months of the offer, the holders of not less than 90% of the shares which
are the subject of the offer accept, the offeror may by notice require the
non-tendering shareholders to transfer their shares on the terms of the
offer. Dissenting shareholders may apply to the court within one
month of the notice, objecting to the transfer. The burden is on the
dissenting shareholders to show that the court should exercise its discretion
to
enjoin the required transfer, which the court will be unlikely to do unless
there is evidence of fraud or bad faith or collusion between the offeror and
the
holders of the shares who have accepted the offer as a means of unfairly forcing
out minority shareholders. Delaware law provides that a parent
corporation, by resolution of its board of directors and without any shareholder
vote, may merge with any subsidiary of which it owns at least 90% of each class
of capital stock. Upon any such merger, dissenting shareholders of
the subsidiary would have appraisal rights.
Certain
Transactions with Significant Shareholders
As
a
Bermuda company, we may enter into certain business transactions with our
significant shareholders, including asset sales, in which a significant
shareholder receives, or could receive, a financial benefit that is greater
than
that received, or to be received, by other shareholders with prior approval
from
our Board of Directors but without obtaining prior approval from our
shareholders. For a description of certain corporate opportunities
provisions contained in our Bye-laws, see “—Bye-laws—Corporate
Opportunities.” If we were a Delaware corporation, we would need,
subject to certain exceptions, prior approval from shareholders holding at
least
two-thirds of our outstanding common shares not owned by such interested
shareholder to enter into a business combination (which, for this purpose,
includes asset sales of greater than 10% of our assets that would otherwise
be
considered transactions in the ordinary course of business) with an interested
shareholder for a period of three years from the time the person became an
interested shareholder, unless we had opted out of the relevant Delaware
statute, as provided for in that statute.
Shareholders’
Suits
The
rights of shareholders under Bermuda law and our Bye-laws are not as extensive
as the rights of shareholders under legislation or judicial precedent in many
U.S. jurisdictions. Class actions and derivative actions are
generally not available to shareholders under the laws of
Bermuda. However, the Bermuda courts ordinarily would be expected to
follow English case law precedent, which would permit a shareholder to commence
an action in our name to remedy a wrong done to us where the act complained
of
is alleged to be beyond our corporate power or is illegal or would result in
the
violation of our Memorandum of Association or Bye-laws. Furthermore,
consideration would be given by the court to acts that are alleged to constitute
a fraud against the minority shareholders or where an act requires the approval
of a greater percentage of our shareholders than actually approved
it. The winning party in such an action generally would be able to
recover a portion of attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with such
action. Our Bye-laws provide that all present and future shareholders
waive all claims or rights of action that they might have, individually or
in
the right of our company, against any of our directors, officers or employees
for any action or failure to act in the performance of the duties of such
director, officer or employee, except that such waiver does not extend to any
matter in which such director, officer or employee is found, by a court of
competent jurisdiction in a final judgment or decree not subject to appeal,
guilty of any fraud or dishonesty in relation to us. Class actions
and derivative actions generally are available to shareholders under Delaware
law for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and
actions not taken in accordance with applicable law. In such actions,
the court generally has discretion to permit the winning party to recover
attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with such action.
Indemnification
of Directors and Officers
Under
Bermuda law we may and under our Bye-laws we will indemnify our officers,
directors and employees against any liabilities and expenses incurred by such
person by reason of such person acting in such capacity or any other capacity
for, or on behalf of, us; provided that such indemnification does not
extend to any matter in which such director, officer or employee is found,
by a
court of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment or decree not subject to
appeal, guilty of any fraud or dishonesty in relation to us. Under
Delaware law, a corporation may indemnify a director or officer of the
corporation against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in defense of an
action, suit or proceeding by reason of such position if (i) such director
or
officer acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in
or
not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and (ii) with respect
to
any criminal action or proceeding, such director or officer had no reasonable
cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Under our Bye-laws, each
of our present and future shareholders agrees to waive any claim or right of
action that such shareholder might have, individually or in the right of our
company, against any of our directors, officers or employees for any action
or
failure to act in the performance of the duties of such director, officer or
employee, except that such waiver does not extend to any matter as to which
such
director, officer or employee admits that he is guilty, or is found, by a court
of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment or decree not subject to appeal,
to be guilty of any fraud or dishonesty in relation to us. Such an
admission or finding is not a prerequisite to a shareholder commencing or
pursuing a claim.
Inspection
of Corporate Records
Members
of the general public have the right to inspect our public documents available
at the office of the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda and our registered office
in Bermuda, which will include our Memorandum of Association (including its
objects and powers) and any alteration to our Memorandum of Association and
documents relating to any increase or reduction of authorized
capital. Our shareholders have the additional right to inspect our
Bye-laws, minutes of general meetings and audited annual financial statements,
which must be presented to the annual general meeting of
shareholders. The register of our shareholders is also open to
inspection by shareholders without charge, and to members of the public for
a
fee. We are required to maintain our share register in Bermuda but,
after our shares are listed on the NYSE and giving the required notice to the
Bermuda Registrar of Companies, we may establish a branch register outside
of
Bermuda. We are required to keep at our registered office a register
of our directors and officers (containing that information required under
Bermuda law), which is open for inspection by members of the public without
charge. Bermuda law does not, however, provide a general right for
shareholders to inspect or obtain copies of any other corporate
records. Delaware law permits any shareholder to inspect or obtain
copies of a corporation’s shareholder list and its other books and records for
any purpose reasonably related to such person’s interest as a
shareholder.
Shareholder
Proposals
Under
Bermuda law, the Companies Act provides that shareholders may, as set forth
below and at their own expense (unless a company otherwise resolves), require
a
company to give notice of any resolution that the shareholders can properly
propose at the next annual general meeting and/or to circulate a statement
prepared by the requesting shareholders in respect of any matter referred to
in
a proposed resolution or any business to be conducted at a general
meeting. The number of shareholders necessary for such a requisition
is either that number of shareholders representing at least 5% of the total
voting rights of all shareholders having a right to vote at the meeting to
which
the requisition relates or not less than 100 shareholders. Our
Bye-laws also include advance-notice provisions regarding shareholder proposals
and nominations. Delaware law does not include a provision
restricting the manner in which nominations for directors may be made by
shareholders or the manner in which business may be brought before a
meeting.
Calling
of Special Shareholders’ Meetings
Under
our
Bye-laws, a special general meeting may be called by our President, our Chairman
or a majority of the directors in office. Under Bermuda law, a
special meeting may also be called by the shareholders when requisitioned by
the
holders of at least 10% of the paid-up voting share capital of a company as
provided by the Compa-
nies
Act. Delaware law permits the board of directors or any person who is
authorized under a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws to call
a special meeting of shareholders.
Approval
of Corporate Matters by Written Consent
Under
Bermuda law, the Companies Act provides that shareholders may take action by
written consent, with consent from a majority of shareholders
required. Our Bye-laws, however, require the consent of 100% of
shareholders to take action by written consent. Delaware law permits
shareholders to take action by the consent in writing by the holders of
outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would
be
necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting of shareholders at
which
all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted.
Amendment
of Memorandum of Association
Bermuda
law provides that the memorandum of association of a company may be amended
by a
resolution passed at a general meeting of shareholders of which due notice
has
been given. An amendment to the memorandum of association that alters
a company’s business objects may require approval of the Bermuda Minister of
Finance, who may grant or withhold approval at his or her
discretion.
Under
Bermuda law, the holders of an aggregate of not less than 20% in par value
of a
company’s issued share capital have the right to apply to the Bermuda courts for
an annulment of any amendment of the memorandum of association adopted by
shareholders at any general meeting, other than an amendment that alters or
reduces a company’s share capital as provided in the Companies
Act. Where such an application is made, the amendment becomes
effective only to the extent that it is confirmed by the Bermuda
court. An application for an annulment of an amendment of the
memorandum of association must be made within 21 days after the date on which
the resolution altering a company’s memorandum of association is passed and may
be made on behalf of persons entitled to make the application by one or more
of
their designees as such holders may appoint in writing for such
purpose. No application may be made by the shareholders voting in
favor of the amendment.
Under
Delaware law, amendment of the certificate of incorporation, which is the
equivalent of a memorandum of association, of a company must be made by a
resolution of the board of directors setting forth the amendment, declaring
its
advisability, and either calling a special meeting of the shareholders entitled
to vote or directing that the amendment proposed be considered at the next
annual meeting of the shareholders. Delaware law requires that,
unless a different percentage is provided for in the certificate of
incorporation, a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote thereon
is
required to approve the amendment of the certificate of incorporation at the
shareholders meeting. If the amendment would alter the number of
authorized shares or otherwise adversely affect the rights or preference of
any
class of a company’s stock, Delaware law provides that the holders of the
outstanding shares of such affected class should be entitled to vote as a class
upon the proposed amendment, regardless of whether such holders are entitled
to
vote by the certificate of incorporation. However, the number of
authorized shares of any class may be increased or decreased, to the extent
not
falling below the number of shares then outstanding, by the affirmative vote
of
the holders of a majority of the stock entitled to vote, if so provided in
a
company’s certificate of incorporation or any amendment that created such class
or was adopted prior to the issuance of such class or that was authorized by
the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of such class of
stock.
Amendment
of Bye-laws
Consistent
with the Companies Act, our Bye-laws provide that the Bye-laws may be rescinded,
altered or amended only upon approval by a resolution of our Board of Directors
and by a resolution of our shareholders, subject, in certain circumstances,
to
the affirmative vote of the holders of sixty-six and two-thirds percent of
the
total combined voting power of all issued and outstanding shares of our
company.
Under
Delaware law, holders of a majority of the voting power of a corporation and,
if
so provided in the certificate of incorporation, the directors of the
corporation, have the power to adopt, amend and repeal the bylaws of a
corporation.
Listing
Our
common shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “SCA.”
Transfer
Agent and Registrar
The
transfer agent and registrar for our common shares is The Bank of New
York.
XLFA
Series A Preferred Shares
XLFA
currently has authorized 10,000 Series A preferred shares, with a par value
of
$120.00 per share. As of March 31, 2007, 363 Series A preferred
shares were issued and outstanding, all of which are held by FSA and its
affiliates. The holders of the Series A preferred shares are entitled
to one vote per share and were entitled to receive a 5% fixed dividend on the
amount initially paid for the Series A preferred shares plus a participating
dividend through December 31, 2005, at which time the dividend rate was changed
to a fixed rate of 81/4% per annum on the par amount outstanding. The
Series A preferred shares are redeemable by XLFA at any time, in whole or in
part, at a price equal to $39.0 million (the par amount outstanding) plus
accrued and unpaid dividends; provided that no partial redemption by XLFA shall
cause the value of the remaining outstanding Series A preferred shares to be
less than 10% of the total equity capitalization of XLFA. After the
tenth anniversary of their respective dates of initial issuance, the Series
A
preferred shares are redeemable at the election of the holders, in whole but
not
in part, at a redemption formula as specified in XLFA’s Bye-laws.
On
March
30, 2007, XLFA paid an extraordinary dividend of $15.0 million on its Series
A
preferred shares, and reduced the stated value of the remaining outstanding
Series A preferred shares by a corresponding amount to $39.0
million. There was no change in the voting interest of the holders of
the Series A preferred shares as a result of the extraordinary dividend and
reduction in the stated value of the Series A preferred shares. As a
result of the reduction in stated value, dividends on the redeemable preferred
shares will be $0.8 million quarterly subsequent to March 31, 2007.
Fixed/Floating
Series A Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preference Shares
On
April
5, 2007, we sold 250,000 of Fixed/Floating Series A Perpetual Non-Cumulative
Preference Shares, par value $0.01 per share, having a liquidation preference
of
$1,000 per share (the “Preference Shares”) to certain initial purchasers in
reliance upon the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(2) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Until September 30, 2017,
dividends on the Preference Shares will be payable semiannually on a
non-cumulative basis, when, as and if declared by our board of directors, on
March 31 and September 30 of each year at a fixed rate equal to 6.88% per annum
on the liquidation preference. From and after September 30, 2017, dividends
on
the Preference Shares will be payable quarterly on a non-cumulative basis,
when,
as and if declared by our board of directors, on March 31, June 30, September
30
and December 31 of each year at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR
plus
2.715% on the liquidation preference. Dividends on the Preference Shares, if
declared, will be payable commencing on September 30, 2007. The Preference
Shares are perpetual securities with no fixed maturity date and are not
convertible into any of our other securities.
SHARES
ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
After
completion of this offering, XL Capital (through XLI) will continue to hold
31,016,449 of our common shares (29,564,446 common shares if the underwriters
exercise their option to purchase additional common shares from XLI in
full).
In
general, under Rule 144 as currently in effect, a person (or persons whose
shares are aggregated) who has beneficially owned restricted shares for at
least
two years, including an “affiliate” of the issuer, is entitled to sell, within
any three-month period, that number of shares that does not exceed the greater
of one percent of the then-outstanding shares of the same class (all common
shares in the case of our company) or the average weekly trading volume of
the
then-outstanding shares of that class during the four calendar weeks preceding
the date on which notice of each related sale is filed with the
SEC. Sales pursuant to Rule 144 are subject to certain requirements
as to manner of sale, notice and availability of current information about
the
issuer for at least 90 days prior to any sale of that type. Under
Rule 144(k), a person who is not deemed to be (and during the three months
preceding the sale was not) an “affiliate” of the issuer, and whose shares were
not acquired by it or any prior holder from the issuer or any “affiliate”
thereof during the three years preceding the proposed sale, is entitled to
sell
those shares under Rule 144 without regard to the resale volume and other
limitations described above. As defined in Rule 144, an “affiliate”
of an issuer is a person that directly or indirectly, through the use of one
or
more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control
with
that issuer.
We
and XL
Capital have agreed, subject to various customary exceptions, not to (1) offer,
pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase,
purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant
to
purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any
common shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for common shares or (2) enter into any swap or similar agreement that
transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of the
common shares, whether any transaction of the type described in clause (1)
or
(2) above is to be settled by delivery of common shares or other securities,
in
cash or otherwise, for a period of 90 days after the date of this prospectus,
without the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. Goldman, Sachs
& Co. may, in its sole discretion and at any time without notice, release
all or any portion of the shares subject to these agreements. These
agreements will not apply to sales in this offering or to the issuance, by
us,
of common shares or options pursuant to employee plans existing on the date
of
this prospectus or upon the exercise of employee options.
We
expect
to provide for Securities Act registration of shares currently held or acquired
by employees pursuant to options provided by us, so that the shares may be
sold
into the public market from time to time. No prediction can be made
as to the effect, if any, that future sales of shares, or the availability
of
shares for future sale, will have on the market price prevailing from time
to
time. Sales of substantial amounts of common shares, or the
perception that those sales could occur, could adversely affect prevailing
market prices of the common shares.
CERTAIN
TAX CONSIDERATIONS
This
section provides a summary of the material Bermuda, United Kingdom and United
States federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of
the
common shares acquired in this offering by U.S. Persons (as defined
below). The following summary of the taxation of SCA and its
subsidiaries, and the taxation of SCA’s shareholders, is based upon current law
and does not purport to be a comprehensive discussion of all the tax
considerations that may be relevant to a decision to purchase common
shares. Legislative, judicial or administrative changes may be
forthcoming that could affect this summary.
The
following legal discussion (including and subject to the matters and
qualifications set forth in such discussion) of the material tax considerations
under (i) “Bermuda Taxation—Taxation of SCA and Subsidiaries” and “—Taxation of
Shareholders” is based upon the advice of Conyers Dill & Pearman, special
Bermuda legal counsel; (ii) “United Kingdom Taxation—Taxation of SCA and its
Subsidiaries” and “—Taxation of Shareholders” is based upon the advice of
Slaughter and May, London, England and (iii) “United States Taxation—Taxation of
SCA and its Subsidiaries” and “—Taxation of Shareholders” is based upon the
advice of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (“Cahill”). Each of these
advisors has reviewed its portion of this discussion (as set forth above) and
hereby confirms that such portion of the discussion, subject to the conditions
and limitations contained therein, constitutes in each case the opinion of
such
advisor as to the material income tax considerations under the law of the
relevant jurisdiction relating to SCA and its subsidiaries and the ownership
of
SCA’s common shares by investors that are U.S. Persons who acquire such shares
in this offering. The advice of such advisors does not include any
factual or accounting matters, transfer pricing determinations, or other
determinations or conclusions such as insurance accounting determinations or
computations of related person insurance income (which is referred to herein
as
“RPII”) or any amounts or components thereof (for example, amounts or
computations of income or expense items or reserves entering into RPII
computations) or facts relating to the business, income, reserves or activities
of SCA and its subsidiaries. The advice of these advisors relies upon
and is premised on the accuracy of factual statements and representations made
by SCA concerning the business, properties, ownership, organization, source
of
income and manner of operation of SCA and its
subsidiaries. Statements contained herein as to the beliefs,
expectations and conditions of SCA and its subsidiaries regarding factual
matters represent the view of management and have not been independently
reviewed or verified by counsel.
The
discussion is based upon current law. Legislative, judicial or
administrative changes or interpretations may be forthcoming that could be
retroactive and could materially adversely affect the tax consequences to us
and
to holders of common shares.
The
tax
treatment of a holder of common shares, or of a person treated as a holder
of
common shares for U.S. federal income, state, local or non-U.S. tax purposes,
may vary depending on the holder’s particular tax
situation. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR
OWN TAX ADVISERS CONCERNING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX
CONSEQUENCES OF OWNING COMMON SHARES.
Bermuda
Taxation
Taxation
of SCA and its Subsidiaries
Under
current Bermuda law, there is no Bermuda income, corporate or profits tax or
withholding tax, capital gains tax or capital transfer tax payable by
us. SCA and XLFA have each obtained from the Minister of Finance
under The Exempted Undertaking Tax Protection Act 1966, as amended, an assurance
that, in the event that Bermuda enacts legislation imposing tax computed on
profits, income, any capital asset, gain or appreciation, or any tax in the
nature of estate duty or inheritance, then the imposition of any such tax shall
not be applicable to SCA or XLFA or to any of their operations or their shares,
debentures or other obligations, until March 28, 2016. This assurance
is subject to the proviso that it is not to be construed so as to prevent the
application of any tax or duty to such persons as are ordinarily resident in
Bermuda, or to prevent the application of any tax payable in accordance with
the
provisions of the Land Tax Act 1967 or otherwise payable in relation to any
land
leased to SCA or XLFA. SCA and XLFA each pay annual Bermuda
government fees, and XLFA pays annual insurance license fees. In
addi-
tion,
all
entities employing individuals in Bermuda are required to pay a payroll tax
and
there are other sundry taxes payable, directly or indirectly, to the Bermuda
government.
Taxation
of Shareholders
Currently,
there is no Bermuda income or profits tax, withholding tax, capital gains tax,
capital transfer tax, estate duty or inheritance tax payable by the holders
of
the common shares of SCA in respect of their shares, other than holders
ordinarily resident in Bermuda.
United
Kingdom Taxation
The
following opinion is based on (i) existing statutory and judicial authority
and
the current practice of H.M. Revenue and Customs (“HMRC”), all of which may be
changed at any time with retroactive effect; (ii) the accuracy of each of the
factual matters set forth in this prospectus; and (iii) the accuracy of factual
representations (including as to the manner in which each of XLCA, XLFA and
XLCA-UK conducts its business and as to the absence of any material dispute
or
grounds for any such dispute with HMRC) contained in a certificate of SCA
delivered to Slaughter and May in connection with this opinion, which factual
representations have not been independently reviewed or verified by Slaughter
and May. Any change in applicable laws or practice, or any inaccuracy
in any of these factual matters or representations, may affect the legal
conclusions reached in the opinion. Slaughter and May has no
obligation to update the opinion to reflect future changes in law or any
inaccuracies in any of the foregoing matters that may later come to its
attention.
The
United Kingdom corporation tax and income tax consequences for SCA and its
subsidiaries will depend on a number of factors including the manner in which
each company manages and conducts its business and other factual or accounting
matters, such as transfer pricing determinations. SCA’s projections,
computations and intentions in relation to the foregoing represent the views
of
management and have not been independently reviewed or verified by
counsel.
This
opinion is being provided to SCA in connection with this registration
statement. It is not a guarantee and merely represents the judgment
of Slaughter and May, based on the matters and representations referred to
above, regarding the specific legal issues discussed. The opinion is
not binding on HMRC and there is no assurance that HMRC or a court would not
reach a contrary conclusion.
Taxation
of SCA and its Subsidiaries
XLCA-UK
is a company incorporated and managed in the United Kingdom and is, therefore,
resident in the United Kingdom and will be subject to U.K. corporation tax
on
its worldwide profits (including revenue profits and capital gains), whether
or
not such profits are remitted to the United Kingdom. The maximum rate
of U.K. corporation tax is currently 30% on profits of whatever
description. Currently, no U.K. withholding tax applies to dividends
paid by XLCA-UK.
Of
SCA
and its subsidiaries, only XLCA-UK is incorporated in the United
Kingdom. Accordingly, except for XLCA-UK, SCA and its subsidiaries
should not be treated as being resident in the United Kingdom unless those
companies’ central management and control is exercised in the United
Kingdom. The concept of central management and control is indicative
of the highest level of control of a company, which is wholly a question of
fact
but is typically exercised by the company’s directors. The directors
of each of SCA and its subsidiaries, other than XLCA-UK, intend to manage the
affairs of those companies so that none of them, other than XLCA-UK, is resident
in the United Kingdom for tax purposes.
A
company
not resident in the United Kingdom for corporation tax purposes can nevertheless
be subject to U.K. corporation tax if it carries on a trade through a permanent
establishment in the United Kingdom, though the charge to U.K. corporation
tax
is limited to profits (including revenue profits and capital gains) connected
with such permanent establishment. Again, the directors of each of
SCA and its subsidiaries, other than XLCA-UK (which is
resident
in the United Kingdom), intend that those companies will operate in such a
manner that none of them carries on a trade through a permanent establishment
in
the United Kingdom.
The
United Kingdom has no income tax treaty with Bermuda. There are
circumstances in which companies that are not resident in the United Kingdom
but
are also not entitled to the protection afforded by a double tax treaty between
the United Kingdom and the jurisdiction in which they are resident may be
exposed to income tax in the United Kingdom on the profits of a trade carried
on
there, even if that trade is not carried on through a permanent
establishment. However, the directors of each of SCA and its
subsidiaries, other than XLCA-UK, intend that those companies will operate
in
such a manner that none of them will fall within the charge to income tax in
the
United Kingdom in this respect (ignoring any such charge arising by deduction
or
withholding).
On
the
basis in particular of the factual representations referred to in the first
paragraph of this section discussing U.K. taxation, we are of the opinion that
neither SCA nor any of its subsidiaries (other than XLCA-UK) is currently
resident in the United Kingdom for U.K. tax purposes and that (apart from
XLCA-UK) none of those companies should otherwise be subject currently to U.K.
corporation tax or income tax in respect of the profits of its
trade.
If
any of
SCA and its subsidiaries, other than XLCA-UK, were in the future treated as
being resident in the United Kingdom for U.K. corporation tax purposes or as
otherwise subject to UK corporation tax or income tax on the profits of a trade
carried on in the United Kingdom, SCA’s results of operations and shareholders’
investment could be adversely affected. For the reasons given above,
however, SCA does not regard such treatment as likely.
Taxation
of Shareholders
U.S.
Persons who are not resident or ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for
U.K. tax purposes or carrying on a trade (or profession or vocation) in the
United Kingdom and who hold their common shares beneficially and as an
investment will not be subject to U.K. tax in respect of their ownership or
disposition of SCA’s common shares or the receipt of any dividends that may be
paid on them (as regards any such disposition, provided that it is not
the case that (i) they cease to be so resident and then resume such residence
within five tax years, or they are regarded as being non-resident for the
purposes of the U.K./U.S. double tax treaty and then cease to be so regarded
within that time frame, and (ii) they dispose of their common shares during
that
period of non-residence).
United
States Taxation
Set
forth
below is the opinion of Cahill regarding the material U.S. federal income tax
consequences of the ownership and disposition of the common shares purchased
in
this offering by U.S. holders who hold the common shares as capital
assets. The following opinion is based upon the provisions of the
Code, and regulations, administrative rulings and pronouncements, judicial
decisions and treaties as now in effect, and such authorities may be repealed,
revoked or modified (possibly on a retroactive basis) so as to result in U.S.
federal income tax consequences materially adversely different from those
described in the opinion. The following opinion is based on the
accuracy of (i) each of the factual matters set forth in this prospectus and
(ii) factual representations contained in a certificate of SCA delivered to
Cahill in connection with this opinion, which facts have not been independently
reviewed or verified by Cahill. Any inaccuracy in any of these
factual matters or any change after this offering in any of these factual
matters or in the conduct, practices, activities or operating guidelines of
SCA
or its subsidiaries may affect the legal conclusions reached in the
opinion. Cahill has no obligation to update the opinion to reflect
future changes in law or any inaccuracies or changes in any of the foregoing
factual matters that may later come to its attention.
As
discussed in the opinion, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the
ownership and disposition of common shares purchased in this offering will
depend to a significant extent on the actual income and assets of SCA and its
subsidiaries, the manner in which SCA manages and conducts its business and
the
business of its subsidiaries, and the composition of SCA’s direct and indirect
shareholders, both now and in the future, as well as other factual or accounting
matters, transfer pricing determinations and other determinations or
computations, such as insurance accounting determinations or computations of
RPII or any amounts or components thereof (for example, amounts or computations
of income or expense items or reserves entering into RPII
computations). SCA’s project-
tions,
computations and estimates of the foregoing represent the views of management
and have not been independently reviewed or verified by counsel.
Statements
contained herein as to the beliefs, expectations and conditions of SCA and
its
subsidiaries regarding factual or accounting matters represent the view of
SCA
management and have not been independently reviewed or verified by
counsel.
This
opinion is not a guarantee and merely represents the judgment of Cahill
regarding the specific legal matters addressed. The opinion is not
binding on the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or any court, and there is
no assurance that the IRS or a court would not reach a contrary
conclusion.
This
opinion has been prepared solely for purposes of the offering of the company’s
common shares pursuant to the Registration Statement of which this prospectus
forms a part. It may not be used or relied upon for any other
purpose.
Subject
to the foregoing, the legal discussion in the remainder of this section is
the
opinion of Cahill.
Taxation
of SCA and its Subsidiaries
U.S.
Trade or Business. It is SCA’s position that XLFA is not engaged
in a trade or business in the United States through a permanent establishment
in
the United States. However, whether business is being conducted in
the United States and, if so, whether there is a permanent establishment in
the
United States are inherently factual determinations dependent in large part
upon
the actual conduct, practices, and activities of SCA and its
subsidiaries. Because the Code, regulations, administrative rulings
and pronouncements, judicial decisions and treaties provide very limited
guidance (and no definitive guidance) on whether any particular set of facts
will constitute being engaged in a trade or business in the United States (or
give rise to a permanent establishment), and the analysis involves inherently
complex factual determinations, it is unclear whether the IRS could successfully
challenge SCA’s position on the U.S. trade or business and permanent
establishment issues, and Cahill is unable to render an opinion on these
issues.
To
reduce
the risk that XLFA will be considered to be engaged in a trade or business
in
the United States through a permanent establishment, SCA and its subsidiaries
intend to conduct their activities in accordance with operating guidelines
SCA
has developed, and may over time continue to refine, in consultation with its
tax advisors. However, there is no assurance that SCA or its
subsidiaries will be able to conduct their activities in accordance with these
guidelines. Moreover, because of the factual and legal uncertainties
regarding when a non-U.S. corporation will be considered to be conducting
business in the United States through a permanent establishment, it is unclear
whether these guidelines will preclude the IRS from successfully challenging
SCA’s position on these issues.
A
non-U.S. corporation deemed to be engaged in a trade or business in the United
States would be subject to U.S. income tax at regular corporate rates, as well
as the branch profits tax, on its income that is treated as effectively
connected with the conduct of that trade or business, unless the corporation
is
entitled to relief under the permanent establishment provision of an applicable
tax treaty, as discussed below. Such income tax, if imposed, would be
based on effectively connected income computed in a manner generally analogous
to that applied to the income of a U.S. corporation, except that a non-U.S.
corporation is generally entitled to deductions and credits only if it timely
files a U.S. federal income tax return. XLFA files protective U.S.
federal income tax returns to preserve the right to claim income tax deductions
and credits if it is ever determined that XLFA is subject to U.S. federal income
tax. The highest marginal federal income tax rates currently are 35%
for a corporation’s effectively connected income and 30% for the “branch
profits” tax.
SCA’s
U.S. subsidiary, XLCA, conducts business in the U.S. and is subject to U.S.
federal income taxation at the rates applicable to domestic
corporations. In addition, dividends paid by XLCA to SCA will be
subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax.
Bermuda
Treaty. If XLFA is entitled to the benefits under the income tax
treaty between Bermuda and the United States, which is referred to herein as
the
“Bermuda Treaty,” it would not be subject to U.S. income tax with respect to any
income protected by the Bermuda Treaty unless that income is attributable to
a
permanent establishment in the United States. The Bermuda Treaty
clearly applies to premium income. Literally read, the Bermuda Treaty
may be construed as not protecting investment income, but a number of
practitioners and commentators have asserted that, as a policy matter, the
Bermuda Treaty language should be construed more liberally to protect investment
income to the same extent as premium income. Because there are no
cases or rulings interpreting this treaty language, the answer is unclear and
Cahill is unable to render an opinion on this issue.
If
XLFA
were found to be engaged in a trade or business in the United States and were
entitled to the benefits of the Bermuda Treaty in general, but the Bermuda
Treaty were found not to protect investment income, a portion of XLFA’s
investment income could be subject to U.S. income tax.
An
insurance enterprise resident in Bermuda generally will be entitled to the
benefits under the Bermuda Treaty only if (i) more than 50% of its shares are
owned beneficially, directly or indirectly, by individual residents of the
United States or Bermuda, or U.S. citizens and (ii) its income is not used
in
substantial part, directly or indirectly, to make disproportionate distributions
to, or to meet certain liabilities of, persons who are neither residents of
either the United States or Bermuda nor U.S. citizens. The 50% test
generally is based on ultimate beneficial ownership by individuals (i.e., by
looking through any shareholders that are entities, such as SCA, XLI and XL
Capital). XLFA believes that it is eligible for benefits under the
Bermuda Treaty, although no assurance can be given in this regard because of
the
factual and legal uncertainties regarding the residency and citizenship of
the
direct and indirect shareholders of a public company, such as SCA and XL
Capital. SCA would not be eligible for treaty benefits because it is
not an insurance company.
Net
Investment Income. Non-U.S. insurance companies carrying on an
insurance business within the United States have a certain minimum amount of
effectively connected net investment income, determined in accordance with
a
formula that could allocate a minimum portion of the foreign corporation’s
investment assets to its U.S. business and assumes a minimum investment yield
on
any such assets. If XLFA were considered to be engaged in the conduct
of an insurance business in the United States and were not entitled to the
benefits of the Bermuda Treaty in general (because it fails to satisfy the
limitations on treaty benefits discussed above) or with respect to investment
income (because the Bermuda Treaty were found not to protect investment income),
the Code could subject a portion of XLFA’s investment income to U.S. income
tax.
Withholding
Tax. Non-U.S. corporations not engaged in a trade or business in
the United States are nonetheless subject to U.S. income tax imposed by
withholding on certain “fixed or determinable annual or periodic gains, profits
and income” derived from sources within the United States (such as dividends
from U.S. corporations such as XLCA and certain interest on investments),
subject to certain exemptions under the Code or reduction by applicable
treaties. The Bermuda Treaty provides no relief from these
withholding taxes.
Excise
Tax. The United States also imposes an excise tax on insurance
and reinsurance premiums paid to non-U.S. insurers or reinsurers with respect
to
risks located in the United States. The applicable rates of tax are
4% for insurance premiums and 1% for reinsurance premiums. The
Bermuda Treaty does not provide any relief from the excise
tax. Although payment of tax generally is the responsibility of the
person that pays the premium to the non-U.S. insurer or reinsurer, in the event
that the tax is not paid by the purchaser of the insurance or reinsurance,
the
non-U.S. insurer generally is liable for the tax. In addition, the
IRS has taken the position that when a non-U.S. insurer or reinsurer cedes
United States risks to a non-U.S. insurer that is not eligible for the excise
tax exemption under an applicable treaty, an additional excise tax may be
imposed.
Proposed
Legislation Affecting SCA and its Subsidiaries. Congress has
periodically considered legislation intended to eliminate certain tax advantages
perceived to be enjoyed by Bermuda insurance companies because of the favorable
tax environment in Bermuda. Congress has also considered legislation
intended to eliminate certain perceived tax benefits of U.S. insurance companies
that have Bermuda affiliates, including benefits resulting principally from
reinsurance between or among U.S. insurance companies and their Bermuda
affiliates. To that end, section 845 of the Code was amended in 2004
to permit the IRS to reallocate, recharacterize or adjust items of income,
deduction or certain other items related to a reinsurance agreement between
related parties to reflect the proper
“amount,
source, or character” for each item (in contrast to prior law, which covered
only “source and character”). If the IRS were to successfully
challenge the reinsurance arrangements of SCA’s subsidiaries under section 845,
SCA’s financial condition and results of operations could be materially
adversely affected. In addition, one legislative proposal would
impose additional limits on the deductibility of interest by foreign-owned
U.S.
corporations. Another legislative proposal would treat a non-U.S.
corporation as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes if it
were considered to be primarily managed and controlled in the U.S. It
is also possible that a bill will be introduced, similar to one that has been
introduced in the past, that, if enacted, would deny a deduction for premiums
paid for reinsurance of U.S. risks with a related reinsurer in certain
circumstances.
There
is
no assurance that future legislative action will not increase the amount of
U.S.
tax payable by SCA and its subsidiaries. If this happens, the
financial condition and results of operations of SCA and its subsidiaries could
be materially adversely affected.
Intercompany
Transactions. SCA’s U.S. subsidiary, XLCA, conducts business in
the United States and currently expects to reinsure a majority of its future
business with XLFA. While SCA believes that this reinsurance is
written on arm’s-length terms, SCA cannot assure you that (i) the IRS will not
assert that the reinsurance is not on arm’s-length terms or (ii) any such
assertion by the IRS will not be successful because a determination as to this
matter is inherently factual. If such an assertion were to be
successful, SCA’s U.S. subsidiaries would be treated as having additional income
that is subject to additional U.S. tax, and possibly associated interest and
penalties. The IRS might also treat this additional income as having
been distributed as dividends to XLCA’s parent, SCA, in which case this deemed
dividend would also be subject to a withholding tax of 30%. A similar
analysis (and similar tax risks) may also apply to other intercompany income
and
expense items between XLCA and its non-U.S. affiliates, such as ceding
commissions, other intercompany fees and allocations of corporate
overhead.
Taxation
of Shareholders
Unless
otherwise stated, this opinion deals only with holders that are U.S. Persons
(as
defined below) who purchase their common shares in this offering and who hold
their common shares as capital assets within the meaning of section 1221 of
the
Code. The following opinion is a discussion of only the material U.S.
federal income tax matters as described herein and does not purport to address
all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to a
particular shareholder in light of such shareholder’s specific
circumstances. For example, if a partnership holds SCA’s common
shares, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the status
of
the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a
partner of a partnership holding the common shares, you are urged to consult
your tax advisors. In addition, the following opinion does not
address the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to special
classes of shareholders, such as financial institutions, insurance companies,
regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, financial asset
securitization investment trusts, dealers or traders in securities, tax-exempt
organizations, expatriates, persons whose functional currency is not the U.S.
dollar, persons who are considered with respect to SCA or any of its non-U.S.
subsidiaries as “United States shareholders” for purposes of the controlled
foreign corporation, which is referred to herein as “CFC,” rules of the Code
(generally, except as provided in the discussion of RPII, a U.S. Person, as
defined below, who owns or is deemed to own 10% or more of the total combined
voting power of all classes of SCA stock or the stock of any of SCA’s non-U.S.
subsidiaries (that is, 10% U.S. Shareholders)), or persons who hold the common
shares as part of a hedging or conversion transaction or as part of a short-sale
or straddle, who may be subject to special rules or treatment under the
Code. This opinion is based upon the Code, the regulations
promulgated thereunder and any relevant administrative rulings and
pronouncements, judicial decisions and treaties, all as in effect on the date
hereof and as currently interpreted, and does not take into account possible
changes in such tax laws or interpretations thereof, which may apply
retroactively. This opinion does not address any U.S. federal tax
laws other than income tax laws (such as estate and gift tax laws) or the tax
laws of any state or local governments within the United States, or of any
non-U.S. jurisdiction.
For
purposes of this opinion, the term “U.S. Person” means a person who for U.S.
federal income tax purposes is: (i) an individual citizen or resident
of the United States, (ii) a corporation, or entity treated as a corporation,
created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, or any political
subdivision thereof, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S.
federal income taxation regardless of its source or (iv) a trust if either
(x) a
court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over
the
administration of such trust and one or
more
United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions
of
such trust or (y) the trust has a valid election in effect to be treated as
a
United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Dividends
and Related Proposed Legislation. Subject to the discussions
below relating to the potential application of the CFC, RPII and passive foreign
investment company, which is referred to herein as “PFIC,” rules, distributions
made with respect to the common shares will constitute dividends for U.S.
federal income tax purposes to the extent paid out of SCA’s current or
accumulated earnings and profits (as computed using U.S. federal income tax
principles). Dividends paid by SCA to U.S. corporate shareholders
will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction provided by section
243 of the Code. Unless SCA is a PFIC, if you are an individual or
other noncorporate shareholder, dividends, if any, paid to you in taxable years
beginning before January 1, 2011, that constitute qualified dividend income
generally will be taxable at a maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 15%,
provided you meet certain holding period
requirements. Dividends paid, if any, with respect to the common
shares generally will be qualified dividend income, provided the common
shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United
States and certain other conditions are satisfied. United States
Treasury Department guidance indicates that the common shares, which will be
listed on the NYSE, will be readily tradable on an established securities market
in the United States. There can be no assurance that the common
shares will be considered readily tradable on an established securities market
in any future year. Individuals who do not meet a minimum holding
period requirement during which they are not protected from the risk of loss
or
who elect to treat the dividend income as “investment income” pursuant to
section 163(d)(4) of the Code will not be eligible for the reduced rates of
taxation. In addition, the rate reduction will not apply to dividends
if the recipient of a dividend is obligated to make related payments with
respect to positions in substantially similar or related
property. This disallowance applies even if the minimum holding
period has been met. Dividends paid, if any, in taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2011 will be taxed at then applicable ordinary
income rates. The amount of any distribution in excess of SCA’s
current and accumulated earnings and profits will first be applied to reduce
your tax basis in the common shares, and any amount in excess of tax basis
will
be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of your common shares.
Legislation
was recently introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate that,
if
enacted in its present form, would preclude dividends paid on the common shares
from qualifying as qualified dividend income even if the common shares are
readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.
Classification
of SCA or its Non-U.S. Subsidiaries as Controlled Foreign
Corporations. Each 10% U.S. Shareholder (as defined below) of a
non-U.S. corporation that is a CFC for an uninterrupted period of 30 days or
more during a taxable year, and who owns any shares in the CFC, directly or
indirectly through non-U.S. entities, on the last day of the non-U.S.
corporation’s taxable year on which it is a CFC, must include in its gross
income for U.S. federal income tax purposes its pro rata share of the CFC’s
“subpart F income,” even if the subpart F income is not
distributed. “Subpart F income” of a non-U.S. insurance corporation
typically includes “foreign personal holding company income” (such as interest,
dividends and other types of passive income), as well as insurance and
reinsurance income (including underwriting and investment income) attributable
to the insurance of risks situated outside the CFC’s country of
incorporation.
Except
as
otherwise provided for RPII purposes, a non-U.S. corporation is considered
a CFC
if 10% U.S. Shareholders own (directly, indirectly through non-U.S. entities
or
by attribution through application of the constructive ownership rules of
section 958(b) of the Code (that is, “constructively”)) more than 50% of the
total combined voting power of all classes of voting stock of such non-U.S.
corporation, or more than 50% of the total value of all stock of such
corporation on any day during the taxable year of such
corporation. For purposes of taking into account insurance income, a
CFC generally includes any non-U.S. insurance company in which more than 25%
of
the total combined voting power of all classes of stock (or more than 25% of
the
total value of the stock) is owned by 10% U.S. Shareholders on any day during
the taxable year of such corporation. Except as discussed below with
respect to RPII, a non-U.S. corporation’s status as a CFC has no adverse U.S.
federal income tax consequences for a U.S. holder that is not a 10% U.S.
Shareholder. A “10% U.S. Shareholder” is a U.S. Person or a
partnership created or organized under the laws of the United States or any
political subdivision thereof (a “U.S. Partnership”) who owns (directly,
indirectly through non-U.S. entities or constructively) at least 10% of the
total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote of the
non-U.S. corporation. SCA believes that because of the anticipated
dispersion of its share ownership and provisions in its organizational documents
that limit voting power (these
provisions
are described in “Description of Share Capital”), no U.S. Person who owns shares
of SCA directly or indirectly through one or more non-U.S. entities should
be
treated as owning (directly, indirectly through non-U.S. entities, or
constructively) 10% or more of the total voting power of all classes of shares
of SCA or any of its non-U.S. subsidiaries. However, because of legal
and factual uncertainties, it is unclear whether the IRS could successfully
challenge the effectiveness of these provisions, and Cahill is unable to render
an opinion on this issue.
The
RPII CFC Provisions. The following discussion generally is
applicable with respect to a taxable year only if the RPII of one or more of
SCA’s non-U.S. insurance subsidiaries, determined on a gross basis, is 20% or
more of such non-U.S. insurance subsidiary’s gross insurance income for such
taxable year (the “20% Threshold”) and U.S. Persons and U.S. Partnerships are
deemed to own at least 25% of the stock of the non-U.S. subsidiary in question,
by vote or value on any day in the taxable year (the “25%
Threshold”). The 25% Threshold generally is based on ultimate
beneficial ownership by U.S. Persons and U.S. Partnerships (i.e., by looking
through any shareholders that are non-U.S. entities, such as SCA, XLI and XL
Capital). The following discussion generally would not apply for any
fiscal year in which gross RPII falls below the 20% Threshold or the 25%
Threshold is not met. Although no assurance can be given because of
the inherent factual uncertainties regarding the identity of the shareholders
of
a public company, such as SCA, and the relationship between shareholders and
insureds, SCA currently believes that the gross RPII of each of its non-U.S.
insurance subsidiaries as a percentage of gross insurance income will be below
the 20% Threshold each tax year for the foreseeable future.
RPII
is
any “insurance income” (as defined below) attributable to policies of insurance
or reinsurance with respect to which the person (directly or indirectly) insured
is a “RPII shareholder” (as defined below) or a “related person” (as defined
below) to such RPII shareholder. In general, and subject to certain
limitations, “insurance income” is income (including premium and investment
income) attributable to the issuing of any insurance or reinsurance contract
that would be taxed under the portions of the Code relating to insurance
companies if the income were the income of a domestic insurance
company. For purposes of inclusion of the RPII of a non-U.S.
insurance subsidiary in the income of RPII shareholders, unless an exception
applies, the term “RPII shareholder” means any U.S. Person or U.S. Partnership
who owns (directly or indirectly through non-U.S. entities) any amount of SCA
stock. Generally, the term “related person” for this purpose means
someone who controls or is controlled by the RPII shareholder, or someone who
is
controlled by the same person or persons which control the RPII
shareholder. Control is measured by either more than 50% in value or
more than 50% in voting power of stock applying certain constructive ownership
principles. A corporation’s pension plan is ordinarily not a “related
person” with respect to the corporation unless the pension plan owns, directly
or indirectly through the application of certain constructive ownership rules,
more than 50% by vote or value, of the stock of the corporation.
RPII
Exceptions. The special RPII rules do not apply to any taxable
year in which either the 20% Threshold or the 25% Threshold is not
met. If the RPII rules apply to a taxable year, each U.S. Person
owning directly or indirectly any of SCA’s non-U.S. insurance subsidiaries on
the last day of SCA’s taxable year on which the 25% Threshold is met will be
required to include in its gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes
its
share of the RPII for the entire taxable year, generally determined as if all
such RPII were distributed proportionately only to U.S. persons at that date,
but generally limited by such U.S. shareholder’s share of the subsidiary’s
current-year earnings and profits and possibly reduced (subject to certain
requirements) by the U.S. shareholder’s share, if any, of prior year
deficits in earnings and profits. SCA currently believes that the
gross RPII of each of its non-U.S. insurance subsidiaries does not, and in
the
foreseeable future will not, equal or exceed 20% of such subsidiary’s gross
insurance income in any taxable year. Consequently, SCA currently
does not expect any U.S. holder owning common shares to be required to include
in gross income for U.S. federal income purposes any RPII
income. However, there can be no assurance that the foregoing
exception will apply. Moreover, as discussed below, there is limited
guidance regarding the RPII provisions and the related Treasury regulations
are
in proposed form. Accordingly, there is uncertainty with respect to
the meaning and application of the RPII provisions, and future guidance might
have a retroactive effect.
Computation
of RPII. SCA may not be able to determine whether any of the
underlying direct or indirect insureds to which any of its non-U.S. insurance
subsidiaries provides insurance or reinsurance are shareholders or related
persons to such shareholders. Consequently, SCA may not be able to
determine accurately the gross amount of RPII earned by its non-U.S. insurance
subsidiaries in a given taxable year. For any year in which the gross
RPII of any of the non-U.S. insurance subsidiaries of SCA is 20% or more of
such
non-U.S. insurance subsidiary’s gross
insurance
income for the year, SCA may also seek information from its shareholders as
to
whether beneficial owners of common shares at the end of the year are U.S.
Persons so that the RPII may be determined and apportioned among such persons;
to the extent SCA is unable to determine whether a beneficial owner of common
shares is a U.S. Person, SCA may assume that such owner is not a U.S. Person,
thereby increasing the per share RPII amount for all known RPII
shareholders.
The
amount of RPII includable in the income of a RPII shareholder is based upon
the
net RPII income for the year after deducting related expenses such as losses,
loss reserves and operating expenses.
Apportionment
of RPII to U.S. Holders. With respect to any taxable year of SCA
in which the 20% Threshold and the 25% Threshold are met and no other exception
applies, every RPII shareholder who owns common shares on the last day of such
taxable year on which the 25% Threshold was met will be required to include
in
gross income its share of such non-U.S. insurance subsidiary’s RPII for the
portion of the taxable year during which such non-U.S. insurance subsidiary
was
a CFC under the RPII provisions, whether or not distributed, even though it
may
not have owned the shares throughout such period. A RPII shareholder
who owns common shares during such taxable year but not on the last day of
the
taxable year on which the 25% Threshold was met generally is not required to
include in gross income any part of such non-U.S. insurance subsidiary’s
RPII.
Basis
Adjustments. A RPII shareholder’s tax basis in its common shares
will be increased by the amount of any RPII that the shareholder includes in
income. The RPII shareholder may exclude from income the amount of
any distributions by SCA out of previously taxed RPII income. The
RPII shareholder’s tax basis in its common shares will be reduced by the amount
of such distributions that are excluded from income.
Uncertainty
of Application of RPII. The RPII provisions have never been
interpreted by the courts or the Treasury Department in final regulations,
and
regulations interpreting the RPII provisions of the Code exist only in proposed
form. It is not certain whether these regulations will be adopted in
their proposed form or what changes or clarifications might ultimately be made
thereto or whether any such changes, as well as any interpretation or
application of RPII by the IRS, the courts or otherwise, might have retroactive
effect. These provisions include the grant of authority to the
Treasury Department to prescribe “such regulations as may be necessary to carry
out the purposes of this subsection, including . . . regulations
preventing the avoidance of this subsection through cross insurance arrangements
or otherwise.” Accordingly, the meaning of the RPII provisions and
the application thereof to SCA’s non-U.S. insurance subsidiaries is
uncertain. In addition, there can be no assurance that the amount of
RPII or the amounts of the RPII inclusions for any particular RPII shareholder,
if any, will not be subject to adjustment based upon subsequent IRS
examination. Any prospective investor considering an investment in
common shares is urged to consult his tax advisor as to the effects of these
uncertainties.
Tax-Exempt
Shareholders. If any non-U.S. insurance subsidiary owned by us
is considered a CFC in general (or with respect to RPII), tax-exempt entities
that are considered United States shareholders of such non-U.S. insurance
subsidiary (or with respect to RPII, U.S. persons that hold any of our common
shares) will be required to treat their proportionate share of all of such
subsidiary’s insurance and reinsurance income (or all of such subsidiary’s RPII)
as unrelated business taxable income that generally is subject to tax, whether
or not such income is currently distributed. Prospective investors
that are tax-exempt entities are urged to consult their tax advisors as to
the
potential impact of the unrelated business taxable income provisions of the
Code. A tax-exempt organization that is treated as a 10% U.S.
Shareholder or a RPII shareholder also must file IRS Form 5471 in the
circumstances described below in “—Information Reporting and Backup
Withholding.”
Dispositions
of Common Shares. Subject to the discussions below relating to
the potential application of the Code section 1248 and the PFIC rules, holders
of common shares generally should recognize capital gain or loss for U.S.
federal income tax purposes on the sale, exchange or other disposition of common
shares in the same manner as on the sale, exchange or other disposition of
any
other shares held as capital assets. If the holding period for these
common shares exceeds one year, any gain will be subject to tax at a current
maximum marginal U.S. federal income tax rate of 15% for noncorporate
shareholders (20% for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011)
and
35% for corporations. Moreover, gain, if any, generally will be a
U.S. source gain and generally will constitute “passive category income” for
foreign tax credit limitation purposes.
Code
section 1248 provides that if a U.S. Person sells or exchanges stock in a
non-U.S. corporation and such person owned, directly, indirectly through certain
non-U.S. entities or constructively, 10% or more of the voting power of the
corporation at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of
disposition when the corporation was a CFC, any gain from the sale or exchange
of the shares will be treated as a dividend to the extent of the CFC’s earnings
and profits (determined under U.S. federal income tax principles) during the
period that the shareholder held the shares and while the corporation was a
CFC
(with certain adjustments). SCA believes that, because of the
anticipated dispersion of its share ownership, provisions in its organizational
documents that limit voting power and other factors, no U.S. shareholder of
SCA
should be treated as owning (directly, indirectly through non-U.S. entities
or
constructively) 10% or more of the total voting power of SCA; subject to the
discussion of RPII below, to the extent this is the case, Code section 1248
should not apply to dispositions of SCA’s common shares. However, due
to the lack of legal authority addressing this issue, there can be no assurance
that the IRS will not challenge the effectiveness of these provisions and that
a
court will not sustain such a challenge. A 10% U.S. Shareholder may
in certain circumstances be required to report a disposition of shares of a
CFC
by attaching IRS Form 5471 to the U.S. federal income tax or information return
that it would normally file for the taxable year in which the disposition
occurs. In the event this is determined necessary, SCA will provide,
upon request, a completed IRS Form 5471 or the relevant information necessary
to
complete the Form.
Code
section 1248 also applies to the sale or exchange of shares in a non-U.S.
corporation if the non-U.S. corporation would have been treated as a CFC for
RPII purposes (regardless of whether the shareholder is a 10% U.S. Shareholder
or the 20% Threshold or certain other exceptions have been met) at any time
during the five-year period ending on the date of disposition and the selling
U.S. Person owned any stock at that time. If it applies in this case,
Code section 1248 may recharacterize gain as a dividend to the extent of the
selling U.S. Person’s share (taking into account certain rules for determining a
U.S. holder’s share of RPII) of the corporation’s undistributed earnings and
profits that were accumulated during the period that the U.S. Person owned
the
shares (possibly whether or not those earnings and profits are attributable
to
RPII). Existing proposed regulations do not address whether Code
section 1248 would apply if a non-U.S. corporation is not a CFC but the non-U.S.
corporation has a subsidiary that is a CFC and that would be taxed as an
insurance company if it were a domestic corporation. This application
of Code section 1248 under the RPII rules should not apply to dispositions
of
common shares because SCA will not be directly engaged in the insurance
business. However, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not
successfully assert the contrary position or that the Treasury Department will
not amend the proposed regulations to provide that section 1248 will apply
to
dispositions of common shares. Prospective investors are urged to
consult their tax advisors regarding the effects of these rules on a disposition
of common shares.
Passive
Foreign Investment Companies. In general, a non-U.S. corporation
will be a PFIC during a given year if (i) 75% or more of its gross income
constitutes “passive category income” or (ii) 50% or more of the average value
of its assets, determined on the basis of a quarterly average, produce or are
held for the production of passive income.
If
SCA
were characterized as a PFIC during a given year, U.S. Persons holding common
shares would be subject to a penalty tax at the time of the sale at a gain
of,
or receipt of an “excess distribution” with respect to, their shares, unless
such persons made a “qualified electing fund” election or “mark to market”
election. It is uncertain that SCA would be able to provide its
shareholders with the information necessary for a U.S. Person to make a
“qualified electing fund” election. In general, a shareholder
receives an “excess distribution” if the amount of the distribution is more than
125% of the average distribution with respect to the shares during the three
preceding taxable years (or shorter period during which the taxpayer held the
shares). The excess distribution or gain would be allocated ratably
over the shareholder’s aggregate holding period for its common
shares. The amount allocated to the current year and any taxable year
prior to the first year in which SCA was a PFIC would be taxed as ordinary
income. The amount allocated to each of the other taxable years would
be subject to tax at the highest rate of tax in effect for the applicable class
of taxpayer for that year, and an interest charge for the deemed deferral
benefit would be imposed with respect to the resulting tax attributable to
each
such other taxable year. The interest charge is equal to the
applicable rate imposed on underpayments of U.S. federal income tax for such
period. In addition, a distribution paid by SCA to U.S. shareholders
that is characterized as a dividend and is not characterized as an excess
distribution would not be eligible for a reduced rate of tax as qualified
dividend income if SCA were considered a PFIC.
For
the
above purposes, passive income generally includes interest, dividends, annuities
and other investment income. The PFIC rules provide that income
“derived in the active conduct of an insurance business by a corporation which
is predominantly engaged in an insurance business” is not treated as passive
income. This exception is intended to ensure that income derived by a
bona fide insurance company is not treated as passive income, except to the
extent such income is attributable to financial reserves in excess of the
reasonable needs of the insurance business. The PFIC provisions also
contain a look-through rule under which a non-U.S. corporation shall be treated
as if it “received directly its proportionate share of the income” and as if it
“held its proportionate share of the assets” of any other corporation in which
it owns at least 25% of the value of the stock.
SCA
currently expects, for purposes of the PFIC rules, that each of XLFA, XLCA
and
XLCA-UK, which are referred to herein, collectively, as the “Insurance
Subsidiaries,” will be predominantly engaged in the active conduct of an
insurance business and will not have financial reserves in excess of the
reasonable needs of its insurance business in each year of
operations. Accordingly, SCA currently expects that none of the
income or assets of the Insurance Subsidiaries should be treated as
passive. Further, SCA currently expects that the passive income and
assets of each other SCA subsidiary will, for PFIC purposes, be immaterial
in
each year of operations relative to the overall income and assets of
SCA. Under the look-through rule, SCA should be deemed to own its
proportionate share of the assets and to have received its proportionate share
of the income of its direct and indirect subsidiaries for purposes of the 75%
test and the 50% test. Assuming that SCA’s expectations are in fact
correct currently and in the future, Cahill is of the opinion that SCA should
not be treated as a PFIC in 2007 or in the foreseeable future. There
can be no assurance, however, that the IRS will not challenge this position
and
that a court will not sustain such challenge. There are currently no
regulations regarding the application of the PFIC provisions to an insurance
company and new regulations or pronouncements interpreting or clarifying these
rules may be forthcoming (which could be retroactive). Prospective
investors are urged to consult their tax advisor as to the effects of the PFIC
rules.
Foreign
Tax Credit. For U.S. Persons that own common shares, only a
portion of the current income inclusions, if any, under the CFC, RPII and PFIC
rules and of dividends paid by us (including any gain from the sale of common
shares that is treated as a dividend under section 1248 of the Code) will be
treated as non-U.S. source income for purposes of computing a shareholder’s U.S.
foreign tax credit limitations. SCA will consider providing
shareholders with information regarding the portion of such amounts constituting
non-U.S. source income to the extent such information is reasonably
available. It is likely that the “subpart F income,” RPII and
dividends that are non-U.S. source income will constitute “passive” income for
foreign tax credit limitation purposes. Thus, it may not be possible
for shareholders to utilize any excess foreign tax credits from other sources
to
reduce U.S. tax on such income.
Information
Reporting and Backup Withholding. Under certain circumstances,
U.S. Persons owning stock in a non-U.S. corporation are required to file IRS
Form 5471 with their U.S. federal income tax returns. Generally,
information reporting on IRS Form 5471 is required by (i) a person who is
treated as a RPII shareholder, (ii) a 10% U.S. Shareholder of a non-U.S.
corporation that is a CFC for an uninterrupted period of 30 days or more during
any tax year of the non-U.S. corporation, and who owned the stock on the last
day of that year and (iii) under certain circumstances, a U.S. Person who
acquires stock in a non-U.S. corporation and as a result thereof owns 10% or
more of the voting power or value of such non-U.S. corporation, whether or
not
such non-U.S. corporation is a CFC.
Information
returns may be filed with the IRS in connection with distributions on the common
shares and the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of the common shares
unless the holder of the common shares establishes an exemption from the
information reporting rules. A holder of common shares that does not
establish such an exemption may be subject to U.S. backup withholding tax on
these payments if the holder is not a corporation or non-U.S. Person or fails
to
provide its taxpayer identification number or otherwise comply with the backup
withholding rules. The amount of any backup withholding from a
payment to a U.S. Person will be allowed as a credit against the U.S. Person’s
U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle the U.S. Person to a refund,
provided that the required information is timely furnished to the
IRS.
Possible
Changes in U.S. Tax Law. The U.S. federal income tax laws and
interpretations, including those regarding whether a company is engaged in
a
trade or business within the United States (or has a permanent establishment)
or
is a PFIC, or whether U.S. Persons would be required to include in their gross
income the “subpart F income” or the RPII of a CFC, are subject to change,
possibly on a retroactive basis. There are currently no
regula-
tions
regarding the application of the PFIC rules to insurance companies and the
regulations regarding RPII are still in proposed form. New
regulations or pronouncements interpreting or clarifying such rules may be
forthcoming. It is uncertain if, when or in what form such
regulations or pronouncements will be provided and whether such guidance will
have a retroactive effect. In addition, as discussed above under
“Dividends and Related Proposed Legislation,” it is possible that legislation
will be enacted that would prevent dividends on the common shares from being
treated as qualified dividend income.
UNDERWRITING
We,
the
selling shareholder and the underwriters named below have entered into an
underwriting agreement with respect to the common shares being
offered. Subject to certain conditions, each underwriter has
severally agreed to purchase the number of common shares indicated in the
following table. Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities
Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
are the representatives of the underwriters.
|
|
|
|
Goldman,
Sachs &
Co. .
|
|
J.P.
Morgan Securities
Inc.
|
|
Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
|
|
Total
|
9,680,022
|
The
underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the common shares being
offered, if any are taken, other than the common shares covered by the option
described below unless and until this option is exercised.
If
the
underwriters sell more common shares than the total number set forth in the
table above, the underwriters have an option to buy up to an additional
1,452,003 common shares from the selling shareholder to cover those
sales. They may exercise that option for 30 days. If any
common shares are purchased pursuant to this option, the underwriters will
severally purchase common shares in approximately the same proportion as set
forth in the table above.
The
following table shows the per share and total underwriting discounts and
commissions to be paid to the underwriters by the selling
shareholder. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and
full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase 1,452,003 additional
common shares.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per
Common
Share
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Total
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Common
shares sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at
the
initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this
prospectus. Any common shares sold by the underwriters to securities
dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $
per common share from the initial
public offering price. If all the common shares are not sold at the
initial public offering price, the representatives may change the offering
price
and the other selling terms.
In
connection with the offering, certain of the underwriters or securities dealers
may distribute prospectuses by electronic means, such as email. In
addition, certain of the underwriters will be facilitating Internet
distributions for this offering to certain of their Internet subscription
customers. Certain of the underwriters intend to allocate a limited
number of shares for sale to their online brokerage customers. An
electronic prospectus is available on the Internet website maintained by certain
of the underwriters. Other than the prospectus in electronic
formation, the information on any such underwriter’s website is not part of this
prospectus.
We,
certain of our officers and directors and the selling shareholder have agreed
not to dispose of or hedge any of the common shares or securities convertible
into or exchangeable for common shares during the period from the date of this
prospectus continuing through the date that is 90 days after the date of this
prospectus, except with the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs &
Co. These “lock-up” agreements do not apply to any existing employee
benefit plans or the issuance of options, restricted shares and LTIP
awards.
The
90-day restricted period described in the preceding paragraph will be
automatically extended if: (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day
restricted period we issue an earnings release or announce material news or
a
material event; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period,
we announce that we will release earn-
ings
results during the 15-day period following the last day of the 90-day period,
in
which case the restrictions described in the preceding paragraph will continue
to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance
of
the earnings release or the announcement of the material news or material
event.
In
connection with this offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell our common
shares in the open market. These transactions may include short
sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by
short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a
greater number of common shares than they are required to purchase in this
offering. “Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not
greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common shares from
the selling shareholder in this offering. The underwriters may close
out any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase
additional common shares or purchasing common shares in the open
market. In determining the source of common shares to close out the
covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things,
the
price of common shares available for purchase in the open market as compared
to
the price at which they may purchase additional common shares pursuant to the
option granted to them. “Naked” short sales are any sales in excess
of that option. The underwriters must close out any naked short
position by purchasing common shares in the open market. A naked
short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned
that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common shares in the
open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase
in
this offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for
or purchases of common shares made by the underwriters in the open market prior
to the completion of this offering.
The
underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a
particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting
discount received by it because the representatives have repurchased common
shares sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short
covering transactions.
Purchases
to cover a short position and stabilizing transactions as well as other
purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts may have the effect of
preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common shares,
and
together with the imposition of the penalty bid, may stabilize, maintain or
otherwise affect the market price of our common shares. As a result,
the price of the common shares may be higher than the price that otherwise
might
exist in the open market. If these activities are commenced, they may
be discontinued at any time. These transactions may be effected on
the NYSE, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
Each
underwriter has represented and agreed that:
(a) it
has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate
or
cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment
activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) received by it in
connection with the issue or sale of the shares in circumstances in which
Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the Issuer; and
(b) it
has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with
respect to anything done by it in relation to the shares in, from or otherwise
involving the United Kingdom.
In
relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has
implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a Relevant Member State), each
underwriter has represented and agreed that with effect from and including
the
date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member
State (the Relevant Implementation Date) it has not made and will not make
an
offer of shares to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to the
publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares which has been approved
by
the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate,
approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent
authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus
Directive, except that it may, with effect from and including the Relevant
Implementation Date, make an offer of shares to the public in that Relevant
Member State at any time:
(a) to
legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial
markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely
to invest in securities;
(b) to
any legal entity which has two or more of (1) an average of at least 250
employees during the last financial year; (2) a total balance sheet of more
than
€43,000,000 and (3) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000, as shown in
its last annual or consolidated accounts;
(c) to
fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as
defined in the Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining the prior consent
of
the representatives for any such offer; or
(d) in
any other circumstances which do not require the publication by the Issuer
of a
prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.
For
the
purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of shares to the public” in
relation to any shares in any Relevant Member State means the communication
in
any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer
and the shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase
or subscribe the shares, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member
State
by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member
State and the expression Prospectus Directive means Directive 2003/71/EC and
includes any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State.Our
common shares may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than
(i)
in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the
meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to
“professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures
Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii)
in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus”
within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong),
and
no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the common shares may
be
issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in
each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the
contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong
Kong
(except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with
respect to common shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to
persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning
of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong)
and any rules made thereunder.
This
prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority
of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or
material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation or subscription
or
purchase, of our common shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may
the
common shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for
subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in
Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of
the
Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore, which we refer to as
the
“SFA,” (ii) to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and
in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii)
otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other
applicable provision of the SFA.
Where
the
common shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person
which is: (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the
sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital
of
which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited
investor; or (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor)
whose
sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited
investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that
corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest in that trust shall not be
transferable for 6 months after that corporation or that trust has acquired
the
shares under Section 275 except: (1) to an institutional
investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person, or any person
pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified
in
Section 275 of the SFA; (2) where no consideration is given for the transfer;
or
(3) by operation of law.
The
securities have not been and will not be registered under the Securities and
Exchange Law of Japan, which we refer to as the “Securities and Exchange Law,”
and each underwriter has agreed that it will not offer or sell any securities,
directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident
of
Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including
any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others
for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident
of
Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of,
and otherwise in compliance with, the Securities and Exchange Laws and any
other
applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
Pursuant
to the contractual registration rights given to XL Capital in conection with
our
formation and IPO, we have agreed to pay all of our and XL Capital’s expenses of
this offering, other than underwriting discounts and commissions. We
estimate that the total expenses of this offering to be paid by us including
the
expenses of the selling shareholder, other than underwriting discounts and
commissions, will be approximately $1.0 million. We and the selling
shareholder have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Certain
of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have, from time to time,
performed and may in the future perform various financial advisory and
investment or commercial banking services for our company and our subsidiaries
and XL Capital Ltd and its affiliates for which they received or will receive
customary fees and expenses. In particular, affiliates of certain of
the underwriters act as lenders under our credit facility. As
lenders, these affiliates are entitled to receive customary fees and
reimbursements of their expenses.
VALIDITY
OF COMMON SHARES
The
validity of the common shares under Bermuda law will be passed upon for us
by
Conyers Dill & Pearman, Hamilton, Bermuda. We are being advised
as to certain U.S. legal matters in connection with this offering by Cahill
Gordon & Reindel LLP, New York, New York, and the underwriters are being
advised as to certain U.S. legal matters by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP,
New York, New York.
EXPERTS
The
financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 have been so
incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm given on the authority of said
firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE
TO FIND MORE INFORMATION
We
are
subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act, and the rules
and
regulations thereunder, and accordingly therewith file periodic reports, proxy
and information statements and other information with the SEC. Materials filed
by us with the SEC may be inspected and copied at the public reference
facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580,Washington,
D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-202-551-8090 for further information on
the
public reference facilities. The SEC also maintains a web site
http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements
regarding registrants, including SCA, that file electronically with the SEC.
Our
common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and all materials
filed
by us with the SEC also may be inspected at the offices of the New York Stock
Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.
INCORPORATION
OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The
following documents filed with the SEC are incorporated into this prospectus
by
reference:
·
|
Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed on
March
15, 2007 (File No. 001-32950);
|
·
|
Our
Proxy Statement dated April 2, 2007, filed on April 2, 2007 (File
No.
001-32950);
|
·
|
Our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007,
filed
on May 14, 2007 (File No. 001-32950);
and
|
·
|
Our
Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 26, 2007, March 26,
2007,
March 30, 2007, April 10, 2007 and May 10, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
|
We
will
provide without charge to each person to whom a copy of this prospectus has
been
delivered, upon the written or oral request of such person, a copy of any and
all of the documents that have been or may be incorporated by reference in
this
prospectus. Requests for copies of any such document should be directed
to:
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd
Investor
Relations
One
Bermudiana Road
Hamilton
HM11, Bermuda
Telephone:
(441) 294-7448
Our
SEC
filings are also available to the public at our website at http://www.scafg.com
under “Investor Relations—SEC Filings.”
|
|
|
No
dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information
or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You
must not rely on any unauthorized information or
representations. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the
shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions
where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this
prospectus is current only as of its date.
|
|
9,680,022
Shares
Security
Capital
Assurance
Ltd
|
|
|
|
|
|
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
|
|
Common
Shares
|
|
|
Page
|
|
|
Prospectus
Summary
|
|
1
|
|
|
Cautionary
Note Regarding Forward-
|
|
|
|
|
Looking
Statements
|
|
10
|
|
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
|
12
|
|
PROSPECTUS
|
Dividend
Policy
|
|
12
|
|
|
Price
Range of Common Shares
|
|
12
|
|
|
Capitalization
|
|
13
|
|
|
Selected
Consolidated Financial Information
|
|
14
|
|
|
Selling
Shareholder
|
|
16
|
|
Goldman,
Sachs & Co.
|
Description
of Share Capital
|
|
17
|
|
JPMorgan
|
Shares
Eligible for Future Sale
|
|
28
|
|
Merrill
Lynch & Co.
|
Certain
Tax Considerations
|
|
29
|
|
|
Underwriting
|
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41
|
|
|
Validity
of Common Shares
|
|
45
|
|
|
Experts
|
|
45
|
|
|
Where
to Find More Information
|
|
45
|
|
|
Incorporation
of Certain Documents by
|
|
|
|
|
Reference
|
|
45
|
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|
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PART
II
INFORMATION
NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM
13. OTHER EXPENSES OF SALE AND DISTRIBUTION
The
following table sets forth the various expenses payable by us, other than
underwriting commissions, fees and expenses, in connection with the sale and
distribution of the common shares being registered hereby. All of the
fees set forth below are estimates except for the SEC registration
fee.
SEC
registration
fee
|
|
$ |
11,267.60
|
|
NASD
fee
|
|
|
37,202.28
|
|
Printing
and engraving
expenses
|
|
|
400,000.00
|
|
Legal
fees and
expenses
|
|
|
390,000.00 |
|
Accounting
fees and
expenses
|
|
|
100,000.00
|
|
Transfer
agent and registrar fees and
expenses
|
|
|
10,000.00 |
|
Miscellaneous
fees and
expenses
|
|
|
100,000.00
|
|
Total
|
|
$ |
1,048,469.88
|
|
ITEM
14. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Bye-law
26 of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bye-laws provides, among other
things, that the Registrant will indemnify, in accordance with and to the full
extent permitted by Bermuda law, its directors, officers and employees against
any liability or expense actually and reasonably incurred by such director,
officer or employee in respect of any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
(including, without limitation, an action by or in the right of the Registrant),
to which such director, officer or employee was or is a party or is threatened
to be made a party by reason of such director, officer or employee acting in
such capacity or acting in any other capacity for, or on behalf of, the
Registrant. In addition, the Registrant will advance the expenses of its
directors, officers and employees in defending any such act, suit or proceeding;
provided that such advancement shall be subject to reimbursement by such
director, officer or employee to the extent such person shall be found not
to be
entitled to such advancement of expenses under Bermuda law.
Bye-law
26 of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bye-laws also provides that none of
the officers, directors or employees of the Registrant will be personally liable
to the Registrant or its shareholders for any action or failure to act to the
full extent that they are indemnified under the Registrant’s Amended and
Restated Bye-laws.
Bye-law
27 of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bye-laws provides, among other
things, that each of the present and future shareholders of the Registrant
agrees to waive any claim or right of action that such share-holder might have,
individually or in the right of the Registrant, against any of the Registrant’s
directors, officers or employees for any action or failure to act in the
performance of the duties of such director, officer or employee, except that
such waiver does not extend to any matter as to which such director, officer
or
employee admits that he is guilty, or is found, by a court of competent
jurisdiction in a final judgment or decree not subject to appeal, to be guilty
of any fraud or dishonesty in relation to the Registrant. Such an admission
or
finding is not a prerequisite to a shareholder commencing or pursuing a
claim.
Section
98 of the Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda provides generally that a Bermuda
company may indemnify its directors, officers and auditors against any liability
which by virtue of any rule of law would otherwise be imposed on them in respect
of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust, except in cases
where such liability arises from fraud or dishonesty of which such director,
officer or auditor may be guilty in relation to such company. Section 98 further
provides that a Bermuda company may indemnify its directors, officers and
auditors against any liability incurred by them in defending any proceedings,
whether civil or criminal, in which judgment is awarded in their favour or
in
which they are acquitted or granted relief by the Supreme Court of Bermuda
pursuant to section 281 of the Companies Act. Section 98 further provides that
any provision, whether contained in the bye-laws of a company or in any contract
or arrangement between such company and any director exempting or indemnifying
him against any liability which would otherwise attach to him in respect of
any
fraud or dishonesty of which he may be guilty in relation to such company,
shall
be void.
Bye-law
26 of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bye-laws provides that the
Registrant’s Board of Directors authorize the Registrant to purchase and
maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer,
employee or agent of the Registrant, or is or was serving at the request of
the
Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another company,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or in a fiduciary or
other capacity with respect to any employee benefit plan maintained by the
Registrant, against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him
in
any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the
Registrant would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under
the provisions of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bye-laws.
Section
98A of the Companies Act permits a Bermuda company to purchase and maintain
insurance for the benefit of any officer or director in respect of any loss
or
liability attaching to him in respect of any negligence, de-fault, breach of
duty or breach of trust, whether or not such Bermuda company may otherwise
indemnify such officer or director.
The
Registrant has purchased directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies.
Such insurance is available to the Registrant’s directors and officers in
accordance with its terms. In addition, certain directors may be covered by
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies purchased by their
respective employers.
ITEM
15. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES
On
April
5, 2007, the Registrant sold 250,000 of Fixed/Floating Series A Perpetual
Non-Cumulative Preference Shares, par value $0.01 per share, having a
liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (the “Preference Shares”) to certain
initial purchasers. The Registrant offered and sold the Preference
Shares to the initial purchasers in reliance upon the exemption from
registration provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the “Securities Act”). The initial purchasers may resell the Preference Shares
to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities
Act
and to non-US persons pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities
Act. Until September 30, 2017, dividends on the Preference
Shares will be payable semiannually on a non-cumulative basis, when, as and
if
declared by the Registrant’s board of directors, on March 31 and September 30 of
each year at a fixed rate equal to 6.88% per annum on the liquidation
preference. From and after September 30, 2017, dividends on the Preference
Shares will be payable quarterly on a non-cumulative basis, when, as and if
declared by the Registrant’s board of directors, on March 31, June 30, September
30 and December 31 of each year at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR
plus 2.715% on the liquidation preference. Dividends on the Preference Shares,
if declared, will be payable commencing on September 30, 2007. The Preference
Shares are perpetual securities with no fixed maturity date and are not
convertible into any of the Registrant’s other securities.
ITEM
16. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT
SCHEDULES
|
(a) Exhibits
EXHIBIT
NUMBER
|
DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT
|
1.1**
|
Form
of Underwriting Agreement.
|
|
|
3.1
|
Memorandum
of Association of CA Holdings Ltd, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
3.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-133066).
|
|
|
3.2
|
Amended
and Restated Bye-laws of Security Capital Assurance Ltd, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form S-1 (File No. 333-133066).
|
|
|
4.1
|
Specimen
Common Share Certificate, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1
to the
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-133066).
|
|
|
5.1
|
Form
of Opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman.
|
|
|
8.1
|
Form
of Opinion of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP as to certain tax
matters.
|
|
|
8.2
|
Form
of Opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman as to certain tax
matters.
|
|
|
8.3
|
Form
of Opinion of Slaughter and May as to certain tax
matters.
|
EXHIBIT
NUMBER |
DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT |
10.1
|
Transition
Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, among XL Capital Ltd, XL Insurance
(Bermuda) Ltd, X.L. America, Inc. and Security Capital Assurance
Ltd,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.2
|
Tax
Indemnity Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, among XL Capital
Ltd,
X.L. America, Inc. and Security Capital Assurance Ltd, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.3
|
Employment
Agreement with Paul S. Giordano dated as of August 2, 2006, incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.4
|
Employment
Agreement with David P. Shea dated as of January 23, 2007, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.5
|
Employment
Agreement with Edward B. Hubbard dated as of December 21, 2007,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.6
|
Employment
Agreement with Claude L. LeBlanc dated as of November 14, 2006,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Registrant’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.7
|
Letter
Agreement Regarding Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Long-Term
Incentive Award between XL Capital Ltd and Paul Giordano, dated as
of
August 2, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.8
|
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd 2006 Long-Term Incentive and Share Award Plan,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.9
|
Amendment
to Security Capital Assurance Ltd 2006 Long-Term Incentive and Share
Award
Plan effective December 29, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.9 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.10
|
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd Annual Incentive Compensation Plan, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.11
|
SCA
Holdings US Inc. Deferred Compensation Program, incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.7 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.12
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Global
Services, Inc. and XL Financial Administrative Services Inc., incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.13
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Services
(Bermuda) Ltd and SCA Bermuda Administrative Ltd, incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.14
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Capital
Ltd and
SCA Bermuda Administrative Ltd, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.10
to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.15
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Services
UK
Limited and XL Capital Assurance (U.K.) Limited, incorporated by
reference
to Exhibit 10.11 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
EXHIBIT
NUMBER |
DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT
|
10.16
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Services
UK
Limited, in respect of its Spanish branch and XL Capital Assurance
(U.K.)
Limited, in respect of its Spanish branch, incorporated by reference
to
Exhibit 10.12 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.17
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between X.L. America,
Inc.
and XL Financial Administrative Services Inc., incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.13 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.18
|
General
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Financial
Administrative Services Inc. and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.19
|
General
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Financial
Assurance Ltd. and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.15 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.20
|
General
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Capital
Assurance Inc. and XL Global Services, Inc., incorporated by reference
to
Exhibit 10.16 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.21
|
Assignment
and Assumption of Lease between Global Credit Analytics, Inc. and
XL
Capital Assurance Inc., dated as of August 4, 2006, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.17 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.22
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Facultative Quota Share Reinsurance Agreement between XL
Financial Assurance Ltd. and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, dated as
of
August 4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.23
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Excess of Loss Reinsurance Agreement between XL Financial
Assurance Ltd. and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, dated as of August 4,
2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the Registrant’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006
(File
No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.24
|
Third
Amended and Restated Facultative Quota Share Reinsurance Treaty between
XL
Financial Assurance Ltd. and XL Capital Assurance Inc., dated as
of August
4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to the Registrant’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006
(File
No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.25
|
Amendment
and Termination of Reinsurance Guarantee Agreement between XL Insurance
(Bermuda) Ltd, XL Capital Assurance Inc. and XL Financial Assurance
Ltd.,
dated as of August 4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.21 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.26
|
First
Amended and Restated Facultative Master Certificate issued by XL
Reinsurance America Inc. to XL Capital Assurance Inc., dated as of
August 4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.27
|
Credit
Agreement between Security Capital Assurance Ltd, XL Capital Assurance
Inc. and XL Financial Assurance Ltd. and the Lenders party thereto
and
Citibank, N.A., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities
Inc., dated as of August 1, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.23 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.28
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Agency Agreement between XL Financial Solutions Ltd, XL
Re Ltd,
XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd and XL Financial Assurance Ltd., dated
as of
August 4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
EXHIBIT
NUMBER |
DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT
|
10.29
|
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd Deferred Cash Program Guidelines, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.39 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form S-1 (File No. 333-133066).
|
|
|
10.30
|
XL
Financial Assurance Ltd. Second Amended and Restated Shareholders
Agreement, dated as of July 21, 2006, incorporated by reference to
Exhibit
10.40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-133066).
|
|
|
10.31
|
Amended
and Restated General Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006,
between XL Capital Assurance Inc. and XL Financial Administrative
Services
Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.27 to the Registrant’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006
(File
No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.32*
|
Indemnification
Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Financial Assurance
Ltd.
and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.28
to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.33*
|
Indemnification
Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Capital Assurance
Inc.
and X.L. America, Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29
to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.34*
|
Adverse
Development Reinsurance Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between
XL
Capital Assurance Inc. and XL Reinsurance America Inc., incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.30 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.35
|
Information
Technology outsourcing agreement dated as of October 1, 2006 between
Security Capital Assurance Ltd and affiliates thereof and International
Business Machines Corporation and affiliates thereof dated September
30,
2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30,
2006
(File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.36
|
Amended
and Restated Annual Incentive Compensation Plan, adopted as of May
4,
2007, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s
Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 4, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.37
|
Amended
and Restated 2006 Long Term Incentive and Share Award Plan, adopted
as of
May 4, 2007, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s
Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 4, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.38
|
Insurance
and Indemnity Agreement, dated as of October 13, 2006, among XL Capital
Assurance Inc., XL Asset Funding Company I LLC, and XL Life and Annuity
Holding Company, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2007 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.39
|
Premium
Letter Agreement, dated as of October 13, 2006, between XL Capital
Assurance Inc., XL Asset Funding Company I LLC, and XL Life and Annuity
Holding Company, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2007 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.40
|
Securities
Account Control Agreement, dated as of July 20, 2006, among XL Asset
Funding Company I LLC, XL Capital Assurance Inc. and Mellon Bank,
N.A. ,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.41
|
Letter
Agreement, dated as of May 3, 2007, amending the Transition Agreement
dated as of August 4, 2006, among XL Capital Ltd, XL Insurance (Bermuda)
Ltd, X.L. America, Inc. and Security Capital Assurance Ltd, incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
|
EXHIBIT
NUMBER |
DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT
|
21.1
|
Subsidiaries
of the Registrant, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 21.1 to the
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-133066).
|
|
|
23.1
|
Form
of Consent of Conyers Dill & Pearman (included in Exhibits 5.1
and 8.2).
|
|
|
23.2
|
Form
of Consent of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (included in Exhibit
8.1).
|
|
|
23.3
|
Form
of Consent of Slaughter and May (included in Exhibit
8.3)
|
|
|
23.4
|
Consent
of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
|
|
|
24.1
|
Power
of Attorney (included as part of the signature pages).
|
|
|
99.1
|
XL
Capital Assurance Inc. and Subsidiary consolidated financial statements
as
of December 31, 2006 and 2005 and for the years ended December 31,
2006,
2005, and 2004, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the
Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
99.2
|
XL
Financial Assurance Ltd. financial statements as of December 31,
2006 and
2005 and for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005, and 2004,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Registrant’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
________________________
*
|
Omits
information for which confidential treatment has been
granted.
|
**
|
To
be filed by amendment.
|
(b) Financial
Statement Schedules
Financial
statement schedules are omitted because the required information is either
not
applicable, not deemed material, or is shown in the respective financial
statements or in the notes thereto.
ITEM
17. UNDERTAKINGS.
Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933
may
be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
of
1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless
in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities
Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
The
undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) The
undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be delivered
with the prospectus, to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given,
the
latest annual report to security holders that is incorporated by reference
in
the prospectus and furnished pursuant to and meeting the requirements of Rule
14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and, where
interim financial information required to be presented by Article 3 of
Regulation S-X are not set forth in the prospectus, to deliver, or cause to
be
delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest
quarterly report that is specifically incorporated by reference in the
prospectus to provide such interim financial information.
(2) For
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information
omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement
in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus filed by
the
Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities
Act
shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the time it
was
declared effective.
(3) For
the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each
post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed
to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and
the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof. The undersigned Registrant hereby
undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the
underwriting agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in
such
names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each
purchaser.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant
has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Hamilton and Country
of
Bermuda, on May 16, 2007.
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd
|
By: /s/
Paul S. Giordano
|
Name: Paul S. Giordano
|
Title: President and Chief Executive
Officer
|
KNOW
ALL
MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT each person whose signature appears below does hereby
constitute and appoint Michael P. Esposito, Jr. as his true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent and in his name, place, and stead, and in any and
all
capacities, to sign his name to the Registration Statement of Security Capital
Assurance Ltd, a Bermuda company, on Form S-1 under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, and to any and all amendments or supplements thereto (including
any
post-effective amendments, including any registration statement filed under
Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended), with all exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith and to cause the same to be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney full
power and authority to do and perform any act and thing necessary and proper
to
be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as the
undersigned could do if personally present, and the undersigned hereby ratifies
and confirms all that said attorney shall lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on
the
dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
|
|
/s/
Paul S.
Giordano
Name: Paul
S. Giordano
|
President,
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive
Officer)
|
May
16, 2007
|
|
|
|
/s/
David
Shea
Name: David
Shea
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer
and Principal Accounting Officer)
|
May
16, 2007
|
|
|
|
/s/
Michael P. Esposito,
Jr.
Name: Michael
P. Esposito, Jr.
|
Chairman
of the Board of Directors
|
May
16, 2007
|
|
|
|
/s/
E. Grant
Gibbons
Name: E.
Grant Gibbons
|
Director
|
May
16, 2007
|
|
|
|
/s/
Bruce G.
Hannon
Name: Bruce
G. Hannon
|
Director
|
May
16, 2007
|
|
|
|
/s/
Mary R.
Hennessy
Name: Mary
R. Hennessy
|
Director
|
May
16, 2007
|
|
|
|
/s/
Robert M.
Lichten
Name: Robert
M. Lichten
|
Director
|
May
16, 2007
|
/s/
Brian M.
O’Hara
Name: Brian
M. O’Hara
|
Director
|
May
16, 2007
|
|
|
|
/s/
Coleman D.
Ross
Name: Coleman
D. Ross
|
Director
|
May
16, 2007
|
|
|
|
/s/
Alan Z.
Senter
Name: Alan
Z. Senter
|
Director
|
May
16, 2007
|
EXHIBIT
LIST
|
DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT
|
|
|
1.1**
|
Form
of Underwriting Agreement.
|
|
|
3.1
|
Memorandum
of Association of CA Holdings Ltd, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
3.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-133066).
|
|
|
3.2
|
Amended
and Restated Bye-laws of Security Capital Assurance Ltd, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form S-1 (File No. 333-133066).
|
|
|
4.1
|
Specimen
Common Share Certificate, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1
to the
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-133066).
|
|
|
5.1
|
Form
of Opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman.
|
|
|
8.1
|
Form
of Opinion of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP as to certain tax
matters.
|
|
|
8.2
|
Form
of Opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman as to certain tax
matters.
|
|
|
8.3
|
Form
of Opinion of Slaughter and May as to certain tax
matters.
|
|
|
10.1
|
Transition
Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, among XL Capital Ltd, XL Insurance
(Bermuda) Ltd, X.L. America, Inc. and Security Capital Assurance
Ltd,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.2
|
Tax
Indemnity Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, among XL Capital
Ltd,
X.L. America, Inc. and Security Capital Assurance Ltd, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.3
|
Employment
Agreement with Paul S. Giordano dated as of August 2, 2006, incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.4
|
Employment
Agreement with David P. Shea dated as of January 23, 2007, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.5
|
Employment
Agreement with Edward B. Hubbard dated as of December 21, 2007,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.6
|
Employment
Agreement with Claude L. LeBlanc dated as of November 14, 2006,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Registrant’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.7
|
Letter
Agreement Regarding Stock Options, Restricted Shares and Long-Term
Incentive Award between XL Capital Ltd and Paul Giordano, dated as
of
August 2, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.8
|
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd 2006 Long-Term Incentive and Share Award Plan,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.9
|
Amendment
to Security Capital Assurance Ltd 2006 Long-Term Incentive and Share
Award
Plan effective December 29, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.9 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.10
|
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd Annual Incentive Compensation Plan, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
EXHIBIT NUMBER |
DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT
|
|
|
10.11
|
SCA
Holdings US Inc. Deferred Compensation Program, incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.7 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.12
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Global
Services, Inc. and XL Financial Administrative Services Inc., incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.13
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Services
(Bermuda) Ltd and SCA Bermuda Administrative Ltd, incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.14
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Capital
Ltd and
SCA Bermuda Administrative Ltd, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.10
to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.15
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Services
UK
Limited and XL Capital Assurance (U.K.) Limited, incorporated by
reference
to Exhibit 10.11 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.16
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Services
UK
Limited, in respect of its Spanish branch and XL Capital Assurance
(U.K.)
Limited, in respect of its Spanish branch, incorporated by reference
to
Exhibit 10.12 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.17
|
Master
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between X.L. America,
Inc.
and XL Financial Administrative Services Inc., incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.13 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.18
|
General
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Financial
Administrative Services Inc. and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.19
|
General
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Financial
Assurance Ltd. and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.15 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.20
|
General
Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Capital
Assurance Inc. and XL Global Services, Inc., incorporated by reference
to
Exhibit 10.16 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.21
|
Assignment
and Assumption of Lease between Global Credit Analytics, Inc. and
XL
Capital Assurance Inc., dated as of August 4, 2006, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.17 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
|
10.22
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Facultative Quota Share Reinsurance Agreement between XL
Financial Assurance Ltd. and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, dated as
of
August 4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.23
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Excess of Loss Reinsurance Agreement between XL Financial
Assurance Ltd. and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, dated as of August 4,
2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the Registrant’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006
(File
No. 001-32950).
|
|
|
10.24
|
Third
Amended and Restated Facultative Quota Share Reinsurance Treaty between
XL
Financial Assurance Ltd. and XL Capital Assurance Inc., dated as
of August
4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to the Registrant’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006
(File
No. 001-32950).
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EXHIBIT NUMBER
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DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT
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10.25
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Amendment
and Termination of Reinsurance Guarantee Agreement between XL Insurance
(Bermuda) Ltd, XL Capital Assurance Inc. and XL Financial Assurance
Ltd.,
dated as of August 4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.21 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
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|
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10.26
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First
Amended and Restated Facultative Master Certificate issued by XL
Reinsurance America Inc. to XL Capital Assurance Inc., dated as of
August 4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
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|
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10.27
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Credit
Agreement between Security Capital Assurance Ltd, XL Capital Assurance
Inc. and XL Financial Assurance Ltd. and the Lenders party thereto
and
Citibank, N.A., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities
Inc., dated as of August 1, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.23 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
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|
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10.28
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Agency Agreement between XL Financial Solutions Ltd, XL
Re Ltd,
XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd and XL Financial Assurance Ltd., dated
as of
August 4, 2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
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|
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10.29
|
Security
Capital Assurance Ltd Deferred Cash Program Guidelines, incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.39 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on
Form S-1 (File No. 333-133066).
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|
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10.30
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XL
Financial Assurance Ltd. Second Amended and Restated Shareholders
Agreement, dated as of July 21, 2006, incorporated by reference to
Exhibit
10.40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-133066).
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|
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10.31
|
Amended
and Restated General Services Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006,
between XL Capital Assurance Inc. and XL Financial Administrative
Services
Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.27 to the Registrant’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006
(File
No. 001-32950).
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|
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10.32*
|
Indemnification
Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Financial Assurance
Ltd.
and XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd, incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.28
to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
June 30, 2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
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10.33*
|
Indemnification
Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between XL Capital Assurance
Inc.
and X.L. America, Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29
to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
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|
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10.34*
|
Adverse
Development Reinsurance Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2006, between
XL
Capital Assurance Inc. and XL Reinsurance America Inc., incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.30 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
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|
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10.35
|
Information
Technology outsourcing agreement dated as of October 1, 2006 between
Security Capital Assurance Ltd and affiliates thereof and International
Business Machines Corporation and affiliates thereof dated September
30,
2006, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30,
2006
(File No. 001-32950).
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|
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10.36
|
Amended
and Restated Annual Incentive Compensation Plan, adopted as of May
4,
2007, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s
Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 4, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
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10.37
|
Amended
and Restated 2006 Long Term Incentive and Share Award Plan, adopted
as of
May 4, 2007, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s
Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 4, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
|
EXHIBIT NUMBER
|
DESCRIPTION
OF DOCUMENT
|
10.38
|
Insurance
and Indemnity Agreement, dated as of October 13, 2006, among XL Capital
Assurance Inc., XL Asset Funding Company I LLC, and XL Life and Annuity
Holding Company, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2007 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
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10.39
|
Premium
Letter Agreement, dated as of October 13, 2006, between XL Capital
Assurance Inc., XL Asset Funding Company I LLC, and XL Life and Annuity
Holding Company, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2007 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
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10.40
|
Securities
Account Control Agreement, dated as of July 20, 2006, among XL Asset
Funding Company I LLC, XL Capital Assurance Inc. and Mellon Bank,
N.A. ,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
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|
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10.41
|
Letter
Agreement, dated as of May 3, 2007, amending the Transition Agreement
dated as of August 4, 2006, among XL Capital Ltd, XL Insurance (Bermuda)
Ltd, X.L. America, Inc. and Security Capital Assurance Ltd, incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 (File No.
001-32950).
|
|
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21.1
|
Subsidiaries
of the Registrant, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 21.1 to the
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-133066).
|
|
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23.1
|
Form
of Consent of Conyers Dill & Pearman (included in Exhibits 5.1
and 8.2).
|
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23.2
|
Form
of Consent of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (included in Exhibit
8.1).
|
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23.3
|
Form
of Consent of Slaughter and May (included in Exhibit
8.3)
|
|
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23.4
|
Consent
of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
|
|
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24.1
|
Power
of Attorney (included as part of the signature pages).
|
|
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99.1
|
XL
Capital Assurance Inc. and Subsidiary consolidated financial statements
as
of December 31, 2006 and 2005 and for the years ended December 31,
2006,
2005, and 2004, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the
Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2006 (File No. 001-32950).
|
|
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99.2
|
XL
Financial Assurance Ltd. financial statements as of December 31,
2006 and
2005 and for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005, and 2004,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Registrant’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 (File No.
001-32950).
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________________________
*
|
Omits
information for which confidential treatment has been
granted.
|
**
|
To
be filed by amendment.
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