BOARDWALK PIPELINES, LP, as Issuer BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP, as Guarantor $250,000,000 5.875% NOTES DUE 2016 INDENTURE Dated as of November 21, 2006 THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
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EX-4.1 4 exh4_1.htm EXHIBIT 4.1 Exhibit 4.1
Exhibit 4.1
BOARDWALK PIPELINES, LP,
as Issuer
BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP,
as Guarantor
$250,000,000
5.875% NOTES DUE 2016
INDENTURE
Dated as of November 21, 2006
THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
as Trustee
CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
| TIA Section | Indenture Section | |
| 310 | (a) | 5.8 |
| (b) | 5.8 | |
| (c) | N.A. | |
| 311 | (a) | 5.13 |
| (b) | 5.13 | |
| (c) | N.A. | |
| 312 | (a) | 3.7 |
| (b) | 3.7 | |
| (c) | 3.7 | |
| 313 | (a) | 3.9 |
| (b) | 3.9 | |
| (c) | 10.4 | |
| (d) | 3.9 | |
| 314 | (a) | 3.8 |
| (b) | N.A. | |
| (c)(1) | 10.5 | |
| (c)(2) | 10.5 | |
| (c)(3) | N.A. | |
| (d) | N.A. | |
| (e) | 10.5 | |
| (f) | N.A. | |
| 315 | (a) | 5.1 |
| (b) | 4.11 & 10.4 | |
| (c) | 5.1 | |
| (d) | 5.1 | |
| (e) | 4.12 | |
| 316 | (a)(last sentence) | 1.1 |
| (a)(1)(A) | 4.9 & 4.10 | |
| (a)(1)(B) | 4.9 & 4.10 | |
| (a)(2) | 7.1(f) | |
| (b) | 4.6 | |
| (c) | 2.14 | |
| 317 | (a)(1) | 5.2 |
| (a)(2) | 5.2 | |
| (b) | 2.3 | |
| 318 | (a) | 10.7 |
N.A. means Not Applicable
NOTE: This Cross-Reference table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed part of this Indenture.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE ONE DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
| Section 1.1 | Definitions. |
Section 1.2 Other Definitions.
Section 1.3 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.
Section 1.4 Rules of Construction.
ARTICLE TWO NOTES
| Section 2.1 | Form and Dating. |
Section 2.2 Execution and Authentication.
Section 2.3 Registrar and Paying Agent.
Section 2.4 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.
Section 2.5 Holder Lists.
Section 2.6 Transfer and Exchange.
Section 2.7 Replacement Notes.
Section 2.8 Outstanding Notes.
Section 2.9 Treasury Notes.
Section 2.10 Temporary Notes.
Section 2.11 Cancellation.
Section 2.12 Defaulted Interest.
Section 2.13 CUSIP or ISIN Numbers.
Section 2.14 Issuance of Additional Notes.
Section 2.15 Record Date.
ARTICLE THREE COVENANTS OF THE ISSUER
| Section 3.1 | Payment of Principal and Interest |
Section 3.2 Appointment to Fill a Vacancy in Office of Trustee.
Section 3.3 Written Statement to Trustee.
Section 3.4 Limitations upon Liens.
Section 3.5 Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.
Section 3.6 [Reserved].
Section 3.7 Holders Lists.
Section 3.8 Reports by the Issuer.
Section 3.9 Reports by the Trustee.
ARTICLE FOUR DEFAULTS ADD REMEDIES
| Section 4.1 | Event of Default Defined, Acceleration of Maturity, Waiver of Default. |
Section 4.2 Collection of Indebtedness by Trustee; Trustee May Prove Debt.
Section 4.3 Application of Proceeds.
Section 4.4 Suits for Enforcement.
Section 4.5 Restoration of Rights on Abandonment of Proceedings.
Section 4.6 Limitations on Suits by Holders.
Section 4.7 Unconditional Right of Holders to Institute Certain Suits.
Section 4.8 Powers and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver of Default.
Section 4.9 Control by Holders of Notes.
Section 4.10 Waiver of Past Defaults.
Section 4.11 Trustee to Give Notice of Default, But May Withhold in Certain Circumstances.
Section 4.12 Right of Court to Require Filing of Undertaking to Pay Costs.
ARTICLE FIVE CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
| Section 5.1 | Duties and Responsibilities of the Trustee; During Default; Prior to Default. |
Section 5.2 Certain Rights of Trustee.
Section 5.3 Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals Disposition of Notes or Applications of Proceeds Thereof.
Section 5.4 Trustee and Agents May Hold Notes; Collections etc.
Section 5.5 Moneys Held by Trustee.
Section 5.6 Compensation and Indemnification of Trustee and Its Prior Claim.
Section 5.7 Right of Trustee to Rely on Officers’ Certificate.
Section 5.8 Persons Eligible for Appointment as Trustee.
Section 5.9 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor Trustee
Section 5.10 Acceptance and Appointment of Successor Trustee.
Section 5.11 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business of Trustee.
Section 5.12 Appointment of Authenticating Agent.
Section 5.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Issuer.
ARTICLE SIX CONCERNING THE HOLDERS
| Section 6.1 | Evidence of Action Taken by Holders. |
Section 6.2 Proof of Execution of Instruments and of Holding of Notes.
Section 6.3 Holders to be Treated as Owners.
Section 6.4 Notes Owned by Issuer Deemed Not Outstanding.
Section 6.5 Right of Revocation of Action Taken.
ARTICLE SEVEN AMENDMENTS
| Section 7.1 | Amendments and Supplements Without Consent of Holders. |
Section 7.2 Amendments and Supplements With Consent of Holders
Section 7.3 Effect of Amendment and Supplement to this Indenture.
Section 7.4 Documents to Be Given to Trustee.
Section 7.5 Notation on Notes in Respect of Amendments and Supplements.
ARTICLE EIGHT SUCCESSORS
| Section 8.1 | Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets of the Issuer. |
Section 8.2 Successor Person Substituted.
ARTICLE NINE SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; UNCLAIMED MONEYS
| Section 9.1 | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. |
Section 9.2 Application by Trustee of Funds Deposited for Payment of Notes.
Section 9.3 Repayment of Moneys Held by Paying Agent.
Section 9.4 Return of Moneys Held by Trustee and Paving Agent Unclaimed for Two Years.
Section 9.5 Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations.
Section 9.6 Excess Funds.
ARTICLE TEN MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
| Section 10.1 | Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers and Directors of Issuer Exempt from Individual Liability. |
Section 10.2 Provisions of Indenture for the Sole Benefit of Parties and Holders of Notes.
Section 10.3 Successors and Assigns of Issuer Bound by Indenture.
Section 10.4 Notices and Demands on Issuer, Guarantor, Trustee and Holders of Notes.
Section 10.5 Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel; Statements to Be Contained Therein
Section 10.6 Payments Due on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.
Section 10.7 Conflict of Any Provision of Indenture with Trust Indenture Act of 1939
Section 10.8 New York Law to Govern.
Section 10.9 Counterparts.
Section 10.10 Effect of Headings.
Section 10.11 Qualification of this Indenture.
Section 10.12 Waiver of Jury Trial.
Section 10.13 Force Majeure.
ARTICLE ELEVEN REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT
| Section 11.1 | Notices to Trustee. |
Section 11.2 Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed.
Section 11.3 Notice of Redemption.
Section 11.4 Effect of Notice of Redemption.
Section 11.5 Deposit of Redemption Price.
Section 11.6 Notes Redeemed in Part.
Section 11.7 Optional Redemption.
Section 11.8 Mandatory Redemption.
ARTICLE TWELVE
| Section 12.1 | Unconditional Guarantee. |
Section 12.2 Execution and Delivery of Guarantee.
Section 12.3 Limitation on Liability of the Guarantor.
Section 12.4 Release of Guarantor from Guarantee.
This INDENTURE, dated as of November 21, 2006, is entered into among Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Issuer”), Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Guarantor”) and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., a national banking association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
The Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the 5.875% Notes due 2016:
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
| Section 1.1 | Definitions. |
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
“Additional Notes” means any Notes (other than Notes issued under Sections 2.6, 2.7 and 2.10) issued under this Indenture in accordance with Sections 2.2 and 2.14, as part of the same series as the Notes issued on the date hereof.
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the specified Person. For purposes of this definition, “control,” including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with,” as used with respect to any Person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of the Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise.
“Agent” means any Registrar, co-registrar, Paying Agent or additional paying agent.
“Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to any transfer, redemption or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream that apply to such transfer, redemption or exchange.
“Attributable Debt” means, with respect to any sale and lease-back transaction as of any particular time, the present value discounted at a rate of interest implicit in the terms of the lease of the obligations of the lessee under such lease for net rental payments during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessee, be extended).
“Authenticating Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.12.
“Authorized Newspaper” means a newspaper (which, in the case of The City of New York, will, if practicable, be The Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), in the case of the United Kingdom, will, if practicable, be the Financial Times (London Edition) and, in the case of Luxembourg, will, if practicable, be the Luxemburger Wort) published in an official language of the country of publication and customarily published at least once a day for at least five days in each calendar week and of general circulation in The City of New York, the United Kingdom or in Luxembourg, as applicable. If it shall be impractical in the opinion of the Trustee to make any publication of any notice required hereby in an Authorized Newspaper, any publication or other notice in lieu thereof which is made or given with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient publication of such notice.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors, or the law of any other jurisdiction relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, winding up, liquidation, reorganization or relief of debtors.
“Board of Directors” means either the Board of Directors of Boardwalk GP or any committee of such Board duly authorized to act on its behalf.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of one or more resolutions, certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of Boardwalk GP to have been duly adopted or consented to by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Boardwalk GP” means Boardwalk GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the general partner of Boardwalk GP, LP, the general partner of the Guarantor.
“Business Day” means, with respect to any Note, a day that in the city (or in any of the cities, if more than one) in which amounts are payable, as specified in the form of such Note, is not a day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law or regulation to close.
“Capital Lease Obligation” means, at the time any determination of the obligation is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at the time be so required to be capitalized on the balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.
“Clearstream” means Clearstream Banking S.A. and any successor thereto.
“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or if at any time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties on such date.
“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Notes. “Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Issuer.
“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any redemption date, (i) the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) on the third business day preceding such redemption date, as set forth in the daily statistical release (or any successor release) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and designated “Composite 3:30 p.m. Quotations for U. S. Government Securities” or (ii) if such release (or any successor release) is not published or does not contain such prices on such business day, (A) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (B) if the Issuer obtains fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Quotations. “Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Issuer, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Issuer by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. on the third business day preceding such redemption date.
“Consolidated Funded Indebtedness” means the aggregate of all Outstanding Funded Indebtedness of the Issuer and its consolidated Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means the total assets appearing on a consolidated balance sheet of a Person and its consolidated Subsidiaries less, in general: (1) intangible assets; (2) current and accrued liabilities (other than Consolidated Funded Indebtedness and capitalized rentals or leases), deferred credits, deferred gains and deferred income; and (3) reserves.
“Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee” means the office of the Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the Trustee shall, at any particular time, be principally administered, which office is, at the date as of which this Indenture is dated, located at 101 Barclay Street, Floor 8W, NY, NY 10286, Attn: Corporate Trust Administration.
“Custodian” means, with respect to the Notes issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in Section 2.3(c) hereof as Custodian with respect to the Notes, and any and all successors thereto appointed as custodian hereunder and having become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture.
“Default” means with respect to the Notes, any event that is, or with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default with respect to the Notes.
“Definitive Note” means a certificated Note registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.6 or 2.10 hereof, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto except that such Note shall not bear the Global Note Legend and shall not have the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto.
“Depositary” means, with respect to the Notes issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in Section 2.3(b) hereof as the Depositary with respect to the Notes, and any and all successors thereto appointed as depositary hereunder and having become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture.
“Dollar” means the coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
“Euroclear” means Euroclear Bank, S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear systems, and any successors thereto.
“ECU” means the European Currency Unit as defined and revised from time to time by the Council of European Communities.
“Event of Default” means any event or condition specified as such in Section 4.1.
“Exchange Act” means the U. S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including any successor legislation and rules and regulations.
“Funded Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness that matures more than one year after the date as of which Funded Indebtedness is being determined less any such Indebtedness as will be retired through or by means of any deposit or payment required to be made within one year from such date under any prepayment provision, sinking fund, purchase fund, or otherwise.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in other statements by another entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, as in effect from time to time; provided, however, that any change in GAAP that would cause the Issuer to record an existing item as a liability upon its balance sheet, which item was not previously required by GAAP to be so recorded, shall not constitute an incurrence of Indebtedness for purposes hereof.
“Global Note Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.6(d) hereof, which is required to be placed on all Global Notes issued under this Indenture.
“Global Notes” means the global Notes in the form of Exhibit A hereto issued in accordance with Article Two hereof.
“Government Notes” means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which obligations or guarantee the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged.
“Guarantor” means the Person named as the “Guarantor” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Guarantor” shall mean such successor Person.
“Holder” means, in general, a Person in whose name the Notes are registered, or, if not registered, the bearer thereof.
“Indebtedness” means indebtedness which is for money borrowed from others.
“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed and delivered or, if amended or supplemented as herein provided, as so amended or supplemented or both, and shall include the forms and terms of the Notes established as contemplated hereunder.
“Indirect Participant” means a Person who holds a beneficial interest in a Global Note through a Participant.
“Interest Payment Dates” shall have the meaning set forth in paragraph 1 of each Note.
“Issue Date” means November 21, 2006.
“Issuer Order” means a written statement, request or order on behalf of the Issuer signed in its name by the Chairman of the Board, the President or Vice President, a Secretary or a Treasurer of Boardwalk GP.
“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, or income or profits therefrom, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of the asset, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law, including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature of a conditional sale or title retention agreement, any option or other agreement to sell or give a security interest in and any filing of or agreement to give any financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent statutes) of any jurisdiction.
“Notes” means (i) $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under this Indenture on the date hereof and (ii) any Additional Notes.
“Obligations” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
“Officer” means with respect to the Issuer or the Guarantor, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Vice President of Boardwalk GP.
“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President or a Vice President, and by the Chief Financial Officer, Controller, Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of Boardwalk GP and delivered to the Trustee. Each such certificate shall comply with §314 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and include the statements provided for in Section 10.5, if applicable.
“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion in writing signed by legal counsel who may be an employee of or counsel to the Issuer. Each such opinion shall comply with §314 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and include the statements provided for in Section 10.5, if applicable.
“Outstanding” when used with reference to Notes, shall, subject to the provisions of Section 6.4, mean, as of any particular time, all Notes authenticated and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except
(a) Notes theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(b) Notes, or portions thereof, for the payment or redemption of which moneys or U. S. Government Obligations (as provided for in Section 9.1) in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any paying agent (other than the Issuer) or shall have been set aside, segregated and held in trust by the Issuer for the Holders of such Notes (if the Issuer shall act as its own paying agent), provided that if such Notes, or portions thereof, are to be redeemed prior to the maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall have been given as herein provided, or provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made for giving such notice; and
(c) Notes which shall have been paid or in substitution for which other Notes shall have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.7 (except with respect to any such Note as to which proof satisfactory to the Trustee is presented that such Note is held by a Person in whose hands such Note is a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Issuer).
“Participant” means, with respect to the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, a Person who has an account with the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, respectively, and, with respect to DTC, shall include Euroclear and Clearstream.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, company (including any limited liability company), association, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.
“Predecessor Note” of any particular Note means every previous Note evidencing all or a portion of the same Indebtedness as that evidenced by such particular Note; and any Note authenticated and delivered under Section 2.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Note shall be deemed to evidence the same Indebtedness as the lost, destroyed or stolen Note.
“Principal Property” means any natural gas pipeline, gathering or storage property or facility, or natural gas processing plant located in the United States, except any such property that in the opinion of the Board of Directors is not of material importance to the total business conducted by the Issuer and its consolidated Subsidiaries; provided, however, that “Principal Property” shall not include production and proceeds from production from gas processing plants or oil or natural gas or petroleum products in any pipeline or storage field.
“Reference Treasury Dealer” means Merrill Lynch, Pierce Fenner & Smith, Incorporated, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., and their respective successors and, at the option of the Issuer, additional Primary Treasury Dealers; provided, however, that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), the Issuer shall substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.
“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Issuer, of the bid and ask prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Issuer by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. on the third business day preceding such redemption date.
“Reporting Failure” means the failure of the Issuer or the Guarantor, as applicable, to file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the Issuer or the Guarantor is required to file the same with the Commission within the time periods specified in the Exchange Act or in the relevant forms thereunder (after giving effect to any grace period specified under Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act), the annual reports, information, documents or other reports that the Issuer or the Guarantor is required to file with the commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date means the applicable date specified as a “Record Date” on the face of the Note.
“Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the Corporate Trust Department of the Trustee (or any successor group of the Trustee) with direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
“Securities Act” means the U. S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including any successor legislation and rules and regulations.
“Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” of the Issuer within the meaning of Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission.
“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which such payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the original documentation governing such Indebtedness, and shall not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.
“Subsidiary” means, in respect of any Person, any corporation, company (including any limited liability company), association, partnership, joint venture or other business entity of which at least a majority of the outstanding equity interests having ordinary voting power is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by: (a) such Person; (b) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or (c) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.
“Tax” means any tax, duty, levy, impost, assessment or other governmental charge (including penalties, interest and any other liabilities related thereto).
“Trust Indenture Act of 1939” means the U. S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including any successor legislation and rules and regulations.
“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent Yield to Maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean such successor Trustee.
“U.S. Government Obligations” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.1(a).
“Yield to Maturity” means the yield to maturity on the Notes, calculated at the time of issuance or, if applicable, at the most recent determination of interest, and calculated in accordance with accepted financial practice.
| Section 1.2 | Other Definitions. |
| Term | Defined in Section |
| “Authentication Order” | 2.2(d) |
| “Issuer” | Preamble |
| “covenant defeasance” | 9.1 |
| “DTC” | 2.3(b) |
| “Event of Default” | 4.1 |
| “Paying Agent” | 2.3(a) |
| “Registrar” | 2.3(a) |
| “Security Register” | 11.3 |
| Section 1.3 | Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. |
(a) Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.
(b) The following Trust Indenture Act of 1939 terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“indenture securities” means the Notes;
“indenture security holder” means a Holder of a Note;
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;
“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee; and
“obligor” on the Notes means the Issuer and any successor obligor upon the Notes.
(c) All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, defined by Trust Indenture Act of 1939 reference to another statute or defined by Commission rule under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings so assigned to them either in the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, by another statute or Commission rule, as applicable.
| Section 1.4 | Rules of Construction. |
(a) Unless the context otherwise requires:
(i) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(ii) an accounting term not otherwise defined herein has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(iii) “or” is not exclusive;
(iv) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;
(v) all references in this instrument to “Articles,” “Sections” and other subdivisions are to the designated Articles, Sections and subdivisions of this instrument as originally executed;
(vi) the words “herein,” “hereof’ and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
(vii) “including” means “including without limitation;”
(viii) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and
(ix) references to sections of or rules under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 shall be deemed to include substitute, replacement or successor sections or rules adopted by the Commission from time to time thereunder.
ARTICLE TWO
NOTES
| Section 2.1 | Form and Dating. |
(a) General. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form included in Exhibit A hereto, which is hereby incorporated in and expressly made part of this Indenture. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, exchange rule or usage in addition to those set forth on Exhibit A. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall be in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof. The terms and provisions contained in the Notes shall constitute a part of this Indenture, and the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. To the extent any provision of any Note conflicts with the express provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling.
(b) Form of Notes. Notes shall be issued initially in global form and shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (including the Global Note Legend thereon and the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Notes issued in definitive form shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (but without the Global Note Legend thereon and without the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Each Global Note shall represent such aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes as shall be specified therein and each shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate principal amount of Outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate principal amount of Outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions and transfers of interests therein. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the aggregate principal amount of Outstanding Notes represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the Holder thereof as required by Section 2.6 hereof.
(c) Book-Entry Provisions. This Section 2.1(c) shall apply only to Global Notes deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee or any agent of the Issuer, the Guarantor, or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Participants or Indirect Participants, the Applicable Procedures or the operation of customary practices of the Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a beneficial interest in any Global Note.
(d) Euroclear and Clearstream Procedures Applicable. The provisions of the “Operating Procedures of the Euroclear System” and “Terms and Conditions Governing Use of Euroclear” and the “General Terms and Conditions of Clearstream” and “Customer Handbook” of Clearstream shall be applicable to transfers of beneficial interests in Global Notes that are held by Participants through Euroclear or Clearstream.
| Section 2.2 | Execution and Authentication. |
(a) One Officer shall execute the Notes on behalf of the Issuer by manual or facsimile signature.
(b) If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time a Note is authenticated by the Trustee, the Note shall nevertheless be valid.
(c) A Note shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture. The form of Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by the Note shall be substantially as set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
(d) The Trustee shall, upon a written order of the Issuer signed by an Officer (an “Authentication Order”) authenticate Notes for original issue.
| Section 2.3 | Registrar and Paying Agent. |
(a) The Issuer shall maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“Registrar”) and an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The Issuer may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent. The Issuer may enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Agent not party to this Indenture, which may incorporate the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. Such Agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such Agent. The Issuer may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Issuer shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Issuer fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such and shall be entitled to appropriate compensation in accordance with Section 5.6. The Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.
(b) The Issuer initially appoints The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) to act as Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.
(c) The Issuer initially appoints the Trustee to act as Registrar and Paying Agent, agent for service of notices and demands in connection with the Global Note and to act as Custodian with respect to the Global Notes, and the Trustee hereby agrees so to initially act.
| Section 2.4 | Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. |
The Issuer shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes, and shall notify the Trustee of any Default by the Issuer in making any such payment. While any such Default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all funds held by it relating to the Notes to the Trustee. The Issuer at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all funds held by it relating to the Notes to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Issuer) shall have no further liability for such funds. If the Issuer or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all funds held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any Event of Default under Sections 4.1(d) and (e) hereof relating to the Issuer, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.
| Section 2.5 | Holder Lists. |
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of all Holders and shall otherwise comply with Trust Indenture Act of 1939 §312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Issuer shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee at least seven Business Days before each Interest Payment Date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date or such shorter time as the Trustee may allow, as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders and the Issuer shall otherwise comply with Trust Indenture Act of 1939 §312(a).
| Section 2.6 | Transfer and Exchange. |
(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes. A Global Note may not be transferred as a whole except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or to another nominee of the Depositary, or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. The Issuer shall exchange Global Notes for Definitive Notes if: (1) the Issuer delivers to the Trustee a notice from the Depositary that the Depositary is unwilling or unable to continue to act as Depositary for the Global Notes or that it has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Issuer within 120 days after the date of such notice from the Depositary; (2) the Issuer at its option determines that the Global Notes shall be exchanged for Definitive Notes and delivers a written notice to such effect to the Trustee; or (3) a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. Upon the occurrence of any of the preceding events in clauses (1), (2) or (3) above, Definitive Notes shall be issued in denominations of $1,000 or integral multiples thereof and in such names as the Depositary shall instruct the Trustee in writing. Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Sections 2.7 and 2.10 hereof. Except as provided above, every Note authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.6 or Section 2.7 or 2.10 hereof, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Note. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 2.6(a), and beneficial interests in a Global Note may not be transferred and exchanged other than as provided in Section 2.6(b), (c), (d), (e) or (h) hereof.
(b) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in the Global Notes. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes shall be effected through the Depositary in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Beneficial interests in any Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Global Note. Except as may be required by any Applicable Procedures, no written orders or instructions shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the transfers described in this Section 2.6(b).
(c) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests for Definitive Notes. Subject to Section 2.6(a) hereof, if any holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note, then, the Trustee shall reduce or cause to be reduced in a corresponding amount pursuant to Section 2.6(g) hereof the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note, and the Issuer shall execute and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.2 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount to the Person designated by the holder of such beneficial interest in instructions delivered to the Registrar by the Depositary and the applicable Participant or Indirect Participant on behalf of such holder. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.6(c) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall designate in such instructions. The Trustee shall deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are registered.
(d) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Beneficial Interests. A holder of a Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Global Note or transfer such Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Global Note at any time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar, the Trustee shall cancel the applicable Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased in a corresponding amount pursuant to Section 2.6(g) hereof the aggregate principal amount of one of the Global Notes.
(e) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Definitive Notes. Upon request by a holder of Definitive Notes and such holder’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 2.6(e), the Registrar shall register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting holder shall present or surrender to the Registrar the Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such holder.
(f) Legends. The following legends shall appear on the face of all Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued under this Indenture unless specifically stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of this Indenture.
(i) Global Note Legend. Each Global Note shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.6 OF THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.6(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (III)THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMPANY.
UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY UNLESS THIS NOTE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.”
(g) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Notes. At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for Definitive Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed, repurchased or cancelled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note shall be returned to or retained and cancelled by the Trustee in accordance with Section 2.11 hereof. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note or for Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such Global Note shall be reduced accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note shall be increased accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.
(h) General Provisions Relating to Transfers and Exchanges.
(i) No service charge shall be made to a Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive Note for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Issuer may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant to Sections 2.10, 4.12 and 9.5 hereof).
(ii) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive Notes shall be the valid obligations of the Issuer, evidencing the same Indebtedness, as the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.
(iii) Neither the Registrar nor the Issuer shall be required (A) to issue, to register the transfer of or to exchange any Notes during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of any selection of Notes for redemption under Section 11.2 hereof and ending at the close of business on the date of selection, (B) to register the transfer of or to exchange any Note so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part or (C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between a record date (including a Regular Record Date) and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date.
(iv) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Issuer may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Note is registered as the absolute owner of such Note for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on such Note and for all other purposes, in each case regardless of any notice to the contrary.
(v) All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to the Registrar pursuant to this Section 2.6 to effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile.
(vi) The Trustee is hereby authorized and directed to enter into a letter of representation with the Depositary in the form provided by the Issuer and to act in accordance with such letter.
(vii) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Issuer shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, Global Notes and Definitive Notes upon the Issuer’s order or at the Registrar’s request.
(viii) The Registrar shall not be required to register the transfer of or exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.
(ix) The Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.2.
| Section 2.7 | Replacement Notes. |
If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or the Issuer and the Trustee receives evidence to its satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Note, the Issuer shall issue and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.2 hereof, shall authenticate a replacement Note. If required by the Trustee or the Issuer, the Holder of such Note shall provide indemnity sufficient, in the judgment of the Trustee or the Issuer, as applicable, to protect the Issuer, the Trustee, any Agent and any Authenticating Agent from any loss that any of them may suffer in connection with such replacement. If required by the Issuer, such Holder shall reimburse the Issuer for its reasonable expenses in connection with such replacement.
Every replacement Note issued in accordance with this Section 2.7 shall be the valid obligation of the Issuer evidencing the same Indebtedness as the destroyed, lost or stolen Note and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.
| Section 2.8 | Outstanding Notes. |
(a) The Notes Outstanding at any time shall be the entire principal amount of Notes represented by all the Global Notes and Definitive Notes authenticated by the Trustee except for those cancelled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those subject to reductions in beneficial interests effected by the Trustee in accordance with Section 2.6 hereof, and those described in this Section 2.8 as not Outstanding. Except as set forth in Section 2.9 hereof, a Note shall not cease to be Outstanding because the Issuer or an Affiliate of the Issuer holds the Note; provided, however, that Notes held by the Issuer or a Subsidiary of the Issuer shall be deemed not to be outstanding for purposes of Section 3.7 hereof.
(b) If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.7 hereof, it shall cease to be Outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser.
(c) If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under Section 3.1 hereof, it shall cease to be Outstanding and interest on it shall cease to accrue.
(d) If the Paying Agent (other than the Issuer, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of any thereof) holds, on a redemption date, a Purchase Date or maturity date, funds sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such Notes shall be deemed to be no longer Outstanding and shall cease to accrue interest.
| Section 2.9 | Treasury Notes. |
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned by the Issuer or by any Affiliate of the Issuer shall be considered as though not Outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Notes that the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
| Section 2.10 | Temporary Notes. |
Until certificates representing Notes are ready for delivery, the Issuer may prepare and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.2 hereof, shall authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be substantially in the form of Definitive Notes but may have variations that the Issuer considers appropriate for temporary Notes and as shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Without unreasonable delay, the Issuer shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes or Definitive Notes in exchange for temporary Notes, as applicable.
Holders of temporary Notes shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.
| Section 2.11 | Cancellation. |
The Issuer at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. Upon sole direction of the Issuer, the Trustee and no one else shall cancel all Notes surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall dispose of such cancelled Notes in accordance with its customary procedures (subject to the record retention requirements of the Exchange Act or other applicable laws) unless the Issuer directs them to be returned to them. The Issuer may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
| Section 2.12 | Defaulted Interest. |
If the Issuer defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes, it shall pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 3.1 hereof. The Issuer shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment. The Issuer shall fix or cause to be fixed each such special record date and payment date, provided that no such special record date shall be less than 10 days prior to the related payment date for such defaulted interest. At least 15 days before the special record date, the Issuer (or, upon the written request of the Issuer, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Issuer) shall mail or cause to be mailed to Holders a notice that states the special record date, the related payment date and the amount of such interest to be paid.
| Section 2.13 | CUSIP or ISIN Numbers. |
The Issuer in issuing the Notes may use “CUSIP” and/or “ISIN” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” and/or “ISIN” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided, however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of a redemption or notice of an offer to purchase and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes, and any such redemption or offer to purchase shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Issuer shall promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the “CUSIP” and/or “ISIN” numbers.
| Section 2.14 | Issuance of Additional Notes. |
The Issuer shall be entitled, subject to its compliance with Sections 3.4 and 3.5 hereof, to issue Additional Notes under this Indenture which shall have identical terms as the Notes issued on the date hereof, other than with respect to the date of issuance, issue price and, if applicable, the first payment of interest thereon. The Notes issued on the date hereof and any Additional Notes shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, including, without limitation, waivers, consents, directions, declarations, amendments, redemptions and offers to purchase.
With respect to any Additional Notes, the Issuer shall set forth in Board Resolution and an Officers’ Certificate, a copy of each of which shall be delivered to the Trustee, the following information:
(1) the aggregate principal amount of such Additional Notes to be authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture; and
(2) the issue price and the issue date; provided, however, that no Additional Notes may be issued at a price that would cause such Additional Notes to have “original issue discount” within the meaning of Section 1273 of the Code.
| Section 2.15 | Record Date. |
The record date for purposes of determining the identity of Holders of Notes entitled to vote or consent to any action by vote or consent authorized or permitted under this Indenture shall be determined as provided for in Trust Indenture Act of 1939 §316(c).
ARTICLE THREE
COVENANTS OF THE ISSUER
| Section 3.1 | Payment of Principal and Interest |
The Issuer covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holder that it will duly and punctually pay or cause to be paid the principal of, and interest on, each of the Notes (together with any additional amounts payable pursuant to the terms of such Notes) at the place or places, at the respective times and in the manner provided in such Notes and in this Indenture. If any temporary Note provides that interest thereon may be paid while such Note is in temporary form, the interest on any such temporary Note (together with any additional amounts payable pursuant to the terms of such Note) shall be paid only upon presentation of such Notes for notation thereon of the payment of such interest, in each case subject to any restrictions that may be established pursuant to Article Two. The interest on Notes (together with any additional amounts payable pursuant to the terms of such Notes) shall be payable only to or upon the written order of the Holders thereof entitled thereto and, at the option of the Issuer, may be paid by wire transfer or by mailing checks for such interest payable to or upon the written order of such Holders at their last addresses as they appear on the registry books of the Issuer.
| Section 3.2 | Appointment to Fill a Vacancy in Office of Trustee. |
The Issuer, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 5.9, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee with respect the Notes.
| Section 3.3 | Written Statement to Trustee. |
The Issuer will furnish to the Trustee on or before January 31 in each year (beginning with January 31, 2007) a brief certificate (which need not comply with Section 10.5) from the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of Boardwalk GP as to his or her knowledge of the Issuer’s compliance with all conditions and covenants under the Indenture (such compliance to be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under the Indenture).
| Section 3.4 | Limitations upon Liens. |
After the date hereof and so long as any Notes are Outstanding, the Issuer will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, issue, assume or guarantee any Indebtedness secured by a mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest or encumbrance (any mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest or encumbrance being hereinafter in this Article Three referred to as a “mortgage” or “mortgages” or as a “lien” or “liens”) of, or upon, any property of the Issuer or of any Subsidiary, without effectively providing that the Notes shall be equally and ratably secured with such Indebtedness; provided, however, that the foregoing restriction shall not apply to:
(a) Any purchase money mortgage created by the Issuer or a Subsidiary to secure all or part of the purchase price of any property (or to secure a loan made to enable the Issuer or a Subsidiary to acquire the property described in such mortgage), provided that the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by any such mortgage, together with all other Indebtedness secured by a mortgage on such property, shall not exceed the purchase price of the property acquired;
(b) Any mortgage existing on any property at the time of the acquisition thereof by the Issuer or a Subsidiary whether or not assumed by the Issuer or a Subsidiary, and any mortgage on any property acquired or constructed by the Issuer or a Subsidiary and created not later than 12 months after (i) completion of such acquisition or construction or (ii) commencement of full operation of such property, whichever is later; provided, however, that, if assumed or created by the Issuer or a Subsidiary, the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by such mortgage, together with all other Indebtedness secured by a mortgage on such property, shall not exceed the purchase price of the property, acquired and/or the cost of the property constructed;
(c) Any mortgage created or assumed by the Issuer or a Subsidiary on any contract for the sale of any product or service or any rights thereunder or any proceeds therefrom, including accounts and other receivables, related to the operation or use of any property acquired or constructed by the Issuer or a Subsidiary and created not later than 12 months after (i) such acquisition or completion of such construction or (ii) commencement of full operation of such property, whichever is later;
(d) Any mortgage existing on any property of a Subsidiary at the time it becomes a Subsidiary and any mortgage on property existing at the time of acquisition thereof,
(e) Any refunding or extension of maturity, in whole or in part, of any mortgage created or assumed in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (a), (b), (c) or (d) above or (o), (p), or (y) below, provided that the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by such refunding mortgage or extended mortgage shall not exceed the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by the mortgage to be refunded or extended outstanding at the time of such refunding or extension and that such refunding mortgage or extended mortgage shall be limited in lien to the same property that secured the mortgage so refunded or extended;
(f) Any mortgage created or assumed by the Issuer or a Subsidiary to secure loans to the Issuer or a Subsidiary maturing within 12 months of the date of creation thereof and not renewable or extendible by the terms thereof at the option of the obligor beyond such 12 months, and made in the ordinary course of business;
(g) Mechanics’ or materialmen’s liens or any lien or charge arising by reason of pledges or deposits to secure payment of workmen’s compensation or other insurance, good faith deposits in connection with tenders or leases of real estate, bids or contracts (other than contracts for the payment of money), deposits to secure public or statutory obligations, deposits to secure or in lieu of surety, stay or appeal bonds and deposits as security for the payment of taxes or assessments or other similar charges;
(h) Any mortgage arising by reason of deposits with or the giving of any form of security to any governmental agency or any body created or approved by law or governmental regulation for any purpose at any time as required by law or governmental regulation as a condition to the transaction of any business or the exercise of any privilege or license, or to enable the Issuer or a Subsidiary to maintain self-insurance or to participate in any fund for liability on any insurance risks or in connection with workmen’s compensation, unemployment insurance, old age pensions or other social security or to share in the privileges or benefits required for companies participating in such arrangements;
(i) Mortgages upon rights-of-way;
(j) Undetermined mortgages and charges incidental to construction or maintenance;
(k) The right reserved to, or vested in, any municipality or governmental or other public authority or railroad by the terms of any right, power, franchise, grant, license, permit or by any provision of law, to terminate or to require annual or other periodic payments as a condition to the continuance of such right, power, franchise, grant, license or permit;
(l) The lien of taxes and assessments which are not at the time delinquent;
(m) The lien of specified taxes and assessments which are delinquent but the validity of which is being contested in good faith at the time by the Issuer or a Subsidiary;
(n) The lien reserved in leases for rent and for compliance with the terms of the lease in the case of leasehold estates;
(o) Defects and irregularities in the titles to any property (including rights-of-way and easements) which are not material to the business of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries considered as a whole;
(p) Any mortgages securing Indebtedness neither assumed nor guaranteed by the Issuer or a Subsidiary nor on which it customarily pays interest, existing upon real estate or rights in or relating to real estate (including rights-of-way and easements) acquired by the Issuer or a Subsidiary, which mortgages do not materially impair the use of such property for the purposes for which it is held by the Issuer or such Subsidiary;
(q) Easements, exceptions or reservations in any property of the Issuer or a Subsidiary granted or reserved for the purpose of pipelines, roads, telecommunication equipment and cable, streets, alleys, highways, railroad purposes, the removal of oil, gas, coal or other minerals or timber, and other like purposes, or for the joint or common use of real property, facilities and equipment, which do not materially impair the use of such property for the purposes for which it is held by the Issuer or such Subsidiary;
(r) Rights reserved to or vested in any municipality or public authority to control or regulate any property of the Issuer or a Subsidiary, or to use such property in any manner which does not materially impair the use of such property for the purposes for which it is held by the Issuer or such Subsidiary;
(s) Any obligations or duties, affecting the property of the Issuer or a Subsidiary, to any municipality or public authority with respect to any franchise, grant, license or permit;
(t) The liens of any judgments in an aggregate amount not in excess of $2,000,000 or the lien of any judgment the execution of which has been stayed or which has been appealed and secured, if necessary, by the filing of an appeal bond;
(u) Zoning laws and ordinances;
(v) Any mortgage existing on any office equipment, data processing equipment (including computer and computer peripheral equipment) or transportation equipment (including motor vehicles, aircraft and marine vessels);
(w) Leases now or hereafter existing and any renewals or extensions thereof;
(x) Any lien on inventory and receivables incurred in the ordinary course of business to secure Indebtedness incurred for working capital purposes including liens incurred in connection with a sale of receivables; and
(y) Any mortgage not permitted by clauses (a) through (x) above if at the time of, and after giving effect to, the creation or assumption of any such mortgage, the aggregate of all Indebtedness of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries secured by all such mortgages not so permitted by clauses (a) through (x) above do not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.
In the event that the Issuer or a Subsidiary shall hereafter secure the Notes equally and ratably with any other obligation or Indebtedness pursuant to the provisions of this Section 3.6, the Trustee is hereby authorized to enter into an indenture supplemental hereto and to take such action, if any, as it may deem advisable to enable it to enforce effectively the rights of the Holders of the Notes so secured, equally and ratably with such other obligation or Indebtedness.
Trustee, at its request, shall be provided with an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such supplemental indenture or steps taken to secure the Notes equally and ratably comply with the provisions of this Section.
| Section 3.5 | Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions. |
The Issuer agrees that it will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any arrangement with any Person providing for the leasing by the Issuer or a Subsidiary of any Principal Property, acquired or placed into service more than 180 days prior to such arrangement (except for leases of three years or less), whereby such property has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Issuer or any Subsidiary to such Person (herein referred to as a “Sale and Lease-Back Transaction”), unless:
(i) the Issuer or any Subsidiary would, at the time of entering into a Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, be entitled to incur Indebtedness secured by a mortgage on such Principal Property to be leased in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Debt in respect of such transaction without equally and ratably securing the Notes pursuant to Section 3.4 hereof; or
(ii) the Issuer shall covenant that it will apply an amount equal to the net proceeds from the sale of the Principal Property so leased to the retirement (other than any mandatory retirement) of its Funded Indebtedness within 90 days of the effective date of any such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, provided that the amount to be applied to the retirement of Funded Indebtedness of the Issuer shall be reduced by (i) the principal amount of any Notes delivered by the Issuer to the Trustee within 90 days after such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction for retirement and cancellation, and (ii) the principal amount of Funded Indebtedness, other than Notes, voluntarily retired by the Issuer within 90 days following such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, provided, further, that the covenant contained in this Section shall not apply to, and there shall be excluded from Attributable Debt in any computation under this Section, Attributable Debt with respect to any Sale and Lease-Back Transaction if:
(A) such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction is entered into in connection with transactions which are part of an industrial development or pollution control financing, or
(B) the only parties involved in such Sale and Lease-ack Transaction are the Issuer and any Subsidiary or any Subsidiaries.
Notwithstanding these restrictions on Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, the Issuer and its Subsidiaries may enter into, create, assume and suffer to exist Sale and Lease-Back Transactions, not otherwise permitted hereby, if at the time of, and after giving effect to, such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, the total consolidated Attributable Debt of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.
| Section 3.6 | [Reserved]. |
| Section 3.7 | Holders Lists. |
If and so long as the Trustee shall not be the Registrar for the Notes, the Issuer will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee a list in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the holders of the Notes pursuant to §312 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (a) semi-annually not more than 15 days after each record date for the payment of interest on such Notes, as hereinabove specified, as of such record date and on dates to be determined pursuant to Section 2.5 for non-interest bearing securities in each year, and (b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within thirty days after receipt by the Issuer of any such request as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such information is furnished. Holders may communicate pursuant to §312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. The Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of §312(c) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
| Section 3.8 | Reports by the Issuer. |
The Issuer covenants to file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the Issuer is required to file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports which the Issuer may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee's receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company's compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers' Certificates).
| Section 3.9 | Reports by the Trustee. |
Any Trustee’s report required under §313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 shall be transmitted on or before April 15 in each year following the date hereof, so long as any Notes are Outstanding hereunder, and shall be dated as of a date convenient to the Trustee no more than 60 nor less than 45 days prior thereto, provided that, if no event described in §313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted. The Trustee shall also comply with §313(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
ARTICLE FOUR
DEFAULTS ADD REMEDIES
| Section 4.1 | Event of Default Defined, Acceleration of Maturity, Waiver of Default. |
“Event of Default” with respect to the Notes wherever used herein, means each one of the following events which shall have occurred and be continuing (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
(a) default in the payment of any installment of interest upon any of the Notes as and when the same shall become due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(b) default in the payment of all or any part of the principal on any of the Notes as and when the same shall become due and payable either at maturity, upon any redemption, by declaration or otherwise; or
(c) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of
the Issuer or the Guarantor in respect of the Notes (other than a covenant or warranty in respect of the Notes a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with) and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days (or 180 days in the case of a Reporting Failure) after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Issuer and the Guarantor by the Trustee or to the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes, a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or
(d) either (1) default in payment of any Indebtedness of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Issuer within any applicable grace period after final maturity or (2) the acceleration of Indebtedness of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Issuer by the holders thereof because of a default and, in either case, the total amount of the Indebtedness unpaid or accelerated exceeds $50.0 million; or
(e) the entry of a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction in the premises adjudging the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary as bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary under the federal bankruptcy law or any other applicable federal or state law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of the affairs of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or
(f) the institution by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary of proceedings to be adjudicated as bankrupt or insolvent or the consent by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary to the institution of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under the federal bankruptcy law or any other applicable federal or state law, or the consent by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary to the filing of any such petition or to the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary or for any substantial part of its property, or the making by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary of any general assignment for the benefit of creditors;
provided, however, that the occurrence of any of the events described in the foregoing clause (c) shall not constitute an Event of Default if such occurrence is the result of changes in generally accepted accounting principles as recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants at the date as of which this Indenture is executed and a certificate to such effect is delivered to the Trustee by the Issuer’s independent public accountants.
If an Event of Default described in clauses (a), (b), (c) or (d) above occurs and is continuing, then, and in each and every such case, unless the principal of all the Notes shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of all the Notes then Outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Issuer and the Guarantor (and to the Trustee if given by Noteholders), may declare the entire principal of all of the Notes then Outstanding, and interest accrued thereon, if any, to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default described in clause (e) or (f) occurs and is continuing, then and in each and every such case, unless the principal of all the Notes shall have already become due and payable, the entire principal of all of the Notes then Outstanding, and interest accrued thereon, if any, will become immediately due and payable without any declaration of acceleration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders.
The foregoing provisions, however, are subject to the condition that if, at any time after the principal of the Notes shall have been so declared due and payable or become automatically due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the Issuer shall pay or shall deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest upon all the Notes and the principal of any and all Notes which shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and, to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law, on overdue installments of interest, at the same rate as the rate of interest specified in the Notes and such amount as shall be sufficient to cover reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee and their agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee except as a result of negligence or bad faith, and if any and all Events of Default under this Indenture, other than the non-payment of the principal of Notes which shall have become due by acceleration, shall have been cured, waived or otherwise remedied as provided herein then and in every such case the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of all the Notes then Outstanding, by written notice to the Issuer, the Guarantor and to the Trustee, may waive all defaults with respect to the Notes and rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences, but no such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default or shall impair any right consequent thereon.
| Section 4.2 | Collection of Indebtedness by Trustee; Trustee May Prove Debt. |
The Issuer covenants that (a) in case default shall be made in the payment of any installment of interest on any of the Notes when such interest shall have become due and payable, and such default shall have continued for a period of 30 days or (b) in case default shall be made in the payment of all or any part of the principal of any of the Notes when the same shall have become due and payable, whether upon maturity of the Notes or upon any redemption or by declaration or otherwise, then upon demand of the Trustee, the Issuer will pay to the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes the whole amount that then shall have become due and payable on all Notes for principal or interest, as the case may be (with interest to the date of such payment upon the overdue principal and, to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law, on overdue installments of interest at the same rate as the rate of interest specified in the Notes); and in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee, their respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and any expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee except as a result of its negligence or bad faith.
Until such demand is made by the Trustee, the Issuer may pay the principal of and interest on the Notes to the registered Holders, whether or not the principal of and interest on Notes be overdue.
In case the Issuer shall fail forthwith to pay such amounts upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceedings at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceedings to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Issuer or other obligor upon the Notes and collect in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Issuer or other obligor upon the Notes, wherever situated, the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable.
In case there shall be pending proceedings relative to the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Notes under Title 11 of the United States Code or any other applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or in case a receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official shall have been appointed for or taken possession of the Issuer, the Guarantor or their property or such other obligor, or in case of any other comparable judicial proceedings relative to the Issuer, the Guarantor or other obligor upon the Notes, or to the creditors or property of the Issuer, the Guarantor or such other obligor, the Trustee, irrespective of whether the principal of the Notes shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand pursuant to the provisions of this Section, shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceedings or otherwise:
(a) to file and prove a claim or claims for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Notes, and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee, and their respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and for reimbursement of all expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee, except as a result of negligence or bad faith) and of the Holders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Issuer or other obligor upon the Notes, or to the creditors or property of the Issuer or such other obligor,
(b) unless prohibited by applicable law and regulations, to vote on behalf of the Holders of the Notes in any election of a trustee or a standby trustee in arrangement, reorganization, liquidation or other bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings or Person performing similar functions in comparable proceedings, and
(c) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute all amounts received with respect to the claims of the Holders and of the Trustee on their behalf, and any trustee, receiver, or liquidator, custodian or other similar official is hereby authorized by each of the Holders to make payments to the Trustee, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover reasonable compensation to the Trustee, each predecessor Trustee and their respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee except as a result of negligence or bad faith.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or vote for or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding except, as aforesaid, to vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar Person.
All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the Notes, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Notes or the production thereof in any trial or other proceedings relative thereto, and any such action or proceedings instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment, subject to the payment of the expenses, disbursements and compensation of the Trustee, each predecessor Trustee and their respective agents and attorneys, shall be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes in respect of which such action was taken.
In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and also any proceedings involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to which the Trustee shall be a party) the Trustee shall be held to represent all the Holders of the Notes in respect to which such action was taken, and it shall not be necessary to make any Holders of the Notes parties to any such proceedings.
| Section 4.3 | Application of Proceeds. |
Any moneys collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article Four shall be applied in the following order at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such moneys on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the several Notes in respect of which monies have been collected and stamping (or otherwise noting) thereon the payment, or issuing Notes in reduced principal amounts in exchange for the presented Notes, if only partially paid, or upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of costs and expenses applicable to the Notes in respect of which monies have been collected, including reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee and their respective agents and attorneys and of all expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee except as a result of negligence or bad faith;
SECOND: In case the principal of the Notes in respect of which moneys have been collected shall not have become and be then due and payable, to the payment of interest on the Notes in default in the order of the maturity of the installments of such interest, with interest (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon the overdue installments of interest at the same rate as the rate of interest specified in such Notes, such payments to be made ratably to the Persons entitled thereto, without discrimination or preference;
THIRD: In case the principal of the Notes in respect of which moneys have been collected shall have become and shall be then due and payable, to the payment of the whole amount then owing and unpaid upon all the Notes for principal and interest, with interest upon the overdue principal, and (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon overdue installments of interest at the same rate as the rate of interest specified in the Notes; and in case such moneys shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amount so due and unpaid upon the Notes, then to the payment of such principal and interest, without preference or priority of principal over interest, or of interest over principal, or of any installment of interest over any other installment of interest, ratably to the aggregate of such principal and accrued and unpaid interest; and
FOURTH: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Issuer.
| Section 4.4 | Suits for Enforcement. |
In case an Event of Default has occurred, has not been waived and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any of such rights, either at law or in equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.
| Section 4.5 | Restoration of Rights on Abandonment of Proceedings. |
In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee shall be restored respectively to their former positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken.
| Section 4.6 | Limitations on Suits by Holders. |
No Holder of any Note shall have any right by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any action or proceeding at law or in equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise upon or under or with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official or for any other remedy hereunder, unless such Holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of default and of the continuance thereof, as herein before provided, and unless also the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action or proceedings in its own name as Trustee hereunder and shall have offered to the Trustee such indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred therein or thereby and the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity shall have failed to institute any such action or proceeding and no direction inconsistent with such written request shall have been given to the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.9; it being understood and intended, and being expressly covenanted by the taker and Holder of every Note with every other taker and Holder and the Trustee, that no one or more Holders of Notes shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other such Holder of Notes, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such Holder or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all Holders of Notes. For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and every Holder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.
| Section 4.7 | Unconditional Right of Holders to Institute Certain Suits. |
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture and any provision of any Note, the right of any Holder of any Note to receive payment of the principal of and interest on such Note on or after the respective due dates expressed or provided for in such Note, or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.
| Section 4.8 | Powers and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver of Default. |
Except as provided in Section 4.6, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders of Notes is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of Notes to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing as aforesaid shall impair any such right or power or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to Section 4.6, every power and remedy given by this Indenture or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders of Notes may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders of Notes.
| Section 4.9 | Control by Holders of Notes. |
The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding shall have the right to direct the time, method, and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to the Notes by this Indenture; provided that such direction shall not be otherwise than in accordance with law and the provisions of this Indenture and provided further that (subject to the provisions of Section 5.1) the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, shall determine that the action or proceeding so directed may not lawfully be taken or if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors, the executive committee, or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers of the Trustee shall determine that the action or proceedings so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability or if the Trustee in good faith shall so determine that the actions or forebearances specified in or pursuant to such direction would be unduly prejudicial to the interests of Holders of the Notes not joining in the giving of said direction, it being understood that (subject to Section 5.1) the Trustee shall have no duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forebearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders.
Nothing in this Indenture shall impair the right of the Trustee in its discretion to take any action deemed proper by the Trustee and which is not inconsistent with such direction or directions by Holders.
| Section 4.10 | Waiver of Past Defaults. |
Prior to the acceleration of the maturity of any Notes as provided in Section 4. 1, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding with respect to which an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing may on behalf of the Holders of all such Notes waive any past default or Event of Default described in Section 4.1 and its consequences, except a default in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Note affected. In the case of any such waiver, the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee and the Holders of all such Notes shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist and be deemed to have been cured and not to have occurred, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, and not to have occurred for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
| Section 4.11 | Trustee to Give Notice of Default, But May Withhold in Certain Circumstances. |
The Trustee shall, within 90 days after the occurrence of a Default with respect to the Notes, give notice of all Defaults known to the Trustee (i) if any Notes are then Outstanding, to the Holders thereof, by publication at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York and at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in London (and, if required by Section 3.8, at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in Luxembourg) and (ii) to all Holders of Notes in the manner and to the extent provided in §313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, unless in each case such Defaults shall have been cured before the mailing or publication of such notice; provided that, except in the case of default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any of the Notes, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee, or a trust committee of directors or trustees and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Holders.
| Section 4.12 | Right of Court to Require Filing of Undertaking to Pay Costs. |
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Note by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder or group of Holders holding in the aggregate more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes or, in the case of any suit relating to or arising under clause (c) or (f) of Section 4.1 or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Note on or after the due date expressed in such Note or any date fixed for redemption.
ARTICLE FIVE
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
| Section 5.1 | Duties and Responsibilities of the Trustee; During Default; Prior to Default. |
With respect to the Holders of Notes issued hereunder, the Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Notes and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture. In case an Event of Default with respect to the Notes has occurred (which has not been cured or waived) the Trustee shall exercise with respect to the Notes such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that
(a) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Notes and after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default with respect to which may have occurred:
(i) the duties and obligations of the Trustee with respect
to the Notes shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(ii) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee,
the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any statements, certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such statements, certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy or mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein);
(b) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(c) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders pursuant to Section 4.9 relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture.
None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if there shall be reasonable ground for believing that the repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such liability is not reasonably assured to it.
The provisions of this Section 5.1 are in furtherance of and subject to Sections 315 and 316 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
| Section 5.2 | Certain Rights of Trustee. |
In furtherance of and subject to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, and subject to Section 5.1:
(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, Officers’ Certificate or any other certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, Note or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) any request, direction, order or demand of the Issuer mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed); and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be evidenced to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of Boardwalk GP;
(c) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and any advice or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon in accordance with such advice or Opinion of Counsel;
(d) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the trusts or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred therein or thereby,
(e) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion, rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;
(f) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default hereunder and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default, the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, appraisal, bond, debenture, note, Note, or other paper or document unless requested in writing so to do by the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then Outstanding; provided that, if the payment within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is, in the opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require reasonable indemnity against such expenses or liabilities as a condition to proceeding; the reasonable expenses of every such investigation shall be paid by the Issuer or, if paid by the Trustee or any predecessor Trustee, shall be repaid by the Issuer upon demand;
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers or perform any duties either directly or by or through agents or attorneys not regularly in its employ and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any such agent or attorney appointed by it with due care;
(h) in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action;
(i) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Notes and this Indenture;
(j) the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder; and
(k) the Trustee may request that the Issuer deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded.
| Section 5.3 | Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals Disposition of Notes or Applications of Proceeds Thereof. |
The recitals contained herein and in the Notes, except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Issuer, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Notes, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture, authenticate the Notes and perform all its obligations hereunder, and that the statements made by it in the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 supplied to the Issuer are true and accurate. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Issuer of any of the Notes or of the proceeds thereof.
| Section 5.4 | Trustee and Agents May Hold Notes; Collections etc. |
The Trustee or any agent of the Issuer or the Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee or such agent and may otherwise deal with the Issuer and receive, collect, hold and retain collections from the Issuer with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee or such agent, subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 relating to conflicts of interest and preferential claims.
| Section 5.5 | Moneys Held by Trustee. |
Subject to the provisions of Section 9.4 hereof, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by mandatory provisions of law. Neither the Trustee nor any agent of the Issuer or the Trustee shall be under any liability for interest on any moneys received by it hereunder.
| Section 5.6 | Compensation and Indemnification of Trustee and Its Prior Claim. |
Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee from time to time, and the Trustee shall be entitled to, such compensation as shall be agreed upon in writing (which shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust) and each of the Issuer and the Guarantor covenants and agrees to pay or reimburse the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by or on behalf of it in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its counsel and of all agents and other persons not regularly in its employ) except any such expense, disbursement or advance as shall be determined to have been caused by its own negligence or willful misconduct. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor also covenants to indemnify the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee for, and to hold it harmless against, any and all loss, liability claim, damage or expense, including taxes (other than those based on or measured by the income of the Trustee) incurred without negligence or willful misconduct faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this Indenture or the trusts hereunder and its duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against or investigating any claim of liability (whether asserted by the Issuer, any Holder or any other Person) in the premises. The obligations of the Issuer and the Guarantor under this Section to compensate and indemnify the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall constitute additional indebtedness hereunder and shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or the resignation or removal of the Trustee. Such additional indebtedness shall be a senior claim to that of the Notes upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Notes, and the Notes are hereby subordinated to such senior claim. When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 4.1(d) or 4.1(e), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.
| Section 5.7 | Right of Trustee to Rely on Officers’ Certificate. |
Subject to Sections 5.1 and 5.2, whenever in the administration of the trusts of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering or omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee, and such certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.
| Section 5.8 | Persons Eligible for Appointment as Trustee. |
The Trustee shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any state or the District of Columbia having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000, and which is eligible in accordance with the provisions of § 310(a) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of a federal, state or District of Columbia supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. No obligor on the Notes or Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such obligor shall serve as Trustee. The Trustee shall comply with § 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939; provided that, there shall be excluded from the operation of § 310(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, this Indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest, or participation in other securities of the Issuer are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in § 310(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 are met.
| Section 5.9 | Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor Trustee |
(a) The Trustee, or any trustee or trustees hereafter appointed, may at any time resign with respect to the Notes by giving written notice of resignation to the Issuer and (i) if any Notes are then Outstanding, by giving notice of such resignation to the Holders thereof, by publication at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, and at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in London (and, if required by Section 3.8, at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in Luxembourg), (ii) if any Notes affected are then Outstanding, by mailing notice of such resignation to the Holders thereof who have filed their names and addresses with the Trustee pursuant to §313(c)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 at such addresses as were so furnished to the Trustee and (iii) by mailing notice of such resignation to the Holders of then Outstanding Notes at their addresses as they shall appear on the registry books. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Issuer shall promptly appoint a successor trustee or trustees by written instrument in duplicate, executed by authority of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee or trustees. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of resignation, the resigning trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction at the expense of the Issuer for the appointment of a successor trustee, or any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Note or Notes for at least six months may, subject to the provisions of Section 4.12, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.
(b) In case at any time any of the following shall occur:
(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of §310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 with respect to the Notes after written request therefor by the Issuer or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Note or Notes for at least six months; or
(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of § 310(a) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Issuer or by any Holder; or
(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting with respect to the Notes, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver or liquidator of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation;
then, in any such case, the Issuer may remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or, subject to § 315(e) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Note or Notes for at least six months may on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee. If an instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of removal, the Trustee being removed may petition, at the expense of the Issuer, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Notes.
(c) The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes Outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee with respect to the Notes and appoint a successor trustee with respect to the Notes by delivering to the Trustee so removed, to the successor trustee so appointed and to the Issuer the evidence provided for in Section 6.1 of the action in that regard taken by the Holders.
(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and any appointment of a successor trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section 5.9 shall become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 5.10
| Section 5.10 | Acceptance and Appointment of Successor Trustee. |
Any successor trustee appointed as provided in Section 5.9 shall execute and deliver to the Issuer and to its predecessor trustee an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the predecessor trustee with respect to the Notes shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all rights, powers, duties and obligations with respect to the Notes of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as trustee for such Notes hereunder; but, nevertheless, on the written request of the Issuer or of the successor trustee, upon payment of its charges then unpaid, the trustee ceasing to act shall, subject to Section 9.4, pay over to the successor trustee all moneys at the time held by it hereunder and shall execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all such rights, powers, duties and obligations. Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Issuer shall execute any and all instruments in writing for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights and powers. Any trustee ceasing to act shall, nevertheless, retain a prior claim upon all property or funds held or collected by such trustee to secure any amounts then due it pursuant to the provisions of Section 5.6.
Upon acceptance of appointment by any successor trustee as provided in this Section 5.10, the issuer shall give notice thereof (a) if any Notes are then Outstanding, to the Holders thereof, by publication of such notice at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York and at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in London (and, if required by Section 3.8, at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in Luxembourg), (b) if any Notes are then Outstanding, to the Holders thereof who have filed their names and addresses with the Trustee pursuant to § 313(c)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, by mailing such notice to such Holders at such addresses as were so furnished to the Trustee (and the Trustee shall make such information available to the Issuer for such purpose) and (c) to the Holders of Registered Notes, by mailing such notice to such Holders at their addresses as they shall appear on the registry books. If the acceptance of appointment is substantially contemporaneous with the resignation, then the notice called for by the preceding sentence may be combined with the notice called for by Section 5.9. If the Issuer fails to give such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be given at the expense of the Issuer.
| Section 5.11 | Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business of Trustee. |
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided that such corporation shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 5.8, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding.
In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture any of the Notes shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee and deliver such Notes so authenticated; and, in case at that time any of the Notes shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Notes either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor Trustee; and in all such cases such certificate shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Notes or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have; provided, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee or to authenticate Notes in the name of any predecessor trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.
| Section 5.12 | Appointment of Authenticating Agent. |
As long as any Notes remain Outstanding, the Trustee may, by an instrument in writing, appoint with the approval of the Issuer an authenticating agent (the “Authenticating Agent”) which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Notes, including Notes issued upon exchange, registration of transfer, partial redemption or pursuant to Section 2.7. Notes authenticated by such Authenticating Agent shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee. Whenever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Notes by the Trustee or to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by such Authenticating Agent. Such Authenticating Agent shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any State, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 (determined as provided in Section 5.8 with respect to the Trustee) and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority.
Any corporation into which any Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted, or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which any Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency business of any Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be the Authenticating Agent with respect to the Notes without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or such Authenticating Agent.
Any Authenticating Agent may at any time, and if it shall cease to be eligible shall, resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Issuer. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Issuer. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5.12 , the Trustee may upon receipt of an Issuer Order appoint a successor Authenticating Agent and the Issuer shall provide notice of such appointment to all Holders of Notes in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 5.10. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all rights, powers, duties and responsibilities of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as Authenticating Agent. The Issuer agrees to pay to the Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation. The Authenticating Agent for the Notes shall have no responsibility or liability for any action taken by it as such at the direction of the Trustee.
Sections 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.6, 5.8 and 6.3 shall be applicable to any Authenticating Agent.
| Section 5.13 | Preferential Collection of Claims Against Issuer. |
The Trustee shall comply with § 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, excluding any creditor relationship listed in § 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. A Trustee who has resigned or has been removed shall be subject to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 to the extent indicated therein.
ARTICLE SIX
CONCERNING THE HOLDERS
| Section 6.1 | Evidence of Action Taken by Holders. |
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by a specified percentage in principal amount of the Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such specified percentage of Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee. Proof of execution of any instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Sections 5.1 and 5.2) conclusive in favor of the Trustee, the Issuer and the Guarantor, if made in the manner provided in this Article Six.
| Section 6.2 | Proof of Execution of Instruments and of Holding of Notes. |
Subject to Sections 5.1 and 5.2, the execution of any instrument by a Holder or his agent or proxy may be proved in the following manner:
(i) the fact and date of the execution by any Holder of any instrument may be proved by the certificate of any notary public or other officer of any jurisdiction authorized to take acknowledgments of deeds or administer oaths that the Person executing such instruments acknowledged to him the execution thereof, or by an affidavit of a witness to such execution sworn to before any such notary or other such officer. Where such execution is by or on behalf of any legal entity other than an individual, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of the authority of the Person executing the same. The fact of the holding by any Holder of a Note, and the identifying number of such Note and the date of his holding the same, may be proved by the production of such Note or by a certificate executed by any trust company, bank, banker or recognized securities dealer wherever situated satisfactory to the Trustee, if such certificate shall be deemed by the Trustee to be satisfactory. Each such certificate shall be dated and shall state that on the date thereof a Note bearing a specified identifying number was deposited with or exhibited to such trust company, bank, banker or recognized securities dealer by the Person named in such certificate. Any such certificate may be issued in respect of one or more Notes specified therein. The holding by the Person named in any such certificate of any Notes specified therein shall be presumed to continue for a period of one year from the date of such certificate unless at the time of any determination of such holding (1) another certificate bearing a later date issued in respect of the same Notes shall be produced, or (2) the Note specified in such certificate shall be produced by some other Person, or (3) the Note specified in such certificate shall have ceased to be Outstanding. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument and the amount and numbers of Notes held by the Person so executing such instrument and the amount and numbers of any Note or Notes may also be proven in accordance with such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Trustee or in any other manner which the Trustee may deem sufficient.
(ii) The ownership of Notes shall be proved by the Security Register or by a certificate of the Registrar.
| Section 6.3 | Holders to be Treated as Owners. |
The Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee and any agent of the Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Note shall be registered upon the Note register as the absolute owner of such Note (whether or not such Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of and, subject to the provisions of this Indenture, interest on such Note and for all other purposes; and neither the Issuer, the Guarantor nor the Trustee nor any agent of the Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. The Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee and any agent of the Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee may treat the Holder of any Note as the absolute owner of such Note (whether or not such Note shall be overdue) for the purpose of receiving payment thereof or on account thereof and for all other purposes and neither the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee, nor any agent of the Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. All such payments so made to any such Person, or upon his order, shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums so paid, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon any such Note.
| Section 6.4 | Notes Owned by Issuer Deemed Not Outstanding. |
In determining whether the Holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Outstanding Notes have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under this Indenture, Notes which are owned by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other obligor on the Notes with respect to which such determination is being made or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other obligor on the Notes with respect to which such determination is being made shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent or waiver only Notes which the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Notes and that the pledgee is not the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Notes or any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other obligor on the Notes. In case of a dispute as to such right, the advice of counsel shall be full protection in respect of any decision made by the Trustee in accordance with such advice. Upon request of the Trustee, the Issuer shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officers’ Certificate listing and identifying all Notes, if any, known by the Issuer to be owned or held by or for the account of any of the above-described Persons; and, subject to Sections 5.1 and 5.2, the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such Officers’ Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Notes not listed therein are Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.
| Section 6.5 | Right of Revocation of Action Taken. |
At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 6. 1, of the taking of any action by the Holders of the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Notes, specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any Holder the serial number of which is shown by the evidence to be included among the serial numbers of the Notes the Holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice at the Corporate Trust Office and upon proof of holding as provided in this Article Six, revoke such action so far as concerns such Note. Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the Holder of any Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders and owners of such Note and of any Notes issued in exchange or substitution therefor or on registration of transfer thereof, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon any such Note. Any action taken by the Holders of the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Notes, specified in this Indenture in connection with such action shall be conclusively binding upon the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee and the Holders of all the Notes affected by such action.
ARTICLE SEVEN
AMENDMENTS
| Section 7.1 | Amendments and Supplements Without Consent of Holders. |
The Issuer, when authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors (which resolution may provide general terms or parameters for such action and may provide that the specific terms of such action may be determined in accordance with or pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate), and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time amend or supplement this Indenture for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge to the Trustee as security for the Notes any property or assets;
(b) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Issuer, or successive successions, and the assumption by the successor Person of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Issuer pursuant to Article Eight;
(c) to add to the covenants of the Issuer such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as the Issuer and the Trustee shall consider to be for the protection of the Holders of Notes, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth; provided, that in respect of any such additional covenant, restriction, condition or provision such supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of grace after default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in the case of other defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon such an Event of Default or may limit the remedies available to the Trustee upon such an Event of Default or may limit the right of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes to waive such an Event of Default;
(d) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture, or to make any other provisions as the Issuer may deem necessary or desirable, provided that no such action shall materially adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Notes;
(e) to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the limitations set forth in this Indenture as of the date hereof;
(f) to modify or amend this Indenture in such a manner as to permit the qualification of this Indenture or any supplemental indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as then in effect, except that nothing herein contained shall permit or authorize the inclusion in any supplemental indenture of the provisions referred to in §316(a)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
(g) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee with respect to the Notes and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 5.10.
The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Issuer and the Guarantor in the execution of any such amendment or supplement, to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations which may be therein contained and to accept the conveyance, transfer, assignment, mortgage or pledge of any property thereunder, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such amendment or supplement which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Any amendment or supplement to this Indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section may be executed without the consent of the Holders of any of the Notes at the time Outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 7.2.
| Section 7.2 | Amendments and Supplements With Consent of Holders |
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Article Six) of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding, the Issuer, when authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors (which resolution may provide general terms or parameters for such action and may provide that the specific terms of such action may be determined in accordance with or pursuant to an Issuer Order), the Guarantor and the Trustee may, from time to time and at any time, amend or supplement this Indenture for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any amendment or supplement hereto or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Notes; provided, that no such amendment or supplement shall (a) extend the final maturity of any Note, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce any amount payable on redemption thereof, or make the principal thereof (including any amount in respect of original issue discount) or interest thereon payable in any coin or currency other than that provided in the Notes or in accordance with the terms thereof, or impair or affect the right of any Holder to institute suit for the payment thereof or, if the Notes provide therefor, any right of repayment at the option of the Holder, in each case without the consent of the Holder of each Note so affected, or (b) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Notes, the consent of the Holders of which is required for any such amendment or supplement, without the consent of the Holders of each Note so affected.
Upon the request of the Issuer, accompanied by a copy of a resolution of the Board of Directors (which resolution may provide general terms or parameters for such action and may provide that the specific terms of such action may be determined in accordance with or pursuant to an Issuer Order) certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Issuer authorizing the execution of any such amendment or supplement, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of the Holders of the Notes as aforesaid and other documents, if any, required by Section 6.1, the Trustee shall join with the Issuer and the Guarantor in the execution of such amendment or supplement unless such amendment or supplement affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such amendment or supplement.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment or supplement to this Indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.
Promptly after the execution by the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee of any amendment or supplement to this Indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall give notice thereof (i) to the Holders of then Outstanding Registered Notes by mailing a notice thereof by first-class mail to such Holders at their addresses as they shall appear on the Note register, (ii) if any Notes are then Outstanding, to the Holders thereof who have filed their names and addresses with the Trustee pursuant to § 313(c)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, by mailing a notice thereof by first-class mail to such Holders at such addresses as were so furnished to the Trustee and (iii) if any Notes are then Outstanding, to all Holders thereof, by publication of a notice thereof at least once in an Authorized Newspaper in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, and in each case such notice shall set forth in general terms the substance of such amendment or supplement. Any failure of the Issuer to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amendment or supplement.
| Section 7.3 | Effect of Amendment and Supplement to this Indenture. |
Upon the execution of any amendment or supplement to this Indenture pursuant to the provisions hereof, this Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Holders of Notes shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such amendment or supplement shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
| Section 7.4 | Documents to Be Given to Trustee. |
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 5.1 and 5.2, shall be provided with an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any amendment or supplement to this Indenture executed pursuant to this Article Seven complies with the applicable provisions of this Indenture.
| Section 7.5 | Notation on Notes in Respect of Amendments and Supplements. |
Notes authenticated and delivered after the execution of any amendment or supplement to this Indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article Seven may bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for by such amendment or supplement or as to any action taken by Holders. If the Issuer or the Trustee shall so determine, new Notes so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Board of Directors, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such amendment or supplement may be prepared by the Issuer, authenticated by the Trustee and delivered in exchange for the Notes then Outstanding.
ARTICLE EIGHT
SUCCESSORS
| Section 8.1 | Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets of the Issuer. |
The Issuer shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, unless:
(i) the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Issuer is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance, transfer or lease the properties and assets of the Issuer substantially as an entirety shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest on all the Notes, according to their tenor, and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Issuer to be performed or observed;
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing;
(iii) the Issuer has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease and such supplemental indenture comply with this Article Eight and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with;
(iv) the Issuer has delivered to the Trustee such other documents as the Trustee may, in its discretion, reasonably require; and
(v) if the Issuer is not the continuing Person, then the Guarantor shall confirm that its guarantee shall continue to apply to the obligations under the Note and this Indenture.
| Section 8.2 | Successor Person Substituted. |
In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, lease or conveyance, and following such an assumption by the successor Person, such successor Person shall succeed to and be substituted for the Issuer, with the same effect as if it had been named herein. Such successor Person may cause to be signed, and may issue either in its own name or in the name of the Issuer prior to such succession any or all of the Notes issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Issuer and delivered to the Trustee; and, upon the order of such successor Person, instead of the Issuer, and subject to all the terms, conditions and limitations in this Indenture prescribed, the Trustee shall authenticate and shall deliver any Notes which previously shall have been signed and delivered by the officers of the Issuer to the Trustee for authentication, and any Notes which such successor Person thereafter shall cause to be signed and delivered to the Trustee for that purpose. All of the Notes so issued shall in all respects have the same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Notes theretofore or thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all of such Notes had been issued at the date of the execution hereof.
In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, lease or conveyance such changes in phrasing and form (but not in substance) may be made in the Notes thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.
In the event of any such sale or conveyance (other than a conveyance by way of lease) the Issuer or any successor Person which shall theretofore have become such in the manner described in this Article Eight shall be discharged from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Notes and may be liquidated and dissolved.
ARTICLE NINE
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; UNCLAIMED MONEYS
| Section 9.1 | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. |
(a) If at any time (a) the Issuer shall have paid or caused to be paid the principal of and interest on all the Notes Outstanding hereunder (other than Notes which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.7) as and when the same shall have become due and payable, or (b) the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee for cancellation all Notes theretofore authenticated (other than any Notes which shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.7) or (c) in the case of Notes where the exact or maximum amount of principal of and interest due on which can be determined at the time of making the deposit referred to in clause (ii) below, (i) all the Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation shall have become due and payable, or are by their terms to become due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption, and (ii) the Issuer shall have irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds the entire amount in cash (other than moneys repaid by the Trustee or any paying agent to the Issuer in accordance with Section 9.4) or direct obligations of the United States of America, backed by its full faith and credit (“U.S. Government Obligations”), maturing as to principal and interest at such times and in such amounts as will insure the availability of cash, or a combination thereof, sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay (A) the principal of and interest on all Notes on each date that such principal or interest is due and payable and (B) any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to Notes on the dates on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and the Notes; and if, in any such case, the Issuer shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Issuer with respect to the Notes, then this Indenture with respect to the Notes shall cease to be of further effect (except as to (i) rights of registration of transfer and exchange of Notes and the Issuer’s right of optional redemption, if any, (ii) substitution of mutilated, defaced, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes, (iii) rights of Holders of Notes to receive payments of principal thereof and interest thereon, upon the original stated due dates therefor (but not upon acceleration), and remaining rights of the Holders to receive mandatory sinking fund payments, if any, (iv) the rights, obligations, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder, and (v) the rights of the Holders of Notes as beneficiaries hereof with respect to the property so deposited with the Trustee payable to all or any of them) and the Trustee, on demand of the Issuer accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel and at the cost and expense of the Issuer, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging such satisfaction of and discharging this Indenture with respect to the Notes; provided that the rights of Holders of the Notes to receive amounts in respect of principal of and interest on the Notes held by them shall not be delayed longer than required by then-applicable mandatory rules or policies of any securities exchange upon which the Notes are listed. The Issuer agrees to reimburse the Trustee for any costs or expenses thereafter reasonably and properly incurred and to compensate the Trustee for any services thereafter reasonably and properly rendered by the Trustee in connection with this Indenture or the Notes.
(b) In addition to discharge of the Indenture pursuant to the next preceding paragraph, in the case of Notes the exact or maximum amounts (including the currency of payment) of principal of and interest due on which can be determined at the time of making the deposit referred to in clause (a) below, the Issuer shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the Notes on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a) below, and the provisions of this Indenture with respect to the Notes shall no longer be in effect (except as to (i) rights of registration of transfer and exchange of Notes and the Issuer’s right of optional redemption, if any, (ii) substitution of mutilated, defaced, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes, (iii) rights of Holders of Notes to receive payments of principal thereof and interest thereon, upon the original stated due dates therefor (but not upon acceleration), and remaining rights of the Holders to receive mandatory sinking fund payments, if any, (iv) the rights, obligations, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder, and (v) the rights of the Holders of Notes as beneficiaries hereof with respect to the property so deposited with the Trustee payable to all or any of them) and the Trustee, at the expense of the Issuer, shall at the Issuer’s request, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same, if:
(i) with reference to this provision the Issuer has irrevocably deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Notes (i) cash in an amount, or (ii) U.S. Government Obligations, maturing as to principal and interest at such times and in such amounts as will insure the availability of cash or (iii) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay (A) the principal of and interest on all Notes on each date that such principal or interest is due and payable and (B) any mandatory sinking fund payments on the dates on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and the Notes;
(ii) such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any agreement or instrument to which the Issuer is a party or by which it is bound;
(iii) the Issuer has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel based on the fact that (x) the Issuer has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (y) since the date hereof, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times, as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;
(iv) the Issuer has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this provision have been complied with;
(v) no Event of Default or event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or, insofar as subsections 4.1(d) and (e) are concerned, at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period); and
(vi) Such covenant defeasance contemplated by this provision shall not cause any Notes then listed on any registered national securities exchange under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to be delisted.
(c) In the case of Notes the exact or maximum amounts (including the currency of payment) of principal of and interest due on which can be determined at the time of making the deposit referred to in clause (a) below, the Issuer shall be released from its obligations under Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 8.1 with respect to the Outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “covenant defeasance”). For this purpose, such covenant defeasance means that, with respect to the Outstanding Notes, the Issuer may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in such Sections, whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to such Sections or by reason of any reference in such Sections to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute an Event of Default under Section 4.1, but the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes shall be unaffected thereby. The following shall be the conditions to application of this subsection (c) of this Section 9.1:
(i) The Issuer has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, (i) cash in an amount, or (ii) U.S. Government Obligations maturing as to principal and interest at such times and in such amounts as will insure the availability of cash or (iii) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay (A) the principal of and interest on all Notes on each date that such principal and interest is due and payable and (B) any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to such Notes on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and the Notes;
(ii) No Event of Default or event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or, insofar as subsections 4.1(d) and (e) are concerned, at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period);
(iii) Such covenant defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest as described in §310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 with respect to any securities of the Issuer;
(iv) Such covenant defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Issuer is a party or by which it is bound;
(v) Such covenant defeasance shall not cause any Notes then listed on any registered national securities exchange under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to be delisted;
(vi) The Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such covenant defeasance had not occurred; and
(vii) The Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this provision have been complied with.
| Section 9.2 | Application by Trustee of Funds Deposited for Payment of Notes. |
Subject to Section 9.4, all moneys deposited with the Trustee (or other trustee) pursuant to Section 9.1 shall be held in trust and applied by it to the payment, either directly or through any paying agent (including the Issuer acting as its own paying agent), to the Holders of the Notes for the payment or redemption of which such moneys have been deposited with the Trustee, of all sums due and to become due thereon for principal and interest; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
| Section 9.3 | Repayment of Moneys Held by Paying Agent. |
In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to Notes, all moneys then held by any paying agent under the provisions of this Indenture with respect to the Notes shall, upon demand of the Issuer, be repaid to it or paid to the Trustee and thereupon such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys.
| Section 9.4 | Return of Moneys Held by Trustee and Paving Agent Unclaimed for Two Years. |
Any moneys deposited with or paid to the Trustee or any paying agent for the payment of the principal of or interest on any Note and not applied but remaining unclaimed for two years after the date upon which such principal or interest shall have become due and payable, shall, upon the written request of the Issuer and unless otherwise required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law, be repaid to the Issuer by the Trustee or such paying agent, and the Holder of the Notes shall, unless otherwise required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property laws, thereafter look only to the Issuer for any payment which such Holder may be entitled to collect, and all liability of the Trustee or any paying agent with respect to such moneys shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such paying agent, before being required to make any such repayment with respect to moneys deposited with it for any payment (a) in respect of Registered Notes shall at the expense of the Issuer, mail by first-class mail to Holders of such Notes at their addresses as they shall appear on the Note register, and (b) shall at the expense of the Issuer cause to be published once, in an Authorized Newspaper in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York and once in an Authorized Newspaper in London, notice, that such moneys remain and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such mailing or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Issuer.
| Section 9.5 | Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations. |
The Issuer shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U. S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 9.1 or the principal or interest received in respect of such obligations.
| Section 9.6 | Excess Funds. |
The Trustee shall deliver to the Issuer from time to time upon Issuer Order any U.S. Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Section 9.1 which, as expressed in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may include the applicable opinion delivered to the Trustee pursuant to Section 9. 1), are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such obligations or money were deposited or received.
ARTICLE TEN
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
| Section 10.1 | Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers and Directors of Issuer Exempt from Individual Liability. |
Except as provided in Article Twelve, no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture, or in any Note, or because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, as such or against any past, present or future member, manager, stockholder, general partner, limited partner, officer or director, as such, of the Issuer, the Guarantor, the general partner of the Issuer, the general partner of the Guarantor or Boardwalk GP, or of any successor, either directly or through the Issuer or any successor, under any rule of law, statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance of the Notes by the Holders thereof and as part of the consideration for the issue of the Notes.
| Section 10.2 | Provisions of Indenture for the Sole Benefit of Parties and Holders of Notes. |
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Notes, expressed or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors and the Holders of the Notes any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture or under any covenant or provision herein contained, all such covenants and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and of the Holders of the Notes.
| Section 10.3 | Successors and Assigns of Issuer Bound by Indenture. |
All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture contained by or in behalf of the Issuer shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
| Section 10.4 | Notices and Demands on Issuer, Guarantor, Trustee and Holders of Notes. |
Any notice or communication by the Issuer or the Trustee to the other is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), facsimile transmission or overnight air courier guaranteeing next-day delivery, to the other’s address:
If to the Issuer:
Boardwalk Pipelines, LP
3800 Frederica Street
Owensboro, Kentucky 42301
Attn: Chief Financial Officer
Facsimile No.: ###-###-####
If to the Guarantor:
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP
3800 Frederica Street
Owensboro, Kentucky 42301
Attn: Chief Financial Officer
Facsimile No.: (270) 683-5657
If to the Trustee:
The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.
2 North LaSalle St., Suite 1020
Chicago, IL 60602-1020
Attn: Corporate Trust Administration
Facsimile No.: (312) 827-8542
The Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee, by notice to the other, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
All notices and communications (other than those sent to the Trustee or Holder) shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt acknowledged, if sent by facsimile transmission; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next-day delivery. All notices and communications to the Trustee or Holder shall be deemed duly given and effective only upon receipt.
Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by first class mail, certified or registered, return receipt requested, or by overnight air courier guaranteeing next-day delivery to its address shown on the Security Register. Any notice or communication shall also be so mailed to any Person described in Trust Indenture Act of 1939 §313(c), to the extent required by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.
If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.
If the Issuer or Guarantor mails a notice or communication to Holders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
| Section 10.5 | Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel; Statements to Be Contained Therein |
Upon any application or demand by the Issuer to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Issuer shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include (a) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition, (b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based, (c) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with and (d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Issuer may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by counsel, unless such officer knows that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate, statement or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know that the same are erroneous. Any certificate, statement or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon information with respect to which is in the possession of the Issuer, or upon the certificate, statement or opinion of or representations by an officer or officers of the Issuer, unless such counsel knows that the certificate, statement or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate, statement or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know that the same are erroneous.
Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Issuer or of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by an accountant or firm of accountants in the employ of the Issuer, unless such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which his certificate, statement or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know that the same are erroneous.
Any certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants filed with and directed to the Trustee shall contain a statement that such firm is independent.
| Section 10.6 | Payments Due on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. |
If the date of maturity of interest on or principal of the Notes or the date fixed for redemption or repayment of any such Note shall not be a Business Day, then payment of interest or principal need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the date of maturity or the date fixed for redemption or repayment, and no interest shall accrue for the period after such date.
| Section 10.7 | Conflict of Any Provision of Indenture with Trust Indenture Act of 1939 |
If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision included in this Indenture by operation of Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (an “incorporated provision”), such incorporated provision shall control.
| Section 10.8 | New York Law to Govern. |
This Indenture and each Note shall be governed by the substantive laws of the State of New York, and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of such State.
| Section 10.9 | Counterparts. |
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original; but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
| Section 10.10 | Effect of Headings. |
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
| Section 10.11 | Qualification of this Indenture. |
The Issuer shall qualify this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and shall pay all reasonable costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses for the Issuer, the Trustee and the Holders) incurred in connection therewith, including, but not limited to, costs and expenses of qualification of this Indenture and the Notes and printing this Indenture and the Notes. The Trustee shall be entitled to receive from the Issuer any such Officers’ Certificates, Opinions of Counsel or other documentation as it may reasonably request in connection with any such qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
| Section 10.12 | Waiver of Jury Trial. |
EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
| Section 10.13 | Force Majeure. |
In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
ARTICLE ELEVEN
REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT
| Section 11.1 | Notices to Trustee. |
If the Issuer elects to redeem Notes pursuant to the optional redemption provisions of Section 11.7 hereof, it shall furnish to the Trustee, at least 45 days but not more than 90 days before a redemption date (or such shorter period as allowed by the Trustee), an Officers’ Certificate setting forth (i) the applicable section of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall occur, (ii) the redemption date, (iii) the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed and (iv) the redemption price.
| Section 11.2 | Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed. |
If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed at any time, the Trustee shall select the Notes to be redeemed among the Holders of the Notes in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, on which the Notes are listed or, if the Notes are not so listed, on a pro rata basis, by lot or in accordance with any other method the Trustee deems fair and appropriate (and in compliance with applicable legal requirements). However, no Notes of a principal amount of $1,000 or less shall be redeemed in part, and, if a partial redemption of Notes is made with the proceeds of a public offering of common equity securities of the Issuer, selection of the Notes or portions of the Notes for redemption shall be made by the Trustee only on a proportional basis or on as nearly a proportional basis as is practicable (except as required by the procedures of the Depositary), unless that method is otherwise prohibited. In the event of partial redemption by lot, the particular Notes to be redeemed shall be selected, unless otherwise provided herein, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the redemption date by the Trustee from the Outstanding Notes not previously called for redemption.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Issuer in writing of the Notes selected for redemption and, in the case of any Note selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. Notes and portions of Notes selected shall be in amounts of $1,000 or integral multiples of $1,000, except that if all of the Notes of a Holder are to be redeemed, the entire Outstanding amount of Notes held by such Holder, even if not an integral multiple of $1,000, shall be redeemed. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes called for redemption also apply to portions of Notes called for redemption.
| Section 11.3 | Notice of Redemption. |
At least 30 days but not more than 60 days prior to a redemption date, the Issuer shall mail or cause to be mailed, by first class mail, a notice of redemption to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at such Holder’s address appearing in the securities register maintained in respect of the Notes by the Registrar (the “Security Register”).
The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed (including the CUSIP number) and shall state:
(a) the redemption date;
(b) The appropriate calculation of the redemption price, but need not include the redemption price itself. The actual redemption price, calculated as described above, shall be set forth in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee no later than two (2) Business Days prior to the redemption date unless clause (b) of the definition of “Comparable Treasury Price” is applicable, in which case such Officer’s Certificate should be delivered on the redemption date;
(c) if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Note to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date upon surrender of such Note, if applicable, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion shall be issued upon cancellation of the original Note;
(d) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(e) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(f) that, unless the Issuer defaults in making such redemption payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;
(g) the applicable section of this Indenture pursuant to which the Notes called for redemption are being redeemed; and
(h) that no representation is made as to the correctness of the CUSIP and/or ISIN numbers, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Notes.
At the Issuer’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Issuer’s name and at its expense; provided, however, that the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least 45 days (or such shorter period allowed by the Trustee) prior to the redemption date, an Officers’ Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice (in the name and at the expense of the Issuer) and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in this Section 11.3.
| Section 11.4 | Effect of Notice of Redemption. |
Once notice of redemption is mailed in accordance with Section 11.3 hereof, Notes called for redemption shall become irrevocably due and payable on the redemption date at the redemption price. A notice of redemption may not be conditional.
| Section 11.5 | Deposit of Redemption Price. |
On or prior to 11:00 a.m. Eastern time on the Business Day prior to any redemption date, the Issuer shall deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and, if applicable, accrued and unpaid interest on all Notes to be redeemed on that date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent shall promptly, and in any event within two (2) Business Days after the redemption date, return to the Issuer any money deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Issuer in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the redemption price of, and, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all Notes to be redeemed.
If the Issuer complies with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, on and after the redemption date, interest shall cease to accrue on Notes or portions of Notes called for purchase or redemption in accordance with Section 2.8(d) hereof, whether or not such Notes are presented for payment. If a Note is redeemed on or after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the related Interest Payment Date, then any accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Note was registered at the close of business on such Regular Record Date. If any Note called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender for redemption because of the failure of the Issuer to comply with the preceding paragraph, interest shall be paid on the unpaid principal from the redemption date until such principal is paid, and to the extent lawful on any interest not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof.
| Section 11.6 | Notes Redeemed in Part. |
Upon surrender of a Note that is redeemed in part, the Issuer shall issue and, upon the Issuer’s written request, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder at the expense of the Issuer a new Note equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Note surrendered.
| Section 11.7 | Optional Redemption. |
(a) The Notes will be redeemable as a whole or in part, at the option of the Issuer at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of such Notes and (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate, plus 20 basis points, plus in each case accrued interest thereon to the date of redemption.
(b) Any prepayment pursuant to this Section 11.7 shall be made pursuant to the provisions of Sections 11.1 through 11.6 hereof.
| Section 11.8 | Mandatory Redemption. |
The Issuer shall not be required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to, or offers to purchase, the Notes.
ARTICLE TWELVE
GUARANTEE
| Section 12.1 | Unconditional Guarantee. |
(a) For value received, the Guarantor hereby fully, unconditionally and absolutely guarantees (the “Guarantee”) to the Holders and to the Trustee the due and punctual payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on the Notes and all other amounts due and payable under this Indenture and the Notes by the Issuer, when and as such principal, premium, if any, and interest shall become due and payable, whether at the stated maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, according to the terms of the Notes and this Indenture, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 12.3.
(b) Failing payment when due of any amount guaranteed pursuant to the Guarantee, for whatever reason, the Guarantor will be obligated to pay the same immediately. The Guarantee hereunder is intended to be a general, unsecured, senior obligation of the Guarantor and will rank pari passu in right of payment with all Indebtedness of the Guarantor that is not, by its terms, expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Guarantee. The Guarantor hereby agrees that its obligations hereunder shall be full, unconditional and absolute, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes, the Guarantee or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Issuer, the Guarantor, or any action to enforce the same or any other circumstances which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of the Guarantor. The Guarantor hereby agrees that in the event of a default in payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on the Notes, whether at the stated maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, legal proceedings may be instituted by the Trustee on behalf of the Holders or, subject to Section 4.6, by the Holders, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Indenture, directly against the Guarantor to enforce the Guarantee without first proceeding against the Partnership.
(c) The obligations of the Guarantor under this Article Twelve shall be as aforesaid full, unconditional and absolute and shall not be impaired, modified, released or limited by any occurrence or condition whatsoever, including, without limitation, (A) any compromise, settlement, release, waiver, renewal, extension, indulgence or modification of, or any change in, any of the obligations and liabilities of the Issuer, the Guarantor contained in the Notes or this Indenture, (B) any impairment, modification, release or limitation of the liability of the Issuer, the Guarantor, or any of their estates in bankruptcy, or any remedy for the enforcement thereof, resulting from the operation of any present or future provision of any applicable Bankruptcy Law, as amended, or other statute or from the decision of any court, (C) the assertion or exercise by the Issuer, the Guarantor, or the Trustee of any rights or remedies under the Notes or this Indenture or their delay in or failure to assert or exercise any such rights or remedies, (D) the assignment or the purported assignment of any property as security for the Notes, including all or any part of the rights of the Issuer or the Guarantor under this Indenture, (E) the extension of the time for payment by the Issuer, the Guarantor of any payments or other sums or any part thereof owing or payable under any of the terms and provisions of the Notes or this Indenture or of the time for performance by the Issuer or the Guarantor of any other obligations under or arising out of any such terms and provisions or the extension or the renewal of any thereof, (F) the modification or amendment (whether material or otherwise) of any duty, agreement or obligation of the Issuer or the Guarantor set forth in this Indenture, (G) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets, marshaling of assets and liabilities, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement, composition or readjustment of, or other similar proceeding affecting, the Issuer or the Guarantor or any of their respective assets, or the disaffirmance of the Notes, the Guarantee or this Indenture in any such proceeding, (H) the release or discharge of the Issuer or the Guarantor from the performance or observance of any agreement, covenant, term or condition contained in any of such instruments by operation of law, (I) the unenforceability of the Notes, the Guarantee or this Indenture or (J) any other circumstances (other than payment in full or discharge of all amounts guaranteed pursuant to the Guarantee) which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge of a surety or guarantor.
(d) The Guarantor hereby (A) waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of the merger, insolvency or bankruptcy of the Issuer or the Guarantor and all demands whatsoever, (B) acknowledges that any agreement, instrument or document evidencing the Guarantee may be transferred and that the benefit of its obligations hereunder shall extend to each holder of any agreement, instrument or document evidencing the Guarantee without notice to it and (C) covenants that the Guarantee will not be discharged except by complete performance of the Guarantee. The Guarantor further agrees that if at any time all or any part of any payment theretofore applied by any Person to the Guarantee is, or must be, rescinded or returned for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation, the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the Issuer or the Guarantor the Guarantee shall, to the extent that such payment is or must be rescinded or returned, be deemed to have continued in existence notwithstanding such application, and the Guarantee shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, as though such application had not been made.
(e) The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all rights of the Holders and the Trustee against the Issuer in respect of any amounts paid by the Guarantor pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, provided, however, that the Guarantor, shall not be entitled to enforce or to receive any payments arising out of, or based upon, such right of subrogation until all of the Notes and the Guarantee shall have been paid in full or discharged.
| Section 12.2 | Execution and Delivery of Guarantee. |
To further evidence the Guarantee set forth in Section 12.1, the Guarantor hereby agrees that a notation relating to such Guarantee, substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex A, shall be endorsed on each Note entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and executed by either manual or facsimile signature of an officer of Boardwalk GP. The Guarantor hereby agrees that the Guarantee set forth in Section 12.1 shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any failure to endorse on each Note a notation relating to the Guarantee. If any officer of Boardwalk GP or any Affiliate, whose signature is on this Indenture or a Note no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates such Note or at any time thereafter, the Guarantee of such Note shall be valid nevertheless. The delivery of any Note by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, shall constitute due delivery of the Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of the Guarantor.
| Section 12.3 | Limitation on Liability of the Guarantor. |
The Guarantor and by its acceptance hereof each Holder of a Note entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee hereby confirm that it is the intention of all such parties that the guarantee by the Guarantor pursuant to its Guarantee not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of any Federal or state law. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Holders of a Note entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee and the Guarantor hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of the Guarantor under its Guarantee shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of the Guarantor and to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of the Guarantor in respect of the obligations of the Guarantor under its Guarantee, result in the obligations of the Guarantor under the Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under Federal or state law.
| Section 12.4 | Release of Guarantor from Guarantee. |
(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Guarantee of the Guarantor may be released upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 12.4. Provided that no Default shall have occurred and shall be continuing under this Indenture, any Guarantee incurred by the Guarantor pursuant to this Article Twelve shall be unconditionally released and discharged upon (i) the Issuer’s exercise of its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option in accordance with Article Nine hereof or (ii) the merger of the Guarantor into the Issuer or the liquidation or dissolution of the Guarantor (in each case to the extent not prohibited by this Indenture) or (iii) following delivery of a written notice of such release or discharge by the Issuer, the Trustee, upon the release or discharge of all guarantees by the Guarantor of any debt of the Issuer other than obligations arising under this Indenture and any Notes issued hereunder, except a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such guarantees.
(b) The Trustee shall deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing any release of the Guarantor from the Guarantee upon receipt of a written request of the Issuer accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel that the Guarantor is entitled to such release in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.
[Signatures on following page]
SIGNATURES
Dated as of November 21, 2006.
Issuer:
BOARDWALK PIPELINES, LP
By: Boardwalk Operating GP LLC,
its General Partner
By: Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP
its Sole Member
By: Boardwalk GP, LP
its General Partner
By: Boardwalk GP, LLC
its General Partner
By: /s/ Jamie L. Buskill
Name: Jamie L. Buskill
Title: Chief Financial Officer
guarantor:
BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
By: Boardwalk GP, LP
its General Partner
By: Boardwalk GP, LLC
its General Partner
By: /s/ Jamie L. Buskill
Name: Jamie L. Buskill
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Trustee:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
By: /s/ L. Garcia
Name: L. Garcia
Title: Assistant Vice President
(Face of Note)
5.875% NOTES DUE 2016
CUSIP 096630 AA 6
No. 1$ 250,000,000
BOARDWALK PIPELINES, LP
promises to pay to CEDE & CO., INC., or its registered assigns, the principal sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Dollars ($250,000,000.00) on November 15, 2016.
Interest Payment Dates: May 15 and November 15, commencing May 15, 2007
Record Dates: May 1 and November 1.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Issuer has caused this Note to be signed by its duly authorized officer.
BOARDWALK PIPELINES, LP
By: Boardwalk Operating GP, LLC, its general partner
By: Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, its sole member
By: Boardwalk GP, LP, its general partner
By: Boardwalk GP, LLC, its general partner
By:_____________________________
Name: Jamie L. Buskill
Title: Chief Financial Officer
This is one of the Global
Notes referred to in the
within-mentioned Indenture:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
as Trustee
By: __________________________________
Authorized Signatory
Dated: November 21, 2006
(Back of Note)
5.875% NOTES DUE 2016
THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.6 OF THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.6(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMPANY.
UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY UNLESS THIS NOTE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC). ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.
1. Interest. Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Issuer”), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at 5.875% per annum until maturity relating to these Notes. The Issuer shall pay interest semi-annually in arrears in cash on May 15 and November 15 of each year, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day (each an “Interest Payment Date”). Interest on the Notes shall accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from November 21, 2006; provided, however, that if there is no existing Default in the payment of interest, and if this Note is authenticated between a record date referred to on the face hereof and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest shall accrue from such next succeeding Interest Payment Date; provided, further, that the first Interest Payment Date shall be May 15, 2007. The Issuer shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium, if any, from time to time at a rate that is 1% per annum in excess of the interest rate then in effect under the Indenture and this Note; it shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest (without regard to any applicable grace periods), from time to time at the same rate to the extent lawful. Interest shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
2. Method of Payment. The Issuer shall pay interest on the Notes (except defaulted interest) to the Persons in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Notes) is registered at the close of business on May 1 or November 1 preceding the Interest Payment Date, even if such Notes are cancelled after such record date and on or before such Interest Payment Date, except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with respect to defaulted interest. The Notes shall be payable as to principal, premium, if any, and interest at the office or agency of the Issuer maintained for such purpose, or, at the option of the Issuer, payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the Holders at their addresses set forth in the Security Register; provided, however, that payment by wire transfer of immediately available funds shall be required with respect to principal of and interest and premium, if any, on, all Global Notes and all other Notes the Holders of which shall have provided wire transfer instructions to the Issuer or the Paying Agent. Such payment shall be in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.
3. Paying Agent and Registrar. Initially, The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., the Trustee under the Indenture, shall act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Issuer may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.
4. Indenture. The Issuer issued the Notes under an Indenture, dated as of November 21, 2006 (“Indenture”), among the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.Code §§ 77aaa-77bbbb). The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture and such Act for a statement of such terms. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling.
5. Optional Redemption.
(a) The Notes will be redeemable as a whole or in part, at the option of the Issuer at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of such Notes and (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate, as defined in the Indenture, plus 20 basis points, plus in each case accrued interest thereon to the date of redemption.
(b) Any prepayment pursuant to this paragraph shall be made pursuant to the provisions of Sections 11.1 through 11.6 of the Indenture.
6. Mandatory Redemption. The Issuer shall not be required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.
7. Notice of Redemption. Notices of redemption shall be mailed at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address. Notes in denominations larger than $1,000 may be redeemed in part but only in integral multiples of $1,000, unless all of the Notes held by a Holder are to be redeemed. On and after the redemption date interest shall cease to accrue on Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.
8. Denominations, Transfer, Exchange. The Notes are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000. This Note shall represent the aggregate principal amount of Outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed hereon and the aggregate principal amount of Notes represented hereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions. The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and the Issuer may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Issuer need not exchange or register the transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part. Also, the Issuer need not exchange or register the transfer of any Notes for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed or during the period between a record date and the corresponding Interest Payment Date.
9. Persons Deemed Owners. The registered Holder of a Note may be treated as its owner for all purposes.
10. Amendment, Supplement and Waiver. Subject to certain exceptions, the Issuer and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture or the Notes with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Notes then Outstanding, and, subject to Section 4.10 of the Indenture, any existing Default or Event of Default (except a continuing Default or Event of Default (i) in the payment of principal, premium, if any, interest, if any, on the Notes and (ii) in respect of a covenant or provision which under the Indenture cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Note affected by such modification or amendment) or compliance with any provision of the Indenture or the Notes may be waived with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Notes. Without the consent of any Holder, the Issuer and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture or the Notes: (a) to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge to the Trustee as security for the Notes any property or assets; (b) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Issuer, or successive successions, and the assumption by the successor Person of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Issuer pursuant to Article Eight of the Indenture; (c) to add to the covenants of the Issuer such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as the Issuer and the Trustee shall consider to be for the protection of the Holders of Notes, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth; provided, that in respect of any such additional covenant, restriction, condition or provision such supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of grace after default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in the case of other defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon such an Event of Default or may limit the remedies available to the Trustee upon such an Event of Default or may limit the right of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes to waive such an Event of Default; (d) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture, or to make any other provisions as the Issuer may deem necessary or desirable, provided that no such action shall materially adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Notes; (e) to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the limitations set forth in the Indenture; and (f) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee with respect to the Notes and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 5.10 of the Indenture.
11. Defaults and Remedies. Each of the following constitutes an Event of Default with respect to the Notes: (a) default in the payment of any installment of interest upon any of the Notes as and when the same shall become due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or (b) default in the payment of all or any part of the principal on any of the Notes as and when the same shall become due and payable either at maturity, upon any redemption, by declaration or otherwise; or (c) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Issuer or the Guarantor in respect of the Notes (other than a covenant or warranty in respect of the Notes a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section is specifically dealt with) and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days (or 180 days in the case of a Reporting Failure) after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Issuer and the Guarantor by the Trustee or to the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes, a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or (d) either (1) default in payment of any Indebtedness of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Issuer within any applicable grace period after final maturity or (2) the acceleration of Indebtedness of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Issuer by the holders thereof because of a default and, in either case, the total amount of the Indebtedness unpaid or accelerated exceeds $50 million; or (e) the entry of a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction in the premises adjudging the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary as bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary under the federal bankruptcy law or any other applicable federal or state law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or (f) the institution by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary of proceedings to be adjudicated as bankrupt or insolvent or the consent by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary to the institution of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under the federal bankruptcy law or any other applicable federal or state law, or the consent by the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary to the filing of any such petition or to the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary or for any substantial part of its property, or the making by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary of any general assignment for the benefit of creditors; provided, however, that the occurrence of any of the events described in the foregoing clause (c) of Section 4.1 of the Indenture shall not constitute an Event of Default if such occurrence is the result of changes in generally accepted accounting principles as recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants at the date as of which this Indenture is executed and a certificate to such effect is delivered to the Trustee by the Issuer’s independent public accountants.
If an Event of Default described in clauses (a), (b), (c) or (d) of Section 4.1 of the Indenture occurs and is continuing, then, and in each and every such case, unless the principal of all the Notes shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of all the Notes then Outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Issuer and the Guarantor (and to the Trustee if given by Noteholders), may declare the entire principal of all of the Notes then Outstanding, and interest accrued thereon, if any, to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default described in clause (e) or (f) of Section 4.1 of the Indenture occurs and is continuing, then and in each and every such case, unless the principal of all the Notes shall have already become due and payable, the entire principal of all of the Notes then Outstanding, and interest accrued thereon, if any, will become immediately due and payable without any declaration of acceleration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders.
The foregoing provisions, however, are subject to the condition that if, at any time after the principal of the Notes shall have been so declared due and payable or become automatically due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the Issuer shall pay or shall deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest upon all the Notes and the principal of any and all Notes which shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and, to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law, on overdue installments of interest, at the same rate as the rate of interest specified in the Notes to the date of such payment or deposit) and such amount as shall be sufficient to cover reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee and their agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee except as a result of negligence or bad faith, and if any and all Events of Default under the Indenture, other than the non-payment of the principal of Notes which shall have become due by acceleration, shall have been cured, waived or otherwise remedied as provided herein--then and in every such case the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of all the Notes then Outstanding, by written notice to the Issuer, the Guarantor and to the Trustee, may waive all defaults with respect to the Notes and rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences, but no such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default or shall impair any right consequent thereon.
12. No Recourse.
None of Boardwalk GP, the respective general partners of the Issuer and the Guarantor or their respective directors, officers, employees, partners and members, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of, the Guarantor or the Issuer under the Notes, the Indenture or the Guarantee or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting the Securities waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Securities.
13. Guarantee.
The Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured, unsubordinated basis by the Guarantor as set forth in Article Twelve of the Indenture, as noted in the Notation of Guarantee to this Note.
14. Reliance.
The Holder, by accepting this Note, acknowledges and affirms that (i) it has purchased the Note in reliance upon the separateness of each of the Guarantor, the general partner of the Guarantor and Boardwalk GP from the other and from any other Persons and (ii) each of the Guarantor, the general partner of the Guarantor and Boardwalk GP has assets and liabilities that are separate from those of other Persons.
15. Trustee Dealings with Issuer. Subject to certain limitations, the Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Issuer or any Affiliate of the Issuer with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.
16. No Recourse Against Others. No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder, general partner, limited partner, officer or director of the Issuer, the Guarantor, the general partner of the Issuer, the general partner of the Guarantor or Boardwalk GP, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the Issuer under the Indenture, the Notes or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability.
17. Authentication. This Note shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.
18. Abbreviations. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).
20. CUSIP Numbers. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Issuer has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes and has directed the Trustee to use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption or notices of Offers to Purchase as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption or notice of an offer to purchase and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed thereon and any such redemption or offer to purchase shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
The Issuer shall furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture. Requests may be made to: Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, 3800 Frederica Street, Owensboro, KY 42301, Attn: Chief Financial Officer.
21. Governing Law. The internal law of the State of New York shall govern and be used to construe this Note without giving effect to applicable principals of conflicts of law to the extent that the application of the laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.
Assignment Form
To assign this Note, fill in the form below:
(I) or (we) assign and transfer this Note to
______________________________________________________________
(Insert assignee’s social security or other tax I.D. no.)
_______________________________________________________________
(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint _________________________________________________________________
as agent to transfer this Note on the books of the Issuer. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
Date: ____________________________
Your Signature: ______________________________________________
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)
Signature Guarantee: __________________________________________________
Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE
The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for an interest in another Global Note or for a Definitive Note, or exchanges of a part of another Global Note or Definitive Note for an interest in this Global Note, have been made:
| Date of Exchange | Amount of decrease in Principal Amount of this Global Note | Amount of increase in Principal Amount of this Global Note | Principal Amount of this Global Note following such decrease (or increase) | Signature of authorized signatory of Trustee or Note Custodian |
NOTATION OF GUARANTEE
The Guarantor (which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture), has fully, unconditionally and absolutely guaranteed, to the extent set forth in the Indenture and subject to the provisions in the Indenture, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on the 5.875% Notes due 2016 (the “Notes”) and all other amounts due and payable under the Indenture and the Notes by the Issuer.
The obligations of the Guarantor to the Holders of Notes and to the Trustee pursuant to its Guarantee and the Indenture are expressly set forth in Article Twelve of the Indenture and reference is hereby made to the Indenture for the precise terms of the Guarantee.
BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
By: Boardwalk GP, LP, its general partner
By: Boardwalk GP, LLC, its general partner
By: ______________________________
Name: Jamie L. Buskill
Title: Chief Financial Officer
