Registration Rights Agreement, dated June 13, 2007, among the Company and Goldman, Sachs & Co., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Banc of America Securities LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Suntrust Robinson Humphrey and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Credit Agreements
EX-4.2 4 ex4w2-080207.htm REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT ex4w2-080207.htm
EXHIBIT 4.2


 
$300,000,000

BRISTOW GROUP INC.

7 ½% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2017


REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT


June 13, 2007

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Banc of America Securities LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
Suntrust Robinson Humphrey
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
      85 Broad Street
      New York, New York 10004

Dear Sirs:

Bristow Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), proposes to issue and sell to you (collectively, the “Initial Purchasers”), upon the terms set forth in a purchase agreement, dated June 7, 2007 (the “Purchase Agreement”), $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 7 1/2% Senior Notes due 2017 (the “Initial Securities”) to be unconditionally guaranteed (the “Guarantees”) by certain of the Issuer’s subsidiaries who are signatories hereto as guarantors (the “Guarantors” and together with the Issuer, the “Company”).  The Initial Securities will be issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of June 13, 2007 (the “Indenture”) among the Issuer, the Guarantors named therein and U.S. Bank N.A. (the “Trustee”).  As an inducement to the Initial Purchasers, the Company agrees with the Initial Purchasers, for the benefit of holders of the Initial Securities (including, without limitation, the Initial Purchasers), the Exchange Securities (as defined below) and the Private Exchange Securities (as defined below) (collectively the “Holders”), as follows:

1.  Registered Exchange Offer.  The Company shall, at its own cost, prepare and, not later than 360 days after (or if the 360th day is not a business day, the first business day thereafter) the date of original issue of the Initial Securities (the “Issue Date”), file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement (the “Exchange Offer Registration Statement”) on an appropriate form under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), with respect to a proposed offer (the “Registered Exchange Offer”) to the Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities (as defined in Section 6 hereof), who are not prohibited by any law or policy of the Commission from participating in the Registered Exchange Offer, to issue and deliver to such Holders, in exchange for the Initial Securities, a like aggregate principal amount of debt securities (the “Exchange Securities”) of the Company issued under the Indenture and identical in all material respects to the Initial Securities (except for the transfer restrictions relating to the Initial Securities and the provisions relating to the matters described in Section 6 hereof) that would be registered under the Securities Act.  The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Exchange Offer Registration Statement to become effective under the Securities Act within 360 days (or if the 360th day is not a business day, the first business day thereafter) after the Issue Date of the Initial Securities and shall keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement effective for not less than 20 business days (or longer, if required by applicable law) after the date notice of the Registered Exchange Offer is mailed to the Holders (such period being called the “Exchange Offer Registration Period”).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to file the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or engage in the Registered Exchange Offer if there are no outstanding Transfer Restricted Securities (as defined in Section 6 hereof) on the 360th day after the Issue Day, provided that Company has either (a) (1)  acquired an unrestricted CUSIP number for the Securities; (2) executed a new unrestricted global note for the Securities and caused to be delivered all certificates, instruction letters and opinions required under the Indenture in connection therewith; and (3) instructed The Depository Trust Company to convert the Transfer Restricted Securities to freely tradable Securities with the above unrestricted CUSIP number and unrestricted global note, or (b) taken such other actions as are required in its reasonable judgment so that the Initial Securities are freely transferable by non-affiliates in the same manner as Exchange Securities, including through the facilities of The Depository Trust Corporation.

If the Company effects the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company will be entitled to close the Registered Exchange Offer 20 business days after the commencement thereof provided that the Company has accepted all the Initial Securities theretofore validly tendered and not withdrawn in accordance with the terms of the Registered Exchange Offer.

Following the declaration of the effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly commence the Registered Exchange Offer, it being the objective of such Registered Exchange Offer to enable each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities electing to exchange the Initial Securities for Exchange Securities (assuming that such Holder is not an affiliate of the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, acquires the Exchange Securities in the ordinary course of such Holder’s business and has no arrangements with any person to participate in the distribution of the Exchange Securities and is not prohibited by any law or policy of the Commission from participating in the Registered Exchange Offer) to trade such Exchange Securities from and after their receipt without any limitations or restrictions under the Securities Act and without material restrictions under the securities laws of the several states of the United States; provided, however, that Exchanging Dealers (as defined below) will be required to deliver a prospectus in connection with resales of Exchange Securities.

The Company acknowledges that, pursuant to current interpretations by the Commission’s staff of Section 5 of the Securities Act, in the absence of an applicable exemption therefrom, (i) each Holder that is a broker-dealer electing to exchange Securities acquired for its own account as a result of market making activities or other trading activities for Exchange Securities (an “Exchanging Dealer”) is required to deliver a prospectus containing the information set forth in (a) Annex A hereto on the cover, (b) Annex B hereto in the “Exchange Offer Procedures” section and the “Purpose of the Exchange Offer” section, and (c) Annex C hereto in the “Underwriting” section of such prospectus in connection with a sale of any such Exchange Securities received by such Exchanging Dealer pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and (ii) an Initial Purchaser that elects to sell Exchange Securities acquired in exchange for Initial Securities constituting any portion of an unsold allotment is required to deliver a prospectus containing the information required by Items 507 or 508 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable, in connection with such sale.
 
 

 

The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement effective and to amend and supplement the prospectus contained therein, in order to permit such prospectus to be lawfully delivered by all persons subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act for such period of time as such persons must comply with such requirements in order to resell the Exchange Securities; provided, however, that (i) in the case where such prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto must be delivered by an Exchanging Dealer or an Initial Purchaser, such period shall be the lesser of 180 days and the date on which all Exchanging Dealers and the Initial Purchasers have sold all Exchange Securities held by them (unless such period is extended pursuant to Section 3(j) below) and (ii) the Company shall make such prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any resale of any Exchange Securities for a period of not less than 90 days after the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer.

If, upon consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer, any Initial Purchaser holds Initial Securities acquired by it as part of its initial distribution, the Company, simultaneously with the delivery of the Exchange Securities pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer, shall issue and deliver to such Initial Purchaser upon the written request of such Initial Purchaser, in exchange (the “Private Exchange”) for the Initial Securities held by such Initial Purchaser, a like principal amount of debt securities of the Company issued under the Indenture and identical in all material respects (including the existence of restrictions on transfer under the Securities Act and the securities laws of the several states of the United States, but excluding provisions relating to the matters described in Section 6 hereof) to the Initial Securities (the “Private Exchange Securities”).  The Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities and the Private Exchange Securities are herein collectively called the “Securities”.

In connection with the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company shall:
     
(a)
 
mail to each Holder a copy of the prospectus forming part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, together with an appropriate letter of transmittal and related documents;
     
(b)
 
keep the Registered Exchange Offer open for not less than 20 business days (or longer, if required by applicable law) after the date notice thereof is mailed to the Holders;
     
(c)
 
utilize the services of a depositary for the Registered Exchange Offer, which may be the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee;
     
(d)
 
permit Holders to withdraw tendered Securities at any time prior to the close of business, New York time, on the last business day on which the Registered Exchange Offer shall remain open; and
     
(e)
 
otherwise comply with all applicable laws.

As soon as practicable after the close of the Registered Exchange Offer or the Private Exchange, as the case may be, the Company shall:

(x)  accept for exchange all the Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and the Private Exchange; and

(y)  deliver to the Trustee for cancellation all the Initial Securities so accepted for exchange; and

(z)  cause the Trustee to authenticate and deliver promptly to each Holder of the Initial Securities, Exchange Securities or Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, equal in principal amount to the Initial Securities of such Holder so accepted for exchange.


The Indenture will provide that the Exchange Securities will not be subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in the Indenture and that all the Securities will vote and consent together on all matters as one class and that none of the Securities will have the right to vote or consent as a class separate from one another on any matter.

Interest on each Exchange Security and Private Exchange Security issued pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and in the Private Exchange will accrue from the last interest payment date on which interest was paid on the Initial Securities surrendered in exchange therefor or, if no interest has been paid on the Initial Securities, from the date of original issue of the Initial Securities.

Each Holder participating in the Registered Exchange Offer shall be required to represent to the Company that at the time of the consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer (i) any Exchange Securities received by such Holder will be acquired in the ordinary course of business, (ii) such Holder will have no arrangements or understanding with any person to participate in the distribution of the Securities or the Exchange Securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, (iii) such Holder is not an “affiliate,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, of the Company or if it is an affiliate, such Holder will comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act to the extent applicable, (iv) if such Holder is not a broker-dealer, that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, the distribution of the Exchange Securities and (v) if such Holder is a broker-dealer, that it will receive Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, and that it will be required to acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities.

Notwithstanding any other provisions hereof, the Company will ensure that (i) any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and any prospectus forming part thereof and any supplement thereto complies in all material respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, (ii) any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment thereto does not, when it becomes effective, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (iii) any prospectus forming part of any Exchange Offer Registration Statement, and any supplement to such prospectus, does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

2.  Shelf Registration.  If (A) the Company is required to effect a Registered Exchange Offer pursuant to Section 1 hereof and (B)(i) because of any change in law or in applicable interpretations thereof by the staff of the Commission, the Company is not permitted to effect a Registered Exchange Offer, as contemplated by Section 1 hereof, (ii) the Registered Exchange Offer is not consummated within 390 days of the Issue Date, (iii) any Initial Purchaser so requests with respect to the Initial Securities (or the Private Exchange Securities) not eligible to be exchanged for Exchange Securities in the Registered Exchange Offer and held by it following consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer or (iv) any Holder (other than an Exchanging Dealer) is not eligible to participate in the Registered Exchange Offer or, in the case of any Holder (other than an Exchanging Dealer) that participates in the Registered Exchange Offer, such Holder does not receive freely tradeable Exchange Securities on the date of the exchange, the Company shall take the following actions:

(a)  The Company shall, at its cost, as promptly as practicable (but in no event more than 30 days after so required pursuant to this Section 2) file with the Commission and thereafter shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause to be declared effective (unless it becomes effective automatically upon filing), a registration statement (the “Shelf Registration Statement” and, together with the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, a “Registration Statement”) on an appropriate form under the Securities Act relating to the offer and sale of the Transfer Restricted Securities (as defined in Section 6 hereof) by the Holders thereof from time to time in accordance with the methods of distribution set forth in the Shelf Registration Statement and Rule 415 under the Securities Act (hereinafter, the “Shelf Registration”); provided, however, that no Holder (other than an Initial Purchaser) shall be entitled to have the Securities held by it covered by such Shelf Registration Statement unless such Holder agrees in writing to be bound by all the provisions of this Agreement applicable to such Holder (an “Eligible Holder”).
 
 

 

(b)  The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective in order to permit the prospectus included therein to be lawfully delivered by the Eligible Holders of the relevant Securities, for a period of two years (or for such longer period if extended pursuant to Section 3(j) below) from the Issue Date or such shorter period that will terminate when all the Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement (i) have been sold pursuant thereto or (ii) are no longer restricted securities (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act, or any successor rule thereof) or (iii) are freely transferrable by non-affiliates pursuant to Rule 144(k) under the Securities Act.  The Company shall be deemed not to have used its reasonable best efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement effective during the requisite period if it voluntarily takes any action that would result in Eligible Holders of Securities covered thereby not being able to offer and sell such Securities during that period, unless such action is required by applicable law.

(c)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall cause the Shelf Registration Statement and the related prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement, amendment or supplement, (i) to comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and (ii) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

3.  Registration Procedures.  In connection with any Shelf Registration contemplated by Section 2 hereof and, to the extent applicable, any Registered Exchange Offer contemplated by Section 1 hereof, the following provisions shall apply:

(a)  The Company shall (i) furnish to each Initial Purchaser, prior to the filing thereof with the Commission, a copy of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereof and each supplement, if any, to the prospectus included therein and, in the event that an Initial Purchaser (with respect to any portion of an unsold allotment from the original offering) is participating in the Registered Exchange Offer or the Shelf Registration Statement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to reflect in each such document, when so filed with the Commission, such comments as such Initial Purchaser reasonably may propose; (ii) include the information set forth in Annex A hereto on the cover, in Annex B hereto in the “Exchange Offer Procedures” section and the “Purpose of the Exchange Offer” section and in Annex C hereto in the “Underwriting” section of the prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and include the information set forth in Annex D hereto in the Letter of Transmittal delivered pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer; (iii) if requested by an Initial Purchaser within a reasonable time after receipt of any such document, include the information required by Items 507 or 508 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable, in the prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement; (iv) include within the prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement a section entitled “Underwriting,” reasonably acceptable to the Initial Purchasers, which shall contain a summary statement of the positions taken or policies made by the staff of the Commission with respect to the potential “underwriter” status of any broker-dealer that is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of Exchange Securities received by such broker-dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer (a “Participating Broker-Dealer”), whether such positions or policies have been publicly disseminated by the staff of the Commission or such positions or policies, in the reasonable judgment of the Initial Purchasers based upon advice of counsel (which may be in-house counsel), represent the prevailing views of the staff of the Commission; and (v) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, include in the prospectus included in the Shelf Registration Statement (or, if permitted by Commission Rule 430B(b), in a prospectus supplement that becomes a part thereof pursuant to Commission Rule 430B(f) that is delivered to any Eligible Holder pursuant to Section 3(d) and (f), the names of the Eligible Holders, who propose to sell Initial Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, as selling securityholders; provided, however, that each such Eligible Holders shall have furnished to the Company on a timely basis such information regarding the Holder as the Company may require pursuant to Section 3(n) hereof.

(b)  The Company shall give written notice to the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any each Participating Broker-Dealer from whom the Company has received prior written notice that it will be a Participating Broker-Dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer (which notice pursuant to clauses (ii)-(v) hereof shall be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes have been made):

(i)  when the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed with the Commission and when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective;

(ii)  of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the prospectus included therein or for additional information;
(iii)  of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, of the issuance by the Commission of a notification of objection to the use of the form on which the Registration Statement has been filed, or of the happening of any event that causes the Company to become an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Commission Rule 405.

(iv)  of the receipt by the Company or its legal counsel of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and

(v)  of the happening of any event that requires the Company to make changes in an effective Registration Statement or the prospectus in order that such Registration Statement or the prospectus does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact nor omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.

(c)  The Company shall make every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal at the earliest possible time, of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

(d)  The Company shall furnish to each Eligible Holder of Securities included within the coverage of the Shelf Registration, without charge, at least one copy of the Shelf Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or supplement thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and, if the Holder so requests in writing, all exhibits thereto (including those, if any, incorporated by reference).  The Company shall not, without the prior consent of the Initial Purchasers, make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Commission Rule 405.

(e)  The Company shall deliver to each Exchanging Dealer and each Initial Purchaser, and to any other Holder who so requests, without charge, at least one copy of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and, if any Initial Purchaser or any such Holder requests, all exhibits thereto (including those incorporated by reference).

(f)  The Company shall, during the Shelf Registration Period, deliver to each Eligible Holder of Securities included within the coverage of the Shelf Registration, without charge, as many copies of the prospectus (including each preliminary prospectus) included in the Shelf Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto as such person may reasonably request. The Company consents, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, to the use of the prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Eligible Holders of the Securities in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities covered by the prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, included in the Shelf Registration Statement.
 
 

 

(g)  The Company shall deliver to each Initial Purchaser, any Exchanging Dealer, any Participating Broker-Dealer and such other persons required to deliver a prospectus following the Registered Exchange Offer, without charge, as many copies of the final prospectus included in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto as such persons may reasonably request.  The Company consents, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, to the use of the prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by any Initial Purchaser, if necessary, any Participating Broker-Dealer and such other persons required to deliver a prospectus following the Registered Exchange Offer in connection with the offering and sale of the Exchange Securities covered by the prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, included in such Exchange Offer Registration Statement.

(h)  Prior to any public offering of the Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement the Company shall, if required, register or qualify or cooperate with the Holders of the Securities included therein and their respective counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of such states of the United States as any Holder of the Securities reasonably requests in writing and do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary or advisable to enable the offer and sale in such jurisdictions of the Securities covered by such Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified,  (ii) take any action that would subject it to general service of process or to taxation in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject, (iii) qualify as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or (iv) make any changes to its certificate of incorporation, by-laws or any agreement between it and its stockholders;.

(i)  The Company shall cooperate with the Holders of the Securities to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing the Securities to be sold pursuant to any Registration Statement free of any restrictive legends and in such denominations and registered in such names as the Holders may request a reasonable period of time prior to sales of the Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement.

(j)  Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by paragraphs (ii) through (v) of Section 3(b) above during the period for which the Company is required to maintain an effective Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly prepare and file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a supplement to the related prospectus and any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to Holders of the Securities or purchasers of Securities, the prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  If the Company notifies the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any known Participating Broker-Dealer in accordance with paragraphs (ii) through (v) of Section 3(b) above to suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes to the prospectus have been made, then the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any such Participating Broker-Dealers shall suspend use of such prospectus, and the period of effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement provided for in Section 2(b) above and the Exchange Offer Registration Statement provided for in Section 1 above shall each be extended by the number of days from and including the date of the giving of such notice to and including the date when the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the Securities and any known Participating Broker-Dealer shall have received such amended or supplemented prospectus pursuant to this Section 3(j) or the Company shall have notified such Holders that disposition of such Securities may resume under the existing prospectus.

(k)  Not later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, the Company will provide a CUSIP number for the Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, and provide the applicable trustee with printed certificates for the Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, in a form eligible for deposit with The Depository Trust Company.

(l)  The Company will comply with all rules and regulations of the Commission to the extent and so long as they are applicable to the Registered Exchange Offer or the Shelf Registration and will make generally available to its security holders (or otherwise provide in accordance with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act) an earnings statement satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, no later than 45 days after the end of a 12-month period (or 90 days, if such period is a fiscal year) beginning with the first month of the Company’s first fiscal quarter commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement, which statement shall cover such 12 month period.

(m)  The Company shall cause the Indenture to be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, in a timely manner and containing such changes, if any, as shall be necessary for such qualification.  In the event that such qualification would require the appointment of a new trustee under the Indenture, the Company shall appoint a new trustee thereunder pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Indenture.

(n)  The Company may require each Eligible Holder of Securities to be sold pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement to furnish to the Company such information regarding the Eligible Holder and the distribution of the Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably require for inclusion in the Shelf Registration Statement, and the Company may exclude from such registration the Securities of any Eligible Holder that unreasonably fails to furnish such information within a reasonable time after receiving such request.

(o)  The Company shall enter into such customary agreements (including, if requested, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take all such other action, if any, as the Eligible Holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities to be included in the Shelf Registration Statement shall reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Securities pursuant to any Shelf Registration.

(p)  In the case of any Shelf Registration, the Company shall (i) make reasonably available for inspection by the Eligible Holders of the Securities, any underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by the Eligible Holders of the Securities or any such underwriter all relevant financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company and (ii) cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees, accountants and auditors to supply all relevant information reasonably requested by the Eligible Holders of the Securities or any such underwriter, attorney, accountant or agent in connection with the Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, as shall be reasonably necessary to enable such persons, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act; provided, however, that the foregoing inspection and information gathering shall be coordinated on behalf of the Initial Purchasers by you and on behalf of the other parties, by one counsel designated by and on behalf of such other parties as described in Section 4 hereof and shall be subject to any confidentiality procedures reasonably instituted by the Company.
 
 

 

(q)  In the case of any Shelf Registration, the Company, if requested by the Eligible Holders of at least a majority of the Securities covered thereby, shall cause (i) its counsel to deliver an opinion and updates thereof relating to the Securities in customary form addressed to such Holders and the managing underwriters, if any, thereof and dated, in the case of the initial opinion, the effective date of such Shelf Registration Statement (it being agreed that the matters to be covered by such opinion shall include, without limitation but subject to reasonable qualifications and exceptions, the due incorporation and good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries; the qualification of the Company and its subsidiaries to transact business as foreign corporations; the due authorization, execution and delivery of the relevant agreement of the type referred to in Section 3(o) hereof; the due authorization, execution, authentication and issuance, and the validity and enforceability, of the applicable Securities; the absence of material legal or governmental proceedings involving the Company and its subsidiaries; the absence of governmental approvals required to be obtained in connection with the Shelf Registration Statement, the offering and sale of the applicable Securities, or any agreement of the type referred to in Section 3(o) hereof; the compliance as to form of such Shelf Registration Statement and any documents incorporated by reference therein with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and of the Indenture with the requirements of the  Trust Indenture Act; and (A) as of the date of the opinion and as of the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement or most recent post-effective amendment thereto, as the case may be, the absence from such Shelf Registration Statement and the prospectus included therein and (B) as of an applicable time identified by such Holders or managing underwriters, the absence from such prospectus taken together with any other documents identified by such Holders or managing underwriters, in the case of (A) and (B), as then amended or supplemented, and from any documents incorporated by reference therein of an untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (in the case of any such incorporated documents, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time that such documents were filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act); (ii) its officers to execute and deliver all customary documents and certificates and updates thereof requested by any underwriters of the applicable Securities and (iii) its independent public accountants to provide to the selling Holders of the applicable Securities and any underwriter therefor a comfort letter in customary form and covering matters of the type customarily covered in comfort letters in connection with primary underwritten offerings, subject to receipt of appropriate documentation as contemplated, and only if permitted, by Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72.

(r)  In the case of the Registered Exchange Offer, if requested by any Initial Purchaser or any known Participating Broker-Dealer, the Company shall cause (i) its counsel to deliver to such Initial Purchaser or such Participating Broker-Dealer signed opinions in the forms set forth in Sections 8(b) and (c) of the Purchase Agreement with such changes as are customary in connection with the preparation of a Registration Statement and (ii) its independent public accountants to deliver to such Initial Purchaser or such Participating Broker-Dealer a comfort letter, in customary form, meeting the requirements as to the substance thereof as set forth in Section 8(d) of the Purchase Agreement, with appropriate date changes.

(s)  If a Registered Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange is to be consummated, upon delivery of the Initial Securities by Holders to the Company (or to such other Person as directed by the Company) in exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, the Company shall mark, or caused to be marked, on the Initial Securities so exchanged that such Initial Securities are being canceled in exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be; in no event shall the Initial Securities be marked as paid or otherwise satisfied.

(t)  The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to, (a) if the Initial Securities have been rated prior to the initial sale of such Initial Securities, confirm such ratings will apply to the Securities covered by a Registration Statement, or (b) if the Initial Securities were not previously rated, cause the Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be rated with the appropriate rating agencies, but in each case only if so requested by Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Securities covered by such Registration Statement, or by the managing underwriters, if any.

(u)  In the event that any broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act shall underwrite any Securities or participate as a member of an underwriting syndicate or selling group or “assist in the distribution” (within the meaning of the Conduct Rules (the “Rules”) of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASD”)) thereof, whether as a Holder of such Securities or as an underwriter, a placement or sales agent or a broker or dealer in respect thereof, or otherwise, the Company will assist such broker-dealer in complying with the requirements of such Rules, including, without limitation, by (i) if such Rules, including Rule 2720, shall so require, engaging a “qualified independent underwriter” (as defined in Rule 2720) to participate in the preparation of the Registration Statement relating to such Securities, to exercise usual standards of due diligence in respect thereto and, if any portion of the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is an underwritten offering or is made through a placement or sales agent, to recommend the yield of such Securities, (ii) indemnifying any such qualified independent underwriter to the extent of the indemnification of underwriters provided in Section 5 hereof and (iii) providing such information to such broker-dealer as may be required in order for such broker-dealer to comply with the requirements of the Rules.

(v)  The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to take all other steps necessary to effect the registration of the Securities covered by a Registration Statement contemplated hereby.

4.  Registration Expenses.  The Company shall bear all fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations under Sections 1 through 3 hereof (including the reasonable fees and expenses, if any, of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel for the Initial Purchasers, incurred in connection with the Registered Exchange Offer), whether or not the Registered Exchange Offer or a Shelf Registration is filed or becomes effective, and, in the event of a Shelf Registration, shall bear or reimburse the Holders of the Securities covered thereby for the reasonable fees and disbursements of one firm of counsel, who will be Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. unless another firm shall be chosen by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Initial Securities covered thereby, to act as counsel for the Holders of the Initial Securities in connection therewith.

5.  Indemnification and Contribution.

(a)  Indemnification by the Company and the Guarantors.  The Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, will indemnify and hold harmless each of the Holders of Securities included in an Exchange Offer Registration Statement and each of the Holders of Securities included in the Shelf Registration against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Holder may become subject under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Exchange Offer Registration Statement or Shelf Registration, as the case may be, under which such Securities were registered under the Securities Act, or any preliminary, final or summary prospectus (including, without limitation, any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433) contained therein or furnished by the Company to any such Holder, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse such Holder for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that neither the Company nor the Guarantors shall be liable to any such person in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such registration statement, or preliminary, final or summary prospectus (including, without limitation, any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433), or amendment or supplement thereto, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such person expressly for use therein.

(b)           Indemnification by the Holders.  Each Holder of Securities, severally and not jointly, will (i) indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Guarantors, and all other Holders of Securities, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company, the Guarantors or such other Holders of Securities may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in such registration statement, or any preliminary, final or summary prospectus (including, without limitation, any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433) contained therein or furnished by the Company to any such Holder, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, and (ii) reimburse the Company and the Guarantors for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company and the Guarantors in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that no such Holder shall be required to undertake liability to any person under this Section 6(b) for any amounts in excess of the dollar amount of the proceeds to be received by such Holder from the sale of such Holder’s Securities pursuant to such registration.
 
 

 

(c)           Notices of Claims, Etc.  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of written notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party pursuant to the indemnification provisions of or contemplated by this Section 5, notify such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of such action; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not  materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under the indemnification provisions of or contemplated by Section 5(a) or Section 5(b).  In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, such indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, such indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d)           Contribution.  If for any reason the indemnification provisions contemplated by Section 5(a) or Section 5(b) are unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative fault of such indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by such indemnifying party or by such indemnified party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 5(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the holders were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 5(d).  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5(d), no Holder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the dollar amount of the proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of any Securities (after deducting any fees, discounts and commissions applicable thereto) exceeds the amount of any damages which such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Holders’ obligations in this Section 5(d) to contribute shall be several in proportion to the principal amount of Securities registered by them and not joint.

(e)           The obligations of the Company and the Guarantors under this Section 5 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company or the Guarantors may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer, director and partner of each Holder and each person, if any, who controls any Holder within the meaning of the Securities Act; and the obligations of the Holders contemplated by this Section 5 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective holder may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company or the Guarantors (including any person who, with his consent, is named in any registration statement as about to become a director of the Company or the Guarantors) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act.

6.  Additional Interest Under Certain Circumstances.  (a)  Additional interest (the “Additional Interest”) with respect to the Initial Securities shall be assessed as follows if any of the following events occur (each such event in clauses (i) through (iii) below a “Registration Default”):

(i) If, by  June 6, 2008, neither the Exchange Offer Registration Statement nor a Shelf Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission and declared effective;

(ii)  If, by June 6, 2008, neither the Registered Exchange Offer is consummated nor, if required in lieu thereof, the Shelf Registration Statement is declared effective by the Commission; or

(iii)  If, after either the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or the Shelf Registration Statement is declared (or becomes automatically) effective, (A) such Registration Statement thereafter ceases to be effective during periods specified herein during which it is required to be effective; or (B) such Registration Statement or the related prospectus ceases to be usable (except as permitted in paragraph (b)) in connection with resales of Transfer Restricted Securities during the periods specified herein because either (1) any event occurs as a result of which the related prospectus forming part of such Registration Statement would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (2) it shall be necessary to amend such Registration Statement or supplement the related prospectus, to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, or (3) such Registration Statement is a Shelf Registration Statement that has expired before a replacement Shelf Registration Statement has become effective.

Additional Interest shall accrue on the Initial Securities over and above the interest set forth in the title of the Securities from and including the date on which any such Registration Default shall occur to but excluding the date on which all such Registration Defaults have been cured, at a rate of 0.25% per annum (the “Additional Interest Rate”) for the first 90-day period immediately following the occurrence of such Registration Default.  The Additional Interest Rate shall increase by an additional 0.25% per annum with respect to each subsequent 90-day period until all Registration Defaults have been cured, up to a maximum Additional Interest Rate of 1.0% per annum.  Following the cure of all Registration Defaults, the accrual of Additional Interest will cease and the interest rate will revert to the original rate.  The Company shall not be required to pay Additional Interest for more than one Registration Default at any given time.


(b)  A Registration Default referred to in Section 6(a)(iii)(B) hereof shall be deemed not to have occurred and be continuing in relation to a Shelf Registration Statement or the related prospectus if (i) such Registration Default has occurred solely as a result of (x) the filing of a post-effective amendment to such Shelf Registration Statement to incorporate annual audited financial information with respect to the Company where such post-effective amendment is not yet effective and needs to be declared effective to permit Holders to use the related prospectus or (y) other material events with respect to the Company that would need to be described in such Shelf Registration Statement or the related prospectus and (ii) in the case of clause (y), the Company is proceeding promptly and in good faith to amend or supplement such Shelf Registration Statement and related prospectus to describe such events; provided, however, that in any case if such Registration Default occurs for a continuous period in excess of 60 days, Additional Interest shall be payable in accordance with the above paragraph from the day such Registration Default occurs until such Registration Default is cured.

(c)  Any amounts of Additional Interest due pursuant to clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 6(a) above will be payable in cash on the regular interest payment dates with respect to the Initial Securities. The amount of Additional Interest will be determined by multiplying the applicable Additional Interest rate by the principal amount of the Initial Securities, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days such Additional Interest rate was applicable during such period (determined on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months), and the denominator of which is 360.
 
 

 

(d)   “Transfer Restricted Securities” means each Security until (i) the date on which such  Security has been exchanged by a person other than a broker-dealer for a freely transferable Exchange Security in the Registered Exchange Offer, (ii) following the exchange by a broker-dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer of an Initial Security for an Exchange Security, the date on which such Exchange Security is sold to a purchaser who receives from such broker-dealer on or prior to the date of such sale a copy of the prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, (iii) the date on which such Initial Security has been effectively registered under the Securities Act and disposed of in accordance with the Shelf Registration Statement or (iv) the date on which such Initial Security is distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act.


7.  Rules 144 and 144A.  The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to file the reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act in a timely manner and, if at any time the Company is not required to file such reports, it will, upon the request of any Holder of Initial Securities, make publicly available other information so long as necessary to permit sales of their securities pursuant to Rules 144 and 144A.  The Company covenants that it will take such further action as any Holder of Initial Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell Initial Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rules 144 and 144A (including the requirements of Rule 144A(d)(4)).  The Company will provide a copy of this Agreement to prospective purchasers of Initial Securities identified to the Company by the Initial Purchasers upon request.  Upon the request of any Holder of Initial Securities, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 7 shall be deemed to require the Company to register any of its securities pursuant to the Exchange Act.

8.  Underwritten Registrations.  If any of the Transfer Restricted Securities covered by any Shelf Registration are to be sold in an underwritten offering, the investment banker or investment bankers and manager or managers that will administer the offering (“Managing Underwriters”) will be selected by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such Transfer Restricted Securities to be included in such offering.

No person may participate in any underwritten registration hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such person’s Transfer Restricted Securities on the basis reasonably provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.  Except as provided in Section 4, the Holders participating in any underwritten offering shall be responsible for any expenses customarily borne by selling securityholders, including underwriting discounts and commissions and fees and expenses of counsel to selling securityholders.

9.  Miscellaneous.

(a)  Amendments and Waivers.  The provisions of this Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, except by the Company and the written consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities affected by such amendment, modification, supplement, waiver or consents.

(b)  Notices.  All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by hand delivery, first-class mail, facsimile transmission, or air courier which guarantees overnight delivery:

(1)  if to a Holder of the Securities, at the most current address given by such Holder to the Company.

(2)  if to the Initial Purchasers:

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
One New York Plaza
42nd Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Registration Department

with a copy to:

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
2500 First City Tower
1001 Fannin
Houston, TX 77002
Fax No.: (713) 615-5725
Attention: Douglas McWilliams

(3)           if to the Company, at its address as follows:

Bristow Group Inc.
2000 W. Sam Houston Parkway South
Suite 1700
Houston, TX  77042
Fax No.: (713) 267-7620
Attention: Chief Financial Officer

with a copy to:

Baker Botts LLP
One Shell Plaza
910 Louisiana
Houston, TX  77002-4995
Fax No.: (713) 229-2713
Attention: John D. Geddes

All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given:  at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; three business days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt is acknowledged by recipient’s facsimile machine operator, if sent by facsimile transmission; and on the day delivered, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.

(c)  No Inconsistent Agreements.  The Company has not, as of the date hereof, entered into, nor shall it, on or after the date hereof, enter into, any agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the rights granted to the Holders herein or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof.

(d)  Successors and Assigns.  This Agreement shall be binding upon the Issuer, the Guarantors and their respective successors and assigns.

(e)  Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

(f)  Headings.  The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

(g)  Governing Law.  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS.

(h)  Severability.  If any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

(i)  Securities Held by the Company.  Whenever the consent or approval of Holders of a specified percentage of principal amount of Securities is required hereunder, Securities held by the Company or its affiliates (other than subsequent Holders of Securities if such subsequent Holders are deemed to be affiliates solely by reason of their holdings of such Securities) shall not be counted in determining whether such consent or approval was given by the Holders of such required percentage.

(j)   Submission to Jurisdiction.  By the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any competent federal or state court in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or brought under federal or state securities laws.

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

 
 

 

Very truly yours,

 
BRISTOW GROUP INC.
 
By__/s/ Randall Stafford_____________________
 
Randall Stafford
 
Vice President, General Counsel
 
and Corporate Secretary
 
AIR LOGISTICS, LLC
 
By__/s/ Randall Stafford_____________________
 
Randall Stafford
 
Manager
 
AIR LOGISTICS OF ALASKA, INC
 
GRASSO PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT, INC.
 
AIRLOG INTERNATIONAL LTD.
 
MEDIC SYSTEMS, INC.
 
GRASSO CORPORATION
 
By_/s/ Joseph A. Baj _________________
 
Joseph A. Baj
 
Treasurer and Secretary
 

      
        Registration Rights Agreement Signature Page      
    
 
 

 
      
        
    

The foregoing Registration
Rights Agreement is hereby confirmed
and accepted as of the date first
above written.

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Bank of America Securities LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
Suntrust Robinson Street
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Acting on behalf of themselves
and as the Representatives of
the several Initial Purchasers


By  Goldman, Sachs & Co.



By:_/s/ Goldman, Sachs & Co._________________
     Name:
Title:


 
 

 
ANNEX A




Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities.  The Letter of Transmittal states that by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.  This Prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with resales of Exchange Securities received in exchange for Initial Securities where such Initial Securities were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities.  The Company has agreed that, for a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date (as defined herein), it will make this Prospectus available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale.  See “Underwriting.”
 

 
 

 
ANNEX B




Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Securities, where such Initial Securities were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities.  See “Underwriting.”

 
 
 

 
ANNEX C




UNDERWRITING

Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities.  This Prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with resales of Exchange Securities received in exchange for Initial Securities where such Initial Securities were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities.  The Company has agreed that, for a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date, it will make this prospectus, as amended or supplemented, available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale.  In addition, until                   , 200 ,  all dealers effecting transactions in the Exchange Securities may be required to deliver a prospectus.(1)

The Company will not receive any proceeds from any sale of Exchange Securities by broker-dealers.  Exchange Securities received by broker-dealers for their own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer may be sold from time to time in one or more transactions in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated transactions, through the writing of options on the Exchange Securities or a combination of such methods of resale, at market prices prevailing at the time of resale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or negotiated prices.  Any such resale may be made directly to purchasers or to or through brokers or dealers who may receive compensation in the form of commissions or concessions from any such broker-dealer or the purchasers of any such Exchange Securities.  Any broker-dealer that resells Exchange Securities that were received by it for its own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer and any broker or dealer that participates in a distribution of such Exchange Securities may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and any profit on any such resale of Exchange Securities and any commission or concessions received by any such persons may be deemed to be underwriting compensation under the Securities Act.  The Letter of Transmittal states that, by acknowledging that it will deliver and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.

For a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date the Company will promptly send additional copies of this Prospectus and any amendment or supplement to this Prospectus to any broker-dealer that requests such documents in the Letter of Transmittal.  The Company has agreed to pay all expenses incident to the Exchange Offer (including the expenses of one counsel for the Holders of the Securities) other than commissions or concessions of any brokers or dealers and will indemnify the Holders of the Securities (including any broker-dealers) against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.


 
(1)  In addition, the legend required by Item 502(e) of Regulation S-K will appear on the back cover page of the Exchange Offer prospectus.
 

 
 

 
ANNEX D



If the undersigned is not a broker-dealer, the undersigned represents that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, a distribution of Exchange Securities.  If the undersigned is a broker-dealer that will receive Exchange Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, it acknowledges that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities; however, by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, the undersigned will not be deemed to admit that it is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.