Indenture, dated as of April 13, 2017, relating to the 7.50% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2025, by and among Chobani, LLC, as issuer, Chobani Finance Corporation, Inc., as co-issuer, Chobani Global Holdings, LLC, as parent guarantor, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Indenture Agreements
EX-4.2 5 d138208dex42.htm EX-4.2 EX-4.2
Table of Contents

Exhibit 4.2

EXECUTION VERSION

INDENTURE

Dated as of April 13, 2017

Among

CHOBANI, LLC,

as Issuer,

CHOBANI FINANCE CORPORATION, INC.,

as Co-Issuer,

CHOBANI GLOBAL HOLDINGS, LLC,

as Parent Guarantor,

the SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS party hereto

and

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

7.500% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2025


Table of Contents

CONTENTS

 

         Page  

Article I       DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     5  

SECTION 1.01.

  Definitions      5  

SECTION 1.02.

  Other Definitions      57  

SECTION 1.03.

  [Reserved]      58  

SECTION 1.04.

  Rules of Construction      58  

SECTION 1.05.

  Acts of Holders      59  

SECTION 1.06.

  Limited Condition Transactions; Measuring Compliance      60  

Article II       THE NOTES

     62  

SECTION 2.01.

  Form and Dating; Terms      62  

SECTION 2.02.

  Execution and Authentication      64  

SECTION 2.03.

  Registrar, Transfer Agent and Paying Agent      64  

SECTION 2.04.

  Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust      65  

SECTION 2.05.

  Holder Lists      65  

SECTION 2.06.

  Transfer and Exchange      65  

SECTION 2.07.

  Replacement Notes      78  

SECTION 2.08.

  Outstanding Notes      78  

SECTION 2.09.

  Treasury Notes      79  

SECTION 2.10.

  Temporary Notes      79  

SECTION 2.11.

  Cancellation      79  

SECTION 2.12.

  Defaulted Interest      79  

SECTION 2.13.

  CUSIP/ISIN Numbers      80  

Article III       REDEMPTION

     80  

SECTION 3.01.

  Notices to Trustee      80  

SECTION 3.02.

  Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed      80  

SECTION 3.03.

  Notice of Redemption      80  

SECTION 3.04.

  Effect of Notice of Redemption      82  

SECTION 3.05.

  Deposit of Redemption Price      82  

SECTION 3.06.

  Notes Redeemed in Part      82  

SECTION 3.07.

  Optional Redemption      83  

SECTION 3.08.

  Mandatory Redemption      84  

SECTION 3.09.

  Offers to Repurchase by Application of Excess Proceeds      84  

Article IV       COVENANTS

     86  

SECTION 4.01.

  Payment of Notes      86  

SECTION 4.02.

  Maintenance of Office or Agency      87  

SECTION 4.03.

  Reports and Other Information      87  

SECTION 4.04.

  Compliance Certificate      91  

SECTION 4.05.

  Taxes      91  

SECTION 4.06.

  Stay, Extension and Usury Laws      91  

SECTION 4.07.

  Limitation on Restricted Payments      91  

SECTION 4.08.

  Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries      102  

SECTION 4.09.

  Limitation on Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock      105  

SECTION 4.10.

  Asset Sales      115  


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SECTION 4.11.

  Transactions with Affiliates      119  

SECTION 4.12.

  Liens      123  

SECTION 4.13.

  Company Existence      124  

SECTION 4.14.

  Offer to Repurchase Upon Change of Control      124  

SECTION 4.15.

  Limitation on Guarantees of Indebtedness by Restricted Subsidiaries      126  

SECTION 4.16.

  Suspension of Covenants      126  

SECTION 4.17.

  Limitations on Activities of the Co-Issuer      128  

SECTION 4.18.

  Limitation on Activities of the Parent Guarantor      129  

Article V       SUCCESSORS

     130  

SECTION 5.01.

  Merger, Amalgamation, Consolidation or Sale of All or Substantially All Assets      130  

SECTION 5.02.

  Successor Person Substituted      132  

Article VI       DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

     133  

SECTION 6.01.

  Events of Default      133  

SECTION 6.02.

  Acceleration      135  

SECTION 6.03.

  Other Remedies      136  

SECTION 6.04.

  Waiver of Past Defaults      136  

SECTION 6.05.

  Control by Majority      136  

SECTION 6.06.

  Limitation on Suits      136  

SECTION 6.07.

  Rights of Holders to Receive Payment      137  

SECTION 6.08.

  Collection Suit by Trustee      137  

SECTION 6.09.

  Restoration of Rights and Remedies      137  

SECTION 6.10.

  Rights and Remedies Cumulative      137  

SECTION 6.11.

  Delay or Omission Not Waiver      137  

SECTION 6.12.

  Trustee May File Proofs of Claim      137  

SECTION 6.13.

  Priorities      138  

SECTION 6.14.

  Undertaking for Costs      138  

Article VII       TRUSTEE

     139  

SECTION 7.01.

  Duties of Trustee      139  

SECTION 7.02.

  Rights of Trustee      140  

SECTION 7.03.

  Individual Rights of Trustee      142  

SECTION 7.04.

  Trustee’s Disclaimer      142  

SECTION 7.05.

  Notice of Defaults      142  

SECTION 7.06.

  [Reserved]      142  

SECTION 7.07.

  Compensation and Indemnity      142  

SECTION 7.08.

  Replacement of Trustee      143  

SECTION 7.09.

  Successor Trustee by Merger, etc      144  

SECTION 7.10.

  Appointment of Co-Indenture Trustee or Separate Indenture Trustee      144  

SECTION 7.11.

  Eligibility; Disqualification      145  

Article VIII       LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

     145  

SECTION 8.01.

  Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance      145  

SECTION 8.02.

  Legal Defeasance and Discharge      145  

SECTION 8.03.

  Covenant Defeasance      146  

SECTION 8.04.

  Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance      146  

 

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SECTION 8.05.

  Deposited Money and Government Securities to Be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions      148  

SECTION 8.06.

  Repayment to Issuers      148  

SECTION 8.07.

  Reinstatement      149  

Article IX       AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

     149  

SECTION 9.01.

  Without Consent of Holders      149  

SECTION 9.02.

  With Consent of Holders      150  

SECTION 9.03.

  [Reserved]      152  

SECTION 9.04.

  Revocation and Effect of Consents      152  

SECTION 9.05.

  Notation on or Exchange of Notes      152  

SECTION 9.06.

  Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc      152  

Article X       GUARANTEES

     153  

SECTION 10.01.

  Guarantee      153  

SECTION 10.02.

  Limitation on Guarantor Liability      154  

SECTION 10.03.

  Execution and Delivery      155  

SECTION 10.04.

  Subrogation      155  

SECTION 10.05.

  Benefits Acknowledged      155  

SECTION 10.06.

  Release of Guarantees      155  

Article XI       SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

     157  

SECTION 11.01.

  Satisfaction and Discharge      157  

SECTION 11.02.

  Application of Trust Money      157  

Article XII       MISCELLANEOUS

     158  

SECTION 12.01.

  [Reserved]      158  

SECTION 12.02.

  Notices      158  

SECTION 12.03.

  Communication with Holders of a Global Note      159  

SECTION 12.04.

  Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent      159  

SECTION 12.05.

  Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion      160  

SECTION 12.06.

  Rules by Trustee and Agents      160  

SECTION 12.07.

  No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders      160  

SECTION 12.08.

  Governing Law      160  

SECTION 12.09.

  Waiver of Jury Trial      160  

SECTION 12.10.

  Force Majeure      161  

SECTION 12.11.

  No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements      161  

SECTION 12.12.

  Successors      161  

SECTION 12.13.

  Severability      161  

SECTION 12.14.

  Counterpart Originals      161  

SECTION 12.15.

  Table of Contents, Headings, etc      161  

SECTION 12.16.

  USA PATRIOT Act      161  

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A    Form of Note
Exhibit B    Form of Certificate of Transfer
Exhibit C    Form of Certificate of Exchange
Exhibit D    Form of Supplemental Indenture to Be Delivered by Any Future Guarantors

 

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INDENTURE, dated as of April 13, 2017, among (a) Chobani, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company as the Issuer (as defined herein), (b) Chobani Finance Corporation, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as the Co-Issuer (as defined herein), (c) Chobani Global Holdings, LLC, as the Parent Guarantor (as defined herein), (d) the Subsidiary Guarantors (as defined herein) and (e) Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association, as Trustee (as defined herein).

W I T N E S S E T H

WHEREAS, the Issuers (as defined herein) have duly authorized the creation of an issue of $530,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Issuers’ 7.500% senior notes due 2025 (the “Notes”);

WHEREAS, the Issuers and the Guarantors (as defined herein) have duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture (as defined herein);

NOW, THEREFORE, the Issuers, the Guarantors and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders (as defined herein).

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

SECTION 1.01. Definitions.

144A Global Note” means a Global Note substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of, and registered in the name of, the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold in reliance on Rule 144A.

Acquired Indebtedness” means, with respect to any specified Person,

(1) Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such other Person is merged, consolidated or amalgamated with or into, or became a Restricted Subsidiary of, such specified Person, including Indebtedness incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person merging, amalgamating or consolidating with or into, or becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of, such specified Person, and

(2) Indebtedness secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.

Additional Notes” means additional Notes (other than the Initial Notes) issued under this Indenture in accordance with Sections 2.02 and 4.09 hereof, as part of the same series as the Initial Notes.

Additional Project Documents” means any credit, loan or finance agreement and any other document, agreement or instrument relating to Additional Project Indebtedness.

Additional Project Indebtedness” means NMTC loans incurred by the Issuer at any time after the Issue Date.

 

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Additional Project Property” means, any fixed assets which were acquired, renovated or improved with proceeds of Additional Project Indebtedness.

Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such 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, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise.

Agent” means any Registrar, co-registrar, Transfer Agent, Paying Agent or additional paying agent.

Applicable Indebtedness” has the meaning assigned to it in the definition of “Weighted Average Life to Maturity.”

Applicable Premium” means, with respect to any Note on any Redemption Date, the greater of:

(1) 1.00% of the principal amount of such Note; and

(2) the excess, if any, of:

(a) the present value at such Redemption Date of (i) the redemption price of such Note at April 15, 2020 (as set forth in the table appearing in Section 3.07(e)), plus (ii) all required remaining scheduled interest payments due on such Note through April 15, 2020 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date), computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate as of such Redemption Date plus 50 basis points; over

(b) the then outstanding principal amount of such Note on such Redemption Date,

as calculated by the Issuer or on behalf of the Issuer by such Person as the Issuer will designate; provided that such calculation will not be the duty or obligation of the Trustee.

Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to any selection of Notes or any transfer 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 selection, transfer or exchange.

Applicable Tax Rate” means the highest combined effective U.S. federal, state, and local marginal rate of tax on income taxed as ordinary income or long-term capital gains, as the case may be, (taking into account any limitations on, or the availability of, deductions) applicable to an individual resident in New York, New York for such Tax Distribution Period.

Asset Sale” means:

(1) the sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, whether in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, of property or assets of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (each referred to in this definition as a “disposition”); or

 

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(2) the issuance or sale of Equity Interests (other than Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries issued in compliance with Section 4.09 and directors’ qualifying shares or shares or interests required to be held by foreign nationals or other third parties to the extent required by applicable law) of any Restricted Subsidiary (other than to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary), whether in a single transaction or a series of related transactions;

in each case, other than:

(a) any disposition of (i) Cash Equivalents or Investment Grade Securities, (ii) obsolete, damaged or worn out property or assets in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice or any disposition of inventory or goods (or other assets, including dairy products) held for sale or no longer used or useful in the ordinary course, (iii) assets no longer economically practicable or commercially reasonable to maintain (as determined in good faith by the management of the Issuer), (iv) dispositions to landlords of improvements made to leased real property pursuant to customary terms of leases entered into in the ordinary course of business and (v) assets for purposes of charitable contributions or similar gifts to the extent such assets are not material to the ability of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to conduct its business in the ordinary course;

(b) the disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in a manner permitted pursuant to Section 5.01 (other than Sections 5.01(a)(2) and 5.01(b)(2)) or any disposition that constitutes a Change of Control pursuant to this Indenture;

(c) any disposition in connection with the making of any Restricted Payment that is permitted to be made, and is made, under Section 4.07 or any Permitted Investment or any acquisition otherwise permitted by this Indenture;

(d) any disposition of property or assets or issuance or sale of Equity Interests of any Restricted Subsidiary with an aggregate fair market value for any individual transaction or series of related transactions of less than $20.0 million;

(e) any disposition of property or assets or issuance of securities by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Issuer or by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary to a Restricted Subsidiary;

(f) to the extent allowable under Section 1031 of the Code, any exchange of like property (excluding any boot thereon) for use in a Similar Business;

(g) (i) the lease, assignment or sub-lease, license or sublicense of any real or personal property in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice and (ii) the exercise of termination rights with respect to any lease, sub-lease, license or sublicense or other agreement;

(h) any issuance, disposition or sale of Equity Interests in, or Indebtedness, assets or other securities of, an Unrestricted Subsidiary;

 

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(i) foreclosures, condemnation, expropriation, eminent domain or any similar action (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any casualty event) with respect to assets or the granting of Liens not prohibited by this Indenture;

(j) sales of accounts receivable, or participations therein, or Securitization Assets or related assets in connection with any Qualified Securitization Facility, sales of receivables in connection with Receivables Financing Transactions or the disposition of an account receivable in connection with the collection or compromise thereof in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice or in bankruptcy or similar proceedings;

(k) any financing transaction with respect to property built or acquired by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary after the Issue Date, including asset securitizations permitted by this Indenture;

(l) the sale, lease, assignment, license, sublease or discount of inventory, equipment, accounts receivable, notes receivable or other current assets in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice or the conversion of accounts receivable to notes receivable or other dispositions of accounts receivable in connection with the collection thereof;

(m) the licensing or sub-licensing of intellectual property or other general intangibles in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(n) any surrender or waiver of contract rights or the settlement, release or surrender of contract rights or other litigation claims in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(o) the unwinding of any Hedging Obligations;

(p) sales, transfers and other dispositions of Investments in joint ventures to the extent required by, or made pursuant to, customary buy/sell arrangements between the joint venture parties set forth in joint venture arrangements and similar binding arrangements;

(q) the lapse, abandonment or other disposition of intellectual property rights in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, which in the reasonable good faith determination of the Issuer are not material to the conduct of the business of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

(r) the granting of a Lien that is permitted under Section 4.12;

(s) the issuance of directors’ qualifying shares and shares of Capital Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries issued to foreign nationals as required by applicable law;

(t) the disposition of any assets (including Equity Interests) (i) acquired in a transaction permitted under this Indenture, which assets are not used or useful in the principal business of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries or (ii) made in connection with the approval of any applicable antitrust authority or otherwise necessary or advisable in the good faith determination of the Issuer to consummate any acquisition permitted under this Indenture;

 

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(u) dispositions of property to the extent that such property is exchanged for credit against the purchase price of similar replacement property;

(v) dispositions of property in connection with any Sale and Lease-Back Transaction; and

(w) the sales of property or assets for an aggregate fair market value not to exceed $30.0 million since the Issue Date.

Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date, in respect of any Capitalized Lease Obligation of any Person, the amount thereof that would appear as a liability on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP.

Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, as amended, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

Board of Directors” means, for any Person, the board of directors or other governing body of such Person or, if such Person does not have such a board of directors or other governing body and is owned or managed by a single entity, the Board of Directors of such entity, or, in either case, any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such Board of Directors. Unless otherwise provided, “Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Issuer.

Broker-Dealer Regulated Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Issuer that is registered as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act or any other applicable laws requiring such registration.

Business Day” means any day that is not a Legal Holiday.

Capital Markets Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness consisting of bonds, debentures, notes or other similar debt securities issued in (a) a public offering registered under the Securities Act, (b) a private placement to institutional investors that is resold in accordance with Rule 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act, whether or not it includes registration rights entitling the holders of such debt securities to registration thereof with the SEC or (c) a private placement to institutional investors. For the avoidance of doubt, the term “Capital Markets Indebtedness” does not include any Indebtedness under commercial bank facilities, Indebtedness incurred in connection with a Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Issuer, Capitalized Lease Obligations or recourse transfer of any financial asset or any other type of Indebtedness incurred in a manner not customarily viewed as a “securities offering.”

Capital Stock” means:

(1) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock or shares in the capital of such corporation;

 

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(2) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;

(3) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership or membership interests (whether general or limited); and

(4) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing Person;

but excluding from all of the foregoing any debt securities convertible into or exchangeable for Capital Stock, whether or not such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.

Capitalized Lease Obligation” means, at the time any determination thereof is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at such time be required to be capitalized and reflected as a liability on a balance sheet (excluding the footnotes thereto) prepared in accordance with GAAP; provided that all obligations of any Person that are or would be characterized as operating lease obligations in accordance with GAAP on the Issue Date (whether or not such operating lease obligations were in effect on such date) shall continue to be accounted for as operating lease obligations (and not as Capitalized Lease Obligations) for purposes of this Indenture regardless of any change in GAAP following the Issue Date that would otherwise require such obligations to be recharacterized (on a prospective or retroactive basis or otherwise) as Capitalized Lease Obligations.

Capitalized Software Expenditures” means, for any period, the aggregate of all expenditures (whether paid in cash or accrued as liabilities) by a Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries during such period in respect of licensed or purchased software or internally developed software and software enhancements that, in conformity with GAAP, are or are required to be reflected as capitalized costs on the consolidated balance sheet of a Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries.

Captive Insurance Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Issuer that is subject to regulation as an insurance company (or any Subsidiary thereof).

Cash Equivalents” means:

(1) dollars;

(2) in the case of any Foreign Subsidiary or any jurisdiction in which the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary conducts business, such local currencies held by it from time to time in the ordinary course of business;

(3) readily marketable direct obligations issued or directly and fully and unconditionally guaranteed or insured by the U.S. government or any agency or instrumentality thereof the securities of which are unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation of such government with maturities of 36 months or less from the date of acquisition;

 

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(4) certificates of deposit, time deposits and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of three years or less from the date of acquisition, demand deposits, bankers’ acceptances with maturities not exceeding three years and overnight bank deposits, in each case with any domestic or foreign commercial bank having capital and surplus of not less than $500.0 million in the case of U.S. banks and $100.0 million (or the U.S. dollar equivalent as of the date of determination) in the case of non-U.S. banks;

(5) repurchase obligations for underlying securities of the types described in clauses (3) and (4) above or clauses (7) and (8) below entered into with any financial institution or recognized securities dealer meeting the qualifications specified in clause (4) above;

(6) commercial paper and variable or fixed rate notes rated at least P-2 by Moody’s or at least A-2 by S&P (or, if at any time neither Moody’s nor S&P is rating such obligations, an equivalent rating from another Rating Agency selected by the Issuer) and in each case maturing within 36 months after the date of acquisition thereof;

(7) marketable short-term money market and similar liquid funds having a rating of at least P-2 or A-2 from either Moody’s or S&P, respectively (or, if at any time neither Moody’s nor S&P is rating such obligations, an equivalent rating from another Rating Agency selected by the Issuer);

(8) securities issued or directly and fully and unconditionally guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States or any political subdivision or taxing authority of any such state, commonwealth or territory or any public instrumentality thereof having maturities of not more than 36 months from the date of acquisition thereof;

(9) readily marketable direct obligations issued or directly and fully and unconditionally guaranteed by any foreign government or any political subdivision or public instrumentality thereof, in each case having an Investment Grade Rating from either Moody’s or S&P (or, if at any time neither Moody’s nor S&P is rating such obligations, an equivalent rating from another Rating Agency selected by the Issuer) with maturities of 36 months or less from the date of acquisition;

(10) Indebtedness or Preferred Stock issued by Persons with a rating of “A” or higher from S&P or “A2” or higher from Moody’s (or, if at any time neither Moody’s nor S&P is rating such obligations, an equivalent rating from another Rating Agency selected by the Issuer) with maturities of 36 months or less from the date of acquisition;

(11) Investments with average maturities of 36 months or less from the date of acquisition in money market funds rated AAA- (or the equivalent thereof) or better by S&P or Aaa3 (or the equivalent thereof) or better by Moody’s (or, if at any time neither Moody’s nor S&P is rating such obligations, an equivalent rating from another Rating Agency selected by the Issuer);

(12) investment funds investing substantially all of their assets in securities of the types described in clauses (1) through (11) above; and

 

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(13) solely with respect to any Captive Insurance Subsidiary, any investment that the Captive Insurance Subsidiary is not prohibited to make in accordance with applicable law.

In the case of Investments by any Foreign Subsidiary or Investments made in a country outside the United States of America, Cash Equivalents will also include (i) investments of the type and maturity described in clauses (1) through (13) above of foreign obligors, which Investments or obligors (or the parents of such obligors) have ratings described in such clauses or equivalent ratings from comparable foreign rating agencies and (ii) other short-term investments utilized by Foreign Subsidiaries in accordance with normal investment practices for cash management in investments analogous to the foregoing investments in clauses (1) through (13) and in this paragraph.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Cash Equivalents will include amounts denominated in currencies other than those set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above; provided that such amounts, except amounts used to pay non-Dollar denominated obligations of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business, are converted into any currency listed in clause (1) or (2) above as promptly as practicable and in any event within 10 Business Days following the receipt of such amounts.

Cash Management Agreement” means any agreement entered into from time to time by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with cash management services for collections, other Cash Management Services and for operating, payroll and trust accounts of such Person, including automatic clearing house services, controlled disbursement services, electronic funds transfer services, information reporting services, lockbox services, stop payment services and wire transfer services.

Cash Management Obligations” means Obligations in connection with, or in respect of, Cash Management Services.

Cash Management Services” means (a) commercial credit cards, merchant card services, purchase or debit cards, including non-card e-payables services, (b) treasury management services (including controlled disbursement, overdraft, automatic clearing house fund transfer services, return items and interstate depository network services), (c) foreign exchange, netting and currency management services and (d) any other demand deposit or operating account relationships or other cash management services, including under any Cash Management Agreements.

CFC” means a “controlled foreign corporation” within the meaning of Section 957(a) of the Code.

CFC Holdco” means a Subsidiary substantially all of whose assets consists (directly or indirectly) of the Capital Stock or indebtedness of one or more Subsidiaries that are CFCs.

Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following after the Issue Date:

(1) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition in one or a series of related transactions (other than by merger, consolidation, amalgamation or business combination) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person other than one or more Permitted Holders;

 

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(2) the Issuer becomes aware of (by way of a report or any other filing pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, proxy, vote, written notice or otherwise) (a) any Person (other than a Permitted Holder) or (b) Persons (other than one or more Permitted Holders) constituting a “group” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13(d)-3 and 13(d)-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of Equity Interests of the Parent Guarantor representing more than fifty percent (50.00%) of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Parent Guarantor (it being understood and agreed that for purposes of measuring beneficial ownership held by any Person that is not a Permitted Holder, Equity Interests held by any Permitted Holder will be excluded), unless the Permitted Holders have, at such time, directly or indirectly, the right or the ability by voting power, contract or otherwise to elect or designate for election at least a majority of the board of directors of the Parent Guarantor; or

(3) Parent Guarantor ceases to own, directly or indirectly, 100% of the Capital Stock of the Issuer.

Clearstream” means Clearstream Banking, Société Anonyme and its successors.

Co-Issuer” means Chobani Finance Corporation, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Issuer.

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

consolidated” means, with respect to any Person, such Person consolidated with its Restricted Subsidiaries and excludes from such consolidation any Unrestricted Subsidiary as if such Unrestricted Subsidiary were not an Affiliate of such Person, provided that with respect to any Person who is the Parent Guarantor, the term “consolidated” refers to the Parent Guarantor consolidated with the Issuers and the Restricted Subsidiaries, and excludes from such consolidation any Unrestricted Subsidiary as if such Unrestricted Subsidiary were not an Affiliate of such Person.

Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization Expense” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the total amount of depreciation and amortization expense of such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries, including, the amortization of intangible assets, deferred financing fees, debt issuance costs, commissions, fees and expenses and the amortization of Capitalized Software Expenditures of such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period on a consolidated basis and otherwise determined in accordance with GAAP.

Consolidated EBITDA” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period:

(1) increased (without duplication) by the following, in each case (other than clauses (h), (l) and (m)) to the extent deducted (and not added back) in determining Consolidated Net Income for such period:

(a) total interest expense and, to the extent not reflected in such total interest expense, any losses on Hedging Obligations or other derivative instruments entered into for the purpose of hedging interest rate risk, net of interest income and gains on such Hedging Obligations or such derivative instruments; plus

 

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(b) provision for taxes based on income, profits, revenue or capital, including federal, foreign and state income, franchise, excise, value added and similar taxes, property taxes and similar taxes, and foreign withholding taxes paid or accrued during such period (including any future taxes or other levies that replace or are intended to be in lieu of taxes, and any penalties and interest related to taxes or arising from tax examinations) and the net tax expense associated with any adjustments made pursuant to the definition of “Consolidated Net Income,” and any payments to a Parent Company in respect of such taxes permitted to be made under this Indenture; plus

(c) Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization Expense for such period; plus

(d) any other non-cash charges, including any write-offs or write-downs reducing Consolidated Net Income for such period (provided that if any such non-cash charges represent an accrual or reserve for potential cash items in any future period, (i) the Issuer may determine not to add back such non-cash charge in the current period and (ii) to the extent the Issuer does decide to add back such non-cash charge, the cash payment in respect thereof, with the exception of any cash payments related to the settlement of deferred compensation balances awarded prior to the Issue Date, in such future period shall be subtracted from Consolidated EBITDA to such extent, and excluding amortization of a prepaid cash item that was paid in a prior period); plus

(e) minority interest expense, the amount of any non-controlling interest consisting of income attributable to non-controlling interests of third parties in any non-wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiary, excluding cash distributions in respect thereof, and the amount of any reductions in arriving at Consolidated Net Income resulting from the application of Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 810, Consolidation; plus

(f) the amount of payments made to optionholders of such Person or any Parent Company in connection with, or as a result of, any distribution being made to equityholders of such Person or its Parent Company, which payments are being made to compensate such optionholders as though they were equityholders at the time of, and entitled to share in, such distribution, in each case to the extent permitted under this Indenture; plus

(g) the amount of loss or discount on sale of receivables, Securitization Assets and related assets to any Securitization Subsidiary in connection with a Qualified Securitization Facility; plus

(h) cash receipts (or any netting arrangements resulting in reduced cash expenditures) not representing Consolidated EBITDA or Consolidated Net Income in any prior period to the extent non-cash gains relating to such income were deducted in the calculation of Consolidated EBITDA pursuant to clause (2) below for any previous period and not added back; plus

 

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(i) any costs or expenses incurred pursuant to any management equity plan, stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan, agreement or any stock subscription or shareholder agreement, to the extent that such costs or expenses are funded with cash proceeds contributed to the capital of such Person or net cash proceeds of an issuance of Equity Interests of such Person (other than Disqualified Stock); plus

(j) any net pension or other post-employment benefit costs representing amortization of unrecognized prior service costs, actuarial losses, including amortization of such amounts arising in prior periods, amortization of the unrecognized net obligation (and loss or cost) existing at the date of initial application of FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715—Compensation—Retirement Benefits, and any other items of a similar nature, plus

(k) accruals, payments, fees, costs, charges and expenses with respect to any transaction not prohibited by this Indenture, including, without limitation, permitted Asset Sale, acquisitions, Investments, issuance of Equity Interests (including any initial public offering of the common equity of the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer) or Indebtedness and refinancings, amendments or waivers in respect of this Indenture or any Credit Facility (and any refinancing thereof), in each case whether or not consummated; plus

(l) the amount of “run rate” cost savings, synergies and operating expense reductions related to mergers and other business combinations, acquisitions, divestitures, dispositions or other specified transactions, restructurings, cost savings initiatives or other initiatives (including, for the avoidance of doubt, acquisitions occurring prior to the Issue Date) that are projected by the Issuer in good faith to result from actions either taken or with respect to which substantial steps have been taken or are expected to be taken (in the good-faith determination of the Issuer) within 24 months after such merger or other business combination, acquisition, divestiture, disposition or other specified transaction, restructuring, cost savings initiative or other initiative is consummated (or undertaken or implemented prior to consummation of the acquisition or other applicable transaction) (which cost savings, synergies or operating expense reductions shall be calculated on a pro forma basis as though such cost savings, synergies or operating expense reductions had been realized on the first day of such period), net of the amount of actual benefits realized from such actions during such period (it being understood and agreed that “run rate” means the full recurring benefit that is associated with any action taken or with respect to which substantial steps have been taken or are expected to be taken, whether prior to or following the Issue Date) (which adjustments may be incremental to (but not duplicative of) any pro forma cost savings, synergies or operating expense reduction adjustments as are appropriate and consistent with the pro forma provisions set forth in the definition of Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio); provided that such cost savings, synergies and operating expenses are reasonably identifiable and factually supportable; plus

(m) the amount of any charge that is reimbursable by any third party pursuant to indemnification or expense reimbursement provisions or similar agreements or insurance, in each case (i) to the extent actually reimbursed or (ii) at the Issuer’s option, at the time such charge is taken, so long as the Issuer in

 

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good faith expects to receive reimbursement for such fees and/or charges within the next four fiscal quarters (it being understood that to the extent not actually received within such fiscal quarters, to the extent previously added back to Consolidated Net Income in determining Consolidated EBITDA for a prior fiscal quarter such reimbursement amounts shall be deducted in calculating Consolidated EBITDA for such period); plus

(n) any payments in the nature of compensation or expense reimbursement made to independent board members; plus

(o) any charge attributable to the undertaking and/or implementation of restructurings (including any tax restructurings), cost savings initiatives, cost rationalization programs, operating expense reductions and/or synergies (including, without limitation, in connection with any integration or transition, any curtailment, any reconstruction, decommissioning, recommissioning or reconfiguration of fixed assets for alternative uses, any facility opening and/or pre-opening, any facility realignment, any inventory optimization program and/or any curtailment), any business optimization charge, any charge relating to the closure or consolidation of any facility (including but not limited to severance, rent termination costs, moving costs and legal costs), losses associated with discontinued products, any systems implementation charge, any charge relating to sign-up bonuses or other payments, any charge relating to severance payments, any charge relating to any strategic initiative, any consulting charge, any signing charge, any recruiting charge, any retention or completion bonus, any expansion and/or relocation charge; plus

(p) charges attributable to, and payments of, legal settlements, fines, judgments or orders and related legal costs and expenses; plus

(q) earnout obligation expense incurred in connection with any acquisition or other Investment (including any acquisition or other investment consummated prior to the Issue Date) to the extent paid or payable during the applicable period; plus

(r) to the extent not otherwise included in Consolidated Net Income, proceeds of business interruption insurance in an amount representing the earnings for the applicable period that such proceeds are intended to replace, (i) to the extent actually received or, (ii) at the Issuer’s option, during such applicable period, so long as the Issuer in good faith expects to receive such proceeds within the next four fiscal quarters (it being understood that to the extent not actually received within such four fiscal quarters, to the extent previously added back to Consolidated Net Income in determining Consolidated EBITDA for a prior fiscal quarter such reimbursement amounts shall be deducted in calculating Consolidated EBITDA for such period); plus

(s) any losses relating to entry into a new product category incurred during the first 9 months after such product category is introduced to the market; provided that the aggregate amount added back pursuant to this clause (s) for any period shall not exceed 10.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for such period (before giving effect to such adjustments); plus

 

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(t) any loss from discontinued operations (but if such operations are classified as discontinued due to the fact that they are subject to an agreement to dispose of such operations, only when and to the extent such operations are actually disposed of); plus

(u) adjustments included in “Adjusted EBITDA” as set forth in the section of the Offering Memorandum entitled “Summary Historical Financial Data of the Company”; plus

(v) all charges from disposed, abandoned, divested and/or discontinued assets, properties or operations and/or discontinued operations (other than, at the option of the Issuer, assets or properties pending the divestiture or termination thereof); plus

(w) effects of adjustments related to purchase accounting; and

(2) decreased (without duplication) by the following, in each case to the extent included in determining Consolidated Net Income for such period:

(a) non-cash gains for such period (excluding any non-cash gain to the extent it represents the reversal of an accrual or reserve for a potential cash item that reduced Consolidated Net Income or Consolidated EBITDA in any prior period other than any such accrual or reserve that has been added back to Consolidated Net Income in calculating Consolidated EBITDA in accordance with this definition),

(b) the amount of any non-controlling interest consisting of loss attributable to non-controlling interests of third parties in any non-Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary added to (and not deducted from) Consolidated Net Income in such period, and

(c) any net income from discontinued operations (but if such operations are classified as discontinued due to the fact that they are subject to an agreement to dispose of such operations, only when and to the extent such operations are actually disposed of).

Consolidated Interest Expense” means, with respect to any Person for any period, without duplication, the sum of:

(1) cash interest expense (including that attributable to Capitalized Lease Obligations), net of cash interest income, with respect to Indebtedness of such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, other than Non-Recourse Indebtedness, including commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptance financing and net cash costs under hedging agreements (other than in connection with the early termination thereof); plus

(2) non-cash interest expense resulting solely from (a) the amortization of original issue discount from the issuance of Indebtedness of such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries at less than par (excluding the Notes and any Indebtedness borrowed under the Senior Credit Facilities in connection with the Transactions and any Non-Recourse Indebtedness), plus (b) pay-in-kind interest expense of such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries payable pursuant to the terms of the agreements governing Indebtedness for borrowed money,

 

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excluding, in each case, (i) amortization of deferred financing costs, debt issuance costs, commissions, fees and expenses and any other amounts of non-cash interest other than referred to in clauses (2)(a) and (2)(b) above (including as a result of the effects of acquisition method accounting or pushdown accounting), (ii) interest expense attributable to the movement of the mark-to-market valuation of obligations under Hedging Obligations or other derivative instruments, including pursuant to FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 815— Derivatives and Hedging, (iii) costs associated with incurring or terminating Hedging Obligations and cash costs associated with breakage in respect of hedging agreements for interest rates, (iv) commissions, discounts, yield, make-whole premium and other fees and charges (including any interest expense) incurred in connection with any Non-Recourse Indebtedness, (v) “additional interest” owing pursuant to a registration rights agreement with respect to any securities, (vi) any payments with respect to make-whole premiums or other breakage costs of any Indebtedness, including any Indebtedness issued in connection with the Transactions, (vii) penalties and interest relating to taxes, (viii) accretion or accrual of discounted liabilities not constituting Indebtedness, (ix) interest expense attributable to a Parent Company resulting from push-down accounting, (x) any expense resulting from the discounting of Indebtedness in connection with the application of recapitalization or purchase accounting, (xi) any interest expense attributable to the exercise of appraisal rights and the settlement of any claims or actions (whether actual, contingent or potential), with respect thereto in connection with the Transactions, any acquisition or Investment and (xii) annual agency fees paid to the administrative agents and collateral agents (including any security or collateral trust arrangements related thereto) under any Credit Facilities, including the Senior Credit Facilities and the Notes.

For purposes of this definition, interest on a Capitalized Lease Obligation will be deemed to accrue at an interest rate reasonably determined by such Person to be the rate of interest implicit in such Capitalized Lease Obligation in accordance with GAAP.

Consolidated Net Income” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the net income (loss) of such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, excluding (and excluding the effect of), without duplication,

(1) extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual gains, losses, fees, costs, charges or expenses (including relating to any strategic initiatives and accruals and reserves in connection with such gains, losses, charges or expenses);

(2) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles and changes as a result of the adoption or modification of accounting policies during such period whether effected through a cumulative effect adjustment or a retroactive application, in each case in accordance with GAAP;

(3) Transaction Expenses;

(4) any gain (loss) on asset sales, disposals or abandonments (other than asset sales, disposals or abandonments in the ordinary course of business);

 

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(5) the Net Income for such period of any Person that is an Unrestricted Subsidiary or of any Person that is not a Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting; provided that the Consolidated Net Income of a Person will be increased by the amount of dividends or distributions or other payments that are actually paid in cash or Cash Equivalents (or to the extent converted into cash or Cash Equivalents) to such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof in respect of such period;

(6) the Net Income for such period of any Restricted Subsidiary (other than any Guarantor) to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary of its Net Income is not at the date of determination permitted without any prior governmental approval (which has not been obtained) or, directly or indirectly, by the operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders, unless such restriction with respect to the payment of dividends or distributions has been legally waived (or the Issuer reasonably believes such restriction could be waived and is using commercially reasonable efforts to pursue such waiver); provided that Consolidated Net Income of a Person will be increased by the amount of dividends or other distributions or other payments actually paid in cash or Cash Equivalents (or to the extent converted into cash or Cash Equivalents), or the amount that could have been paid in cash or Cash Equivalents without violating any such restriction or requiring any such approval, to such Person or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof in respect of such period, to the extent not already included therein;

(7) effects of adjustments (including the effects of such adjustments pushed down to such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries) related to the application of recapitalization accounting (including in the inventory, property and equipment, software, goodwill, intangible assets, in process research and development, deferred revenue and debt line items);

(8) income (loss) from the early extinguishment or conversion of (a) Indebtedness, (b) Hedging Obligations or (c) other derivative instruments;

(9) any impairment charge or asset write-off or write-down in each case, pursuant to GAAP, and the amortization of intangibles arising pursuant to GAAP;

(10) (a) any equity based or non-cash compensation charge or expense, including any such charge or expense arising from grants of stock appreciation, equity incentive programs or similar rights, stock options, restricted stock or other rights to, and any cash charges associated with the rollover, acceleration or payout of, Equity Interests by management of such Person or of a Restricted Subsidiary or any Parent Company, (b) non-cash compensation expense resulting from the application of Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation or Accounting Standards Codification Topic 505-50, Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees, and (c) any income (loss) attributable to deferred compensation plans or trusts;

(11) accruals and reserves that are established or adjusted in connection with an Investment or an acquisition that are required to be established or adjusted as a result of such Investment or such acquisition, in each case in accordance with GAAP;

(12) any expenses, charges or losses to the extent covered by insurance that are, directly or indirectly, reimbursed or reimbursable by a third party, and any expenses, charges or losses that are covered by indemnification or other reimbursement provisions in connection with any acquisition, Investment or any sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of assets permitted under this Indenture;

 

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(13) any non-cash gain (loss) attributable to the mark to market movement in the valuation of Hedging Obligations or other derivative instruments pursuant to FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 815—Derivatives and Hedging or mark to market movement of other financial instruments pursuant to FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 825—Financial Instruments;

(14) any net unrealized gain or loss (after any offset) resulting in such period from currency transaction or translation gains or losses including those related to currency remeasurements of Indebtedness (including any net loss or gain resulting from (a) Hedging Obligations for currency exchange risk and (b) resulting from intercompany indebtedness) and any other foreign currency transaction or translation gains and losses, to the extent such gain or losses are non-cash items;

(15) any adjustments resulting from the application of Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 460, Guarantees, or any comparable regulation;

(16) any non-cash rent expense;

(17) any non-cash expenses, accruals or reserves related to adjustments to historical tax exposures; and

(18) earnout and contingent consideration obligations (including to the extent accounted for as bonuses or otherwise) and adjustments thereof and purchase price adjustments.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the purpose of Section 4.07 only (other than Section 4.07(a)(3)(D)), there will be excluded from Consolidated Net Income any income arising from any sale or other disposition of Restricted Investments made by such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries, any repurchases and redemptions of Restricted Investments from such Person and the Restricted Subsidiaries, any repayments of loans and advances which constitute Restricted Investments by such Person or any Restricted Subsidiary, any sale of the stock of an Unrestricted Subsidiary or any dividend or distribution from an Unrestricted Subsidiary, in each case only to the extent such amounts increase the amount of Restricted Payments permitted under Section 4.07(a)(3)(D).

Consolidated Secured Debt” means, as of any date of determination, subject to the definition of “Designated Revolving Commitments,” the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of the Parent Guarantor and the Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding on such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, consisting only of Indebtedness for borrowed money, Capitalized Lease Obligations and purchase money Indebtedness, in each case secured by a lien; provided that Consolidated Secured Debt will not include Non-Recourse Indebtedness, undrawn amounts under revolving credit facilities and Indebtedness in respect of any (1) letter of credit, bank guarantees and performance or similar bonds, except to the extent of obligations in respect of drawn standby letters of credit which have not been reimbursed within 3 Business Days and (2) Hedging Obligations. The U.S. dollar-equivalent principal amount of any Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency will reflect the currency translation effects, determined in accordance with GAAP, of Hedging Obligations for currency exchange risks with respect to the applicable currency in effect on the date of determination of the U.S. dollar- equivalent principal amount of such Indebtedness. For the avoidance of doubt, Consolidated Secured Debt shall not include any obligations under Project Indebtedness or Additional Project Indebtedness.

Consolidated Total Debt” means, as of any date of determination, subject to the definition of “Designated Revolving Commitments,” the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of the Parent Guarantor and the Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding on such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, consisting only of Indebtedness for borrowed money, Capitalized Lease Obligations and purchase money Indebtedness; provided that Consolidated Total Debt will not include Non-Recourse Indebtedness, undrawn amounts under revolving credit facilities and Indebtedness in respect of any (1) letter of credit, bank guarantees and performance or similar bonds, except to the extent of obligations in respect of drawn standby letters of credit which have not been reimbursed within three (3) Business Days and (2) Hedging Obligations. The U.S. dollar-equivalent principal amount of any Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency will reflect the currency translation effects, determined in accordance with GAAP, of Hedging Obligations for currency exchange risks with respect to the applicable currency in effect on the date of determination of the U.S. dollar-equivalent principal amount of such Indebtedness. For the avoidance of doubt, Consolidated Total Debt shall not include any obligations under Project Indebtedness or Additional Project Indebtedness.

 

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Contingent Obligations” means, with respect to any Person, any obligation of such Person guaranteeing any leases, dividends or other monetary obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness (“primary obligations”) of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, including any obligation of such Person, whether or not contingent:

(1) to purchase any such primary obligation or any property constituting direct or indirect security therefor;

(2) to advance or supply funds

(a) for the purchase or payment of any such primary obligation, or

(b) to maintain working capital or equity capital of the primary obligor or otherwise to maintain the net worth or solvency of the primary obligor; or

(3) to purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of any such primary obligation of the ability of the primary obligor to make payment of such primary obligation against loss in respect thereof.

Controlled Investment Affiliate” means, as to any Person, any other Person, other than the Sponsor, which directly or indirectly is in control of, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Person and is organized by such Person (or any Person controlling such Person) primarily for making direct or indirect equity or debt investments in the Issuer and/or other companies.

Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee” shall be at the address of the Trustee specified in Section 12.02 hereof or such other address as to which the Trustee may give notice to the Holders and the Issuers.

 

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Credit Facilities” means, with respect to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, one or more debt facilities, including the Senior Credit Facilities or other financing arrangements (including commercial paper facilities or indentures) providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, note issuances, letters of credit or other long-term indebtedness, including any notes, mortgages, guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and other agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, supplements, modifications, extensions, renewals, restatements or refundings thereof, in whole or in part, and any indentures or credit facilities or commercial paper facilities that replace, refund, supplement, extend, renew, restate, amend, modify or refinance any part of the loans, notes, other credit facilities or commitments thereunder, including any such exchange, replacement, refunding, supplemental, extended, renewed, restated, amended, modified or refinancing facility, arrangement or indenture that increases the amount permitted to be borrowed or issued thereunder or alters the maturity thereof (provided that such increase in borrowings or issuances is permitted under Section 4.09 or adds Restricted Subsidiaries as additional borrowers or guarantors thereunder and whether by the same or any other agent, trustee, lender or group of lenders or holders.

Custodian” means the Trustee, as custodian with respect to the Notes, each in global form, or any successor entity thereto.

Default” means any event that is, or with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.

Definitive Note” means a certificated Note registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.06(c) hereof, substantially in 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, any Person specified in Section 2.03 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 provision of this Indenture.

Designated Non-Cash Consideration” means the fair market value of non-cash consideration received by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in connection with an Asset Sale that is so designated as Designated Non-Cash Consideration pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate, setting forth the basis of such valuation, less the amount of cash or Cash Equivalents received in connection with a subsequent sale, redemption or repurchase of, or collection or payment on, such Designated Non-Cash Consideration.

Designated Preferred Stock” means Preferred Stock of the Issuer, any Restricted Subsidiary thereof or any Parent Company (in each case other than Disqualified Stock) that is issued for cash (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary or an employee stock ownership plan or trust established by the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries) and is so designated as Designated Preferred Stock, pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate on or promptly after the issuance date thereof, the cash proceeds of which are excluded from the calculation set forth in Section 4.07(a)(3).

Designated Revolving Commitments” means any commitments to make loans or extend credit on a revolving basis to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary by any Person other than the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary that have been designated in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee as “Designated Revolving Commitments” until such time as the Issuer

 

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subsequently delivers an Officer’s Certificate to the Trustee to the effect that such commitments will no longer constitute “Designated Revolving Commitments”; provided that during such time, such Designated Revolving Commitments will be deemed an incurrence of Indebtedness on such date and will be deemed outstanding for purposes of calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, Total Net Leverage Ratio, Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio and the availability of any baskets hereunder.

Disqualified Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any Capital Stock of such Person which, by its terms, or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is redeemable or exchangeable, or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable (other than (i) for any Qualified Equity Interests or (ii) solely as a result of a change of control, asset sale, casualty, condemnation or eminent domain) pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof (other than for any Qualified Equity Interests or solely as a result of a change of control, asset sale, casualty, condemnation or eminent domain), in whole or in part, in each case prior to the date 91 days after the maturity date of the Notes; provided that if such Capital Stock is issued pursuant to any plan for the benefit of future, current or former employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants or independent contractors (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof) of the Issuer or its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company or by any such plan to such employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants or independent contractors (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof), such Capital Stock will not constitute Disqualified Stock solely because it may be required to be repurchased by the Issuer or its Subsidiaries in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations or as a result of such employee’s, director’s, officer’s, management member’s, consultant’s or independent contractor’s termination, death or disability; provided, further that any Capital Stock held by any future, current or former employee, director, officer, member of management, consultant or independent contractor (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof) of the Issuer, any of its Subsidiaries, any Parent Company, or any other entity in which the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary has an Investment and is designated in good faith as an “affiliate” by the Board of Directors (or the compensation committee thereof), in each case pursuant to any equity subscription or equity holders’ agreement, management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement will not constitute Disqualified Stock solely because it may be required to be repurchased by the Issuer or its Subsidiaries in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations or as a result of such employee’s, director’s, officer’s, management member’s, consultant’s or independent contractor’s termination, death or disability. For the purposes hereof, the aggregate principal amount of Disqualified Stock will be deemed to be equal to the greater of its voluntary or involuntary liquidation preference and maximum fixed repurchase price, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, and the “maximum fixed repurchase price” of any Disqualified Stock that does not have a fixed repurchase price will be calculated in accordance with the terms of such Disqualified Stock as if such Disqualified Stock were purchased on any date on which the Consolidated Total Debt or Consolidated Secured Debt, as applicable, will be required to be determined pursuant to this Indenture, and if such price is based upon, or measured by, the fair market value of such Disqualified Stock, such fair market value shall be determined in good faith by the Issuer.

Domestic Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia.

 

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EMU” means the economic and monetary union as contemplated in the Treaty on European Union.

Equity Interests” means, with respect to any Person, the Capital Stock (including profits interests) of such Person and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (including profits interests) of such Person, but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock (including profits interests) of such Person.

Equity Offering” means any public or private sale of common equity or Preferred Stock of the Issuer or any Parent Company (excluding Disqualified Stock), other than:

(1) public offerings with respect to the Issuer’s or any Parent Company’s common equity registered on Form S-4 or Form S-8;

(2) issuances to any Restricted Subsidiary; and

(3) any such public or private sale that constitutes an Excluded Contribution.

Escrowed Proceeds” means the proceeds from the offering of any debt securities or other Indebtedness paid into an escrow account with an independent escrow agent on the date of the applicable offering or incurrence pursuant to escrow arrangements that permit the release of amounts on deposit in such escrow account upon satisfaction of certain conditions or the occurrence of certain events. The term “Escrowed Proceeds” shall include any interest earned on the amounts held in escrow.

Euroclear” means Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system, and its successors.

Estimated Tax Period” means (i) January, February, and March, (ii) April and May, (iii) June, July, and August and (iv) September, October, November, and December of each calendar year.

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

Excluded Contribution” means net cash proceeds, the fair market value of marketable securities or the fair market value of Qualified Proceeds received by the Issuer from:

(1) contributions to its common equity capital;

(2) dividends, distributions, fees and other payments from any joint ventures that are not Restricted Subsidiaries; and

(3) the sale (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary or to any management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement of the Issuer) of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock and Designated Preferred Stock) of the Issuer;

in each case, designated as Excluded Contributions pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate or that are excluded from the calculation set forth in Section 4.07(a)(3).

 

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Excluded Subsidiary” means (1) any Subsidiary that is not a direct Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Issuer or a Guarantor, (2) any Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor that is not a Domestic Subsidiary, (3) any CFC Holdco, (4) any Domestic Subsidiary that is a Subsidiary of any (i) CFC or (ii) CFC Holdco, (5) any Subsidiary, including any regulated entity that is subject to net worth or net capital or similar capital and surplus restrictions, that is prohibited or restricted by applicable law or by contractual obligation (including in respect of assumed Indebtedness permitted hereunder) existing on the Issue Date (or, with respect to any Subsidiary acquired by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary after the Issue Date (and so long as such contractual obligation was not incurred in contemplation of such acquisition), on the date such Subsidiary is so acquired) from providing a Guarantee (including any Broker-Dealer Regulated Subsidiary), or if such Guarantee would require governmental (including regulatory) or third party (other than the Issuer, the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor or their respective Subsidiaries) consent, approval, license or authorization, (6) any special purpose vehicle (or similar entity) or any Securitization Subsidiary, (7) any Captive Insurance Subsidiary, (8) any not-for-profit Subsidiary, (9) any Subsidiary that is not a Significant Subsidiary, (10) any other Subsidiary with respect to which, in the reasonable judgment of the Issuer, the burden or cost (including any adverse tax consequences) of providing the Guarantee will outweigh the benefits to be obtained by the Holders therefrom and (11) each Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided that any such Subsidiary that is an Excluded Subsidiary pursuant to clause (9) or (10) above will cease to be an Excluded Subsidiary at any time such Subsidiary guarantees Indebtedness under the Senior Credit Facilities or Capital Markets Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any other Guarantor.

fair market value” means, with respect to any asset or liability, the fair market value of such asset or liability as determined by the Issuer in good faith.

Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, accounting officer, treasurer, controller or other senior financial or accounting officer of the Issuer, as appropriate.

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means, with respect to any Test Period, the ratio of (1) Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for such Test Period to (2) the Fixed Charges of the Parent Guarantor for such Test Period. In the event that the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary incurs, assumes, guarantees, redeems, repays, retires or extinguishes any Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness incurred or repaid under any revolving credit facility or line of credit unless such Indebtedness has been permanently repaid and not replaced) or issues, repurchases or redeems Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock or establishes or eliminates any Designated Revolving Commitments, in each case, subsequent to the commencement of the period for which the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is being calculated but prior to or simultaneously with the event for which the calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is made (the “Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Calculation Date”), then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio will be calculated giving pro forma effect to such incurrence, assumption, guarantee, redemption, repayment, retirement or extinguishment of Indebtedness or such issuance, repurchase or redemption of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the most recently ended Test Period (and (i) for the purposes of the numerator of the Total Net Leverage Ratio and the Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio, as if the same had occurred on the last day of the most recently ended Test Period and (ii) for all purposes, as if Indebtedness in the full amount of any undrawn Designated Revolving Commitments had been incurred thereunder throughout such period); provided, however, that at the election of the Issuer, the pro forma calculation will not give effect to any Indebtedness incurred or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock issued on such determination date pursuant to Section 4.09(b) (other than Sections 4.09(b)(1)(b) and (14)).

 

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For purposes of making the computation referred to above, any Specified Transaction that has been consummated by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary during any Test Period or subsequent to such Test Period and on or prior to or simultaneously with the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Calculation Date will be calculated on a pro forma basis assuming that all such Specified Transactions (and the change in any associated fixed charge obligations and the change in Consolidated EBITDA resulting therefrom) had occurred on the first day of the Test Period. If since the beginning of such Test Period any Person that subsequently became a Restricted Subsidiary or was merged, amalgamated or consolidated with or into the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary since the beginning of such Test Period will have made any Specified Transaction that would have required adjustment pursuant to this definition, then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio will be calculated giving pro forma effect thereto for such Test Period as if such Specified Transaction had occurred at the beginning of the most recently ended Test Period.

For purposes of this definition, whenever pro forma effect is to be given to any Specified Transaction (including the Transactions), the pro forma calculations will be made in good faith by a Financial Officer of the Issuer and may include, for the avoidance of doubt, the amount of “run-rate” cost savings, operating expense reductions and synergies projected by the Issuer in good faith to result from or relating to any Specified Transaction (including the Transactions and, for the avoidance of doubt, acquisitions occurring prior to the Issue Date) which is being given pro forma effect that have been realized or are expected to be realized and for which the actions necessary to realize such cost savings, operating expense reductions and synergies are taken or with respect to which substantial steps have been taken or are expected to be taken (in the good faith determination of the Issuer) no later than twenty-four (24) months after the date of any such Specified Transaction (in each case as though such cost savings, operating expense reductions and synergies had been realized on the first day of the applicable period and as if such cost savings, operating expense reductions and synergies were realized for the entirety of such period). For the purposes of this Indenture, “run-rate” means the full recurring benefit for a period that is associated with any action taken or with respect to which substantial steps have been taken or are expected to be taken (including any savings expected to result from the elimination of a public target’s compliance costs with public company requirements), net of the amount of actual benefits realized during such period from such actions.

If any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest and is being given pro forma effect, the interest on such Indebtedness will be calculated as if the rate in effect on the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Calculation Date had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Hedging Obligations applicable to such Indebtedness). Interest on Indebtedness that may optionally be determined at an interest rate based upon a factor of a prime or similar rate, a eurocurrency interbank offered rate, or other rate, will be deemed to have been based upon the rate actually chosen, or, if none, then based upon such optional rate chosen as the Issuer may designate.

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Calculation Date” has the meaning assigned to it in the definition of “Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio.”

Fixed Charge Coverage Test” has the meaning assigned to it in the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary.”

Fixed Charges” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the sum of, without duplication:

(1) Consolidated Interest Expense of such Person for such period;

 

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(2) all cash dividends or other cash distributions paid (excluding items eliminated in consolidation) on any series of Preferred Stock during such period; and

(3) all cash dividends or other cash distributions paid (excluding items eliminated in consolidation) on any series of Disqualified Stock during such period.

Foreign Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Domestic Subsidiary.

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America 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 such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, as in effect on the Issue Date. At any time after the Issue Date, the Parent Guarantor may elect to apply IFRS accounting principles in lieu of GAAP and, upon any such election, references herein to GAAP will thereafter be construed to mean IFRS (except as otherwise provided in this Indenture); provided that any such election, once made, will be irrevocable; provided, further that any calculation or determination in this Indenture that requires the application of GAAP for periods that include fiscal quarters ended prior to the Parent Guarantor’s election to apply IFRS will remain as previously calculated or determined in accordance with GAAP. The Parent Guarantor will give notice of any such election made in accordance with this definition to the Trustee. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, (i) the amount of any Indebtedness under GAAP with respect to Capitalized Lease Obligations and Attributable Indebtedness shall be determined in accordance with the definition of Capitalized Lease Obligations and Attributable Indebtedness, respectively and (ii) all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made, without giving effect to any election under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 825 (or any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of the Issuer, Co-Issuer or any of the Issuer’s Subsidiaries at “fair value,” as defined therein.

Global Note Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(ii) hereof, which is required to be placed on all Global Notes issued under this Indenture.

Global Notes” means, individually and collectively, each of the Restricted Global Notes and the Unrestricted Global Notes, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, issued in accordance with Sections 2.01, 2.06(b) or 2.06(d) hereof.

Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state, local, or otherwise, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

Government Securities” means securities that are:

(1) direct obligations of the United States for the timely payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged; or

 

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(2) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States,

that, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuers thereof, and will also include a depository receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act), as custodian with respect to any such Government Securities or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such Government Securities held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depository receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Securities or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the Government Securities evidenced by such depository receipt.

guarantee” means a guarantee (other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice), direct or indirect, in any manner (including letters of credit and reimbursement agreements in respect thereof), of all or any part of any Indebtedness or other obligations.

Guarantee” means the guarantee by any Guarantor of the Issuers’ Obligations under this Indenture and the Notes.

Guarantor” means the Parent Guarantor and each Restricted Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor (other than the Issuer and the Co-Issuer), if any, that Guarantees the Notes in accordance with the terms of this Indenture (excluding any Parent Company (other than Parent Guarantor) that guarantees the Notes); provided that in no event shall an Excluded Subsidiary be a Guarantor (other than in accordance with the proviso that is contained in the definition of Excluded Subsidiary).

Hedge Agreement” means (i) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement and (ii) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any Person, the obligations of such Person under any Hedge Agreement.

Holder,” at any time, means the Person in whose name a Note is registered on the Registrar’s books at such time.

 

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IFRS” means the international financial reporting standards and interpretations issued by the International Accounting Standards Board or any successor thereto (or the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or any successor to either such Board, or the SEC, as the case may be), as in effect from time to time.

Immediate Family Members” means with respect to any individual, such individual’s child, stepchild, grandchild or more remote descendant, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, qualified domestic partner, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law and daughter-in-law (including, in each case, adoptive relationships) and any trust, partnership or other bona fide estate-planning vehicle the only beneficiaries of which are any of the foregoing individuals or any private foundation or fund that is controlled by any of the foregoing individuals or any donor-advised fund of which any such individual is the donor.

Incremental Amounts” has the meaning assigned to it in the definition of “Refinancing Indebtedness.”

Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person, without duplication:

(1) any indebtedness (including principal and premium) of such Person, whether or not contingent:

(a) in respect of borrowed money;

(b) evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit or bankers’ acceptances (or, without duplication, reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);

(c) representing the deferred and unpaid balance of the purchase price of any property (including Capitalized Lease Obligations) due more than twelve months after such property is acquired, except (i) any such balance that constitutes an obligation in respect of a commercial letter of credit, a trade payable or similar obligation to a trade creditor, in each case accrued in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, (ii) any earn-out obligations until such obligation is reflected as a liability on the balance sheet (excluding any footnotes thereto) of such Person in accordance with GAAP and is not paid within 60 days after becoming due and payable and (iii) accruals for payroll and other liabilities accrued in the ordinary course of business; or

(d) representing the net obligations under any Hedging Obligations;

if and to the extent that any of the foregoing Indebtedness (other than obligations in respect of letters of credit and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet (excluding the footnotes thereto) of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP; provided that Indebtedness of any Parent Company appearing upon the balance sheet of the Issuer solely by reason of push-down accounting under GAAP will be excluded;

(2) to the extent not otherwise included, any obligation by such Person to be liable for, or to pay, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise, on the obligations of the type referred to in clause (1) of this definition of a third Person (whether or not such items would appear upon the balance sheet of such obligor or guarantor), other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice; and

 

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(3) to the extent not otherwise included, the obligations of the type referred to in clause (1) of this definition of a third Person secured by a Lien on any asset owned by such first Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by such first Person; provided that the amount of such Indebtedness will be the lesser of (i) the fair market value of such asset at such date of determination and (ii) the amount of such Indebtedness of such other Person;

provided that notwithstanding the foregoing, Indebtedness will be deemed not to include (a) Contingent Obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, (b) reimbursement obligations under commercial letters of credit (provided that unreimbursed amounts under commercial letters of credit will be counted as Indebtedness three (3) Business Days after such amount is drawn), (c) obligations under or in respect of Qualified Securitization Facilities, (d) accrued expenses, (e) deferred or prepaid revenues and (f) asset retirement obligations and obligations in respect of reclamation and workers compensation (including pensions and retiree medical care); provided, further that Indebtedness will be calculated without giving effect to the effects of Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and related interpretations to the extent such effects would otherwise increase or decrease an amount of Indebtedness for any purpose under this Indenture as a result of accounting for any embedded derivatives created by the terms of such Indebtedness.

Indenture” means this Indenture, as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.

Independent Assets or Operations” means, with respect to any Parent Company, that Parent Company’s total assets, revenues, income from continuing operations before income taxes and cash flows from operating activities (excluding in each case amounts related to its investment in the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries), determined in accordance with GAAP and as shown on the most recent balance sheet of such Parent Company, is more than 3.00% of such Parent Company’s corresponding consolidated amount.

Independent Financial Advisor” means an accounting, appraisal, investment banking firm or consultant of nationally recognized standing that is, in the good faith judgment of the Issuer, qualified to perform the task for which it has been engaged.

Indirect Participant” means a Person who holds a beneficial interest in a Global Note through a Participant.

Initial Notes” means the initial $530,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under this Indenture on the Issue Date.

Initial Purchasers” means Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, TD Securities (USA) LLC and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.

Interest Payment Date” means April 15 and October 15 of each year to stated maturity, beginning October 15, 2017.

 

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Investment Grade Rating” means a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody’s and BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P, or an equivalent rating by any other Rating Agency selected by the Issuer.

Investment Grade Securities” means:

(1) securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof (other than Cash Equivalents);

(2) debt securities or debt instruments with an Investment Grade Rating, but excluding any debt securities or debt instruments constituting loans or advances among the Issuer and its Subsidiaries;

(3) investments in any fund that invests substantially all of its assets in investments of the type described in clauses (1) and (2) of this definition which fund may also hold immaterial amounts of cash pending investment or distribution; and

(4) corresponding instruments in countries other than the United States customarily utilized for high quality investments.

Investments” means, with respect to any Person, all investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the form of loans (including guarantees), advances or capital contributions (excluding accounts receivable, credit card and debit card receivables, trade credit, advances to customers, commission, travel and similar advances to employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants and independent contractors, in each case made in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice) or purchases or other acquisitions for consideration of Indebtedness, Equity Interests or other securities issued by any other Person. For purposes of the definitions of “Permitted Investments” and “Unrestricted Subsidiary” and Section 4.07:

(1) “Investments” will include the portion (proportionate to the Issuer’s Equity Interest in such Subsidiary) of the fair market value of the net assets of a Subsidiary of the Issuer at the time that such Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided that upon a redesignation of such Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, the Issuer will be deemed to continue to have a permanent “Investment” in an Unrestricted Subsidiary in an amount (if positive) equal to:

(a) the Issuer’s “Investment” in such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation; minus

(b) the portion (proportionate to the Issuer’s Equity Interest in such Subsidiary) of the fair market value of the net assets of such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation; and

(2) any property transferred to or from an Unrestricted Subsidiary will be valued at its fair market value at the time of such transfer.

The amount of any Investment outstanding at any time will be the original cost of such Investment, reduced by any dividend, distribution, interest payment, return of capital, repayment or other amount received in cash by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in respect of such Investment.

 

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Issue Date” means April 13, 2017.

Issuer” means Chobani, LLC and its successors.

Issuers” means the Issuer and the Co-Issuer, collectively.

Issuers’ Order” means a written request or order signed on behalf of the Issuers by an Officer of each Issuer, who must be the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer, the treasurer or the principal accounting officer of the applicable Issuer, and delivered to the Trustee.

Legal Holiday” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banking institutions are not required to be open in the State of New York or at the place of payment.

Lien” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien (statutory or otherwise), pledge, hypothecation, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such 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 thereof, 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; provided that in no event will an operating lease be deemed to constitute a Lien.

Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor to its rating agency business.

Net Income” means, with respect to any Person, the net income (loss) of such Person, determined in accordance with GAAP and before any reduction in respect of Preferred Stock dividends.

Net Proceeds” means the aggregate cash and Cash Equivalents received by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in respect of any Asset Sale, including any cash and Cash Equivalents received upon the sale or other disposition of any Designated Non-Cash Consideration received in any Asset Sale, net of the costs relating to such Asset Sale and the sale or disposition of such Designated Non-Cash Consideration, including legal, accounting and investment banking fees, payments made in order to obtain a necessary consent or required by applicable law, brokerage and sales commissions, title insurance premiums, related search and recording charges, survey costs and mortgage recording tax paid in connection therewith, all dividends, distributions or other payments required to be made to minority interest holders in Restricted Subsidiaries as a result of any such Asset Sale by a Restricted Subsidiary, the amount of any purchase price or similar adjustment claimed by any Person to be owed by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, until such time as such claim will have been settled or otherwise finally resolved, or paid or payable by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, in either case in respect of such Asset Sale, any relocation expenses incurred as a result thereof, costs and expenses in connection with unwinding any Hedging Obligation in connection therewith, other fees and expenses, including title and recordation expenses, taxes paid or payable as a result thereof or any transactions occurring or deemed to occur to effectuate a payment under this Indenture, amounts required to be applied to the repayment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on Indebtedness (other than Subordinated Indebtedness) or amounts required to be applied to the repayments of

 

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Indebtedness secured by a Lien on such assets and required (other than required by Section 4.10(b)(1)) to be paid as a result of such transaction and any deduction of appropriate amounts to be provided by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary as a reserve in accordance with GAAP against any liabilities associated with the asset disposed of in such transaction and retained by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary after such sale or other disposition thereof, including pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities and liabilities related to environmental matters or against any indemnification obligations associated with such transaction.

NMTC” means the New Markets Tax Credit Program administered by the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund under the U.S. Treasury Department.

Non-Recourse Indebtedness” means Indebtedness that is non-recourse to the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries.

Non-U.S. Person” means a Person who is not a U.S. Person.

Notes” has the meaning assigned to it in the recitals to this Indenture. Except as otherwise provided in this Indenture, the Initial Notes and the Additional Notes shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, and unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the Notes shall include the Initial Notes and any Additional Notes.

Obligations” means any principal, interest (including any interest accruing on or subsequent to the filing of a petition in bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, whether or not such interest is an allowed claim under applicable state, federal or foreign law), premium, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements (including reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit and banker’s acceptances), damages and other liabilities, and guarantees of payment of such principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities, payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.

Offering Memorandum” means the offering memorandum, dated March 30, 2017, relating to the sale of the Initial Notes.

Officer” means the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, the President, any Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Issuer or any Person. Unless otherwise indicated, Officer shall refer to an officer of the Issuer.

Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed on behalf of a Person by an Officer of such Person that meets the requirements set forth in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee, provided, however, that if no particular Person is referenced, an Officer’s Certificate shall be deemed to be an Officer’s Certificate of the Issuer.

Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Issuer or the Parent Guarantor.

ordinary course of business” means activity conducted in the ordinary course of business of the Issuer and any Restricted Subsidiary.

 

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Parent Company” means any Person that is a direct or indirect parent (which may be organized as, among other things, a partnership) of the Issuer.

Parent Guarantor” means Chobani Global Holdings, LLC and any Successor Person in respect thereof.

Participant” means, with respect to the Depositary, a Person who has an account with the Depositary (and, with respect to DTC, shall include Euroclear and Clearstream).

Permitted Asset Swap” means the substantially concurrent purchase and sale or exchange of Related Business Assets or a combination of Related Business Assets and cash or Cash Equivalents between the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary and another Person; provided that any cash or Cash Equivalents received in connection with a Permitted Asset Swap that constitutes an Asset Sale must be applied in accordance with Section 4.10.

Permitted Holder” means (1) (i) Hamdi Ulukaya and (a) his estate, executor, administrator, testamentary trustee, legatee or beneficiaries, (b) his spouse, parents, siblings, members of his immediate family (including adopted children and step-children) and/or direct lineal descendants, (c) a trust, the beneficiaries of which, or a corporation, limited liability company or partnership, the stockholders, members or partners of which, including only Hamdi Ulukaya and his spouse, parents, siblings, members of his immediate family (including adopted children and step-children) and/or other direct lineal descendants, (d) the Chobani Foundation and (e) the Tent Foundation, (ii) the Sponsor and (iii) and any group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) of which any of the Persons described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) are members; provided that in the case of such group and without giving effect to the existence of such group or any other group, such Persons, collectively, have directly or indirectly, beneficial ownership of more than 50.00% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Parent Guarantor or any Permitted Parent and (2) any Person acting in the capacity of an underwriter (solely to the extent that and for so long as such Person is acting in such capacity) in connection with a public or private offering of Capital Stock of the Parent Guarantor or any Parent Company. Any Person or group whose acquisition of beneficial ownership constitutes a Change of Control in respect of which any required Change of Control Offer is made in accordance with the requirements of this Indenture (or would have required a Change of Control Offer in the absence of the waiver of such requirement by Holders in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture) will thereafter, together with its Affiliates, constitute an additional Permitted Holder.

Permitted Incremental Amount” means such amount of Indebtedness equal to the greater of (i) the Permitted Incremental Starter Amount, or (ii) an amount that would not result in the Parent Guarantor’s Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio exceeding 4.00 to 1.00 for the Parent Guarantor’s most recently ended Test Period (or in the case of Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, on the date such Designated Revolving Commitments are established after giving pro forma effect to the incurrence of the entire committed amount of the Indebtedness thereunder, in which case such committed amount under such Designated Revolving Commitments may thereafter be borrowed and reborrowed, in whole or in part, from time to time, without further compliance with this sentence) determined on a pro forma basis, including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom, as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred and the application of proceeds occurred on the last day of such Test Period (provided that for purposes of determining the amount that may be incurred under this definition, (I) all Indebtedness then being incurred pursuant to this definition on such date in reliance on this definition shall be deemed to be included as Consolidated Secured Debt in clause (a) of the

 

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definition of “Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio” and (II) any cash proceeds of any new Indebtedness then being incurred shall not be netted from the numerator in the Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio for purposes of calculating the Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio under this definition for purposes of determining whether such Indebtedness can be incurred).

Permitted Incremental Starter Amount” means $90.0 million; provided, that from and after the first date (an “Incremental Starter Step-Up Date”) on which the Parent Guarantor’s Total Net Leverage Ratio for the Parent Guarantor’s most recently ended Test Period is within one of the levels set forth below, the Permitted Incremental Starter Amount shall immediately and automatically be increased to the dollar amount set forth opposite such higher incremental starter step-up level below (the “Incremental Starter Step-Up Level”); provided, further, that, for the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall the Permitted Incremental Starter Amount be decreased after any Incremental Starter Step-Up Date.

 

Incremental Starter Step-Up Level

   Total Net Leverage Ratio    Starter Amount  

1

   <6.50:1.00 and >6.25:1.00    $ 135.0 million  

2

   <6.25:1.00    $ 180.0 million  

Permitted Investments” means:

(1) any Investment in the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (including guarantees of obligations of the Restricted Subsidiaries);

(2) any Investment in Cash Equivalents or Investment Grade Securities and Investments that were Cash Equivalents or Investment Grade Securities when made;

(3) any Investment by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in a Person that is engaged (directly or through entities that will be Restricted Subsidiaries) in a Similar Business, or in a business unit, line of business or division of such Person, if as a result of such Investment:

(a) such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; or

(b) such Person, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, is amalgamated, merged or consolidated with or into, or transfers or conveys substantially all of its assets or assets constituting such business unit, line of business or division in which such Investment was made, as applicable, to, or is liquidated into, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary;

and, in each case, any Investment held by such Person; provided that such Investment was not acquired by such Person in contemplation of such acquisition, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, transfer or conveyance;

(4) any Investment in securities or other assets not constituting Cash Equivalents or Investment Grade Securities and received in connection with an Asset Sale made pursuant to the provisions described under Section 4.10 or any other disposition of assets not constituting an Asset Sale;

 

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(5) any Investment existing on the Issue Date or made pursuant to binding commitments in effect on the Issue Date or an Investment consisting of any extension, modification, replacement, renewal or reinvestment of any Investment or binding commitment existing on the Issue Date; provided that the amount of any such Investment or binding commitment may be increased only (a) as required by the terms of such Investment or binding commitment as in existence on the Issue Date (including as a result of the accrual or accretion of interest or original issue discount or the issuance of pay-in-kind securities) or (b) as otherwise permitted under this Indenture;

(6) any Investment acquired by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary:

(a) in exchange for any other Investment, accounts receivable or indorsements for collection or deposit held by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with or as a result of a bankruptcy, workout, reorganization or recapitalization of, or settlement of delinquent accounts and disputes with or judgments against, the issuer of such other Investment or accounts receivable (including any trade creditor or customer);

(b) in satisfaction of judgments against other Persons;

(c) as a result of a foreclosure by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer of title with respect to any secured Investment in default; or

(d) as a result of the settlement, compromise or resolution of (i) litigation, arbitration or other disputes or (ii) obligations of trade creditors or customers that were incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, including pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of any trade creditor or customer.

(7) Hedging Obligations permitted under Section 4.09(b)(10);

(8) any Investment in a Similar Business, taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (8) that are at that time outstanding, not to exceed (as of the date such Investment is made) the greater of (a) $70.0 million and (b) 35.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor determined at the time of making of such Investment for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis);

(9) Investments the payment for which consists of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer or any Parent Company; provided that such Equity Interests will not increase the amount available for Restricted Payments under Section 4.07(a)(3);

(10) (a) guarantees of Indebtedness permitted under Section 4.09, performance guarantees and Contingent Obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice and (b) the creation of Liens on the assets of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in compliance with Section 4.12;

(11) any transaction to the extent it constitutes an Investment that is permitted by and made in accordance with Section 4.11(b) (except transactions described in clause (2), (5), (8), (9), (15) or (22) of such Section);

 

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(12) Investments consisting of purchases and acquisitions of inventory, supplies, material, services, equipment or similar assets or the licensing or contribution of intellectual property pursuant to joint marketing arrangements with other Persons;

(13) Investments, taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (13) that are at that time outstanding, not to exceed (as of the date such Investment is made) the greater of (a) $70.0 million and (b) 35.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor determined at the time of making of such Investment for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis);

(14) Investments in or relating to a Securitization Subsidiary that, in the good faith determination of the Issuer, are necessary or advisable to effect any Qualified Securitization Facility (including distributions or payments of Securitization Fees) or any repurchase obligation in connection therewith (including the contribution or lending of Cash Equivalents to Subsidiaries to finance the purchase of such assets from the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or to otherwise fund required reserves);

(15) loans and advances to, or guarantees of Indebtedness of, officers, directors, employees, consultants, members of management and independent contractors not in excess of $15.0 million outstanding at any one time, in the aggregate;

(16) loans and advances to employees, directors, officers, members of management, independent contractors and consultants for business-related travel expenses, moving expenses, payroll advances and other similar expenses or payroll expenses, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice or consistent with industry practice or to future, present and former employees, directors, officers, members of management, independent contractors and consultants (and their Controlled Investment Affiliates and Immediate Family Members) to fund such Person’s purchase of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Parent Company;

(17) advances, loans or extensions of trade credit or prepayments to suppliers or loans or advances made to distributors, in each case, in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice or consistent with industry practice;

(18) any Investment in any Subsidiary or any joint venture in connection with intercompany cash management arrangements or related activities arising in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(19) Investments consisting of purchases and acquisitions of assets or services in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(20) [Reserved];

(21) Investments in prepaid expenses, negotiable instruments held for collection and lease, utility and workers compensation, performance and similar deposits entered into as a result of the operations of the business in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(22) the purchase or other acquisition of any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent not otherwise prohibited hereunder;

 

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(23) Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries or joint ventures, taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (23) that are at that time outstanding, without giving effect to the sale of an Unrestricted Subsidiary or joint venture to the extent the proceeds of such sale do not consist of, or have not been subsequently sold or transferred for, Cash Equivalents or marketable securities, not to exceed (as of the date such Investment is made) the greater of (a) $40.0 million and (b) 20.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor determined at the time of making of such Investment for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis);

(24) Investments in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice consisting of Uniform Commercial Code Article 3 endorsements for collection or deposit and Article 4 customary trade arrangements with customers;

(25) any Investment by any Captive Insurance Subsidiary in connection with its provision of insurance to the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries, which Investment is made in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice of such Captive Insurance Subsidiary, or by reason of applicable law, rule, regulation or order, or that is required or approved by any regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such Captive Insurance Subsidiary or its business, as applicable;

(26) [Reserved];

(27) Investments of assets relating to non-qualified deferred payment plans in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(28) intercompany current liabilities owed to Unrestricted Subsidiaries or joint ventures incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice in connection with the cash management operations of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries;

(29) acquisitions of obligations of one or more directors, officers or other employees or consultants or independent contractors of any Parent Company, the Issuer or any Subsidiary of the Issuer in connection with such director’s, officer’s, employee’s, consultant’s or independent contractor’s acquisition of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any direct or indirect parent of the Issuer, to the extent no cash is actually advanced by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to such directors, officers, employees, consultants or independent contractors in connection with the acquisition of any such obligations;

(30) Investments resulting from pledges and deposits permitted pursuant to the definition of “Permitted Liens”;

(31) loans and advances to any direct or indirect parent of the Issuer in lieu of and not in excess of the amount of (after giving effect to any other loans, advances or Restricted Payments in respect thereof) Restricted Payments to the extent permitted to be made in cash to such parent in accordance with Section 4.07 at such time, such Investment being treated for purposes of the applicable clause of Section 4.07, including any limitations, as if a Restricted Payment were made pursuant to such applicable clause;

 

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(32) any other Investments if on a pro forma basis after giving effect to such Investment, the Total Net Leverage Ratio would be equal to or less than 4.50 to 1.00 as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended; and

(33) Investments constituting promissory notes or other non-cash proceeds of dispositions of assets to the extent permitted under Section 4.10.

For purposes of determining compliance with this definition, (A) an Investment need not be incurred solely by reference to one category of Permitted Investments described in this definition but is permitted to be incurred in part under any combination thereof and of any other available exemption and (B) in the event that an Investment (or any portion thereof) meets the criteria of one or more of the categories of Permitted Investments, the Issuer will, in its sole discretion, divide and classify (and later divide, classify and re-divide and re-classify) such Investment (or any portion thereof) in any manner that complies with this definition and Section 4.07.

Permitted Liens” means, with respect to any Person:

(1) Liens securing (i) Obligations in respect of the Notes and the Guarantees, (ii) securing Obligations in respect of Indebtedness subordinated to the Notes or any Guarantee so long as the Notes and Guarantees are secured by a Lien on the same assets that is senior in priority to such Lien and (iii) any Obligations so long as the Notes and any Guarantees are equally and ratably secured;

(2) Liens securing Obligations in respect of Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under any Credit Facility, including any letter of credit facility relating thereto, that was permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(1);

(3) Liens securing Obligations in respect of Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under Section 4.09; provided that at the time of incurrence (or, in the case of Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, on the date such Designated Revolving Commitments are established after giving pro forma effect to the incurrence of the entire committed amount of Indebtedness thereunder, in which case such committed amount under such Designated Revolving Commitments may thereafter be borrowed and reborrowed, in whole or in part, from time to time, without further compliance with this subclause) and after giving pro forma effect thereto and the application of the net proceeds therefrom, the Issuer’s Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio for the most recently ended Test Period preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred would not exceed 4.00 to 1.00;

(4) Liens, pledges or deposits by such Person made in connection with (A) workers’ compensation laws, unemployment insurance, health, disability or employee benefits or other social security laws or similar legislation or regulations, (B) insurance-related obligations (including, in respect of deductibles, self-insured retention amounts and premiums and adjustments thereto) or indemnification obligations of (including obligations in respect of letters of credit, bank guarantees or similar documents or instruments for the benefit of) insurance carriers providing property, casualty or liability insurance, or otherwise supporting the payment of items set forth in the foregoing clause (A), or (C) bids, tenders, contracts, statutory obligations, surety, indemnity, warranty, release, appeal or similar bonds, or with regard to other regulatory requirements, completion guarantees, stay, customs and appeal bonds, performance bonds, bankers’

 

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acceptance facilities, and other obligations of like nature (including those to secure health, safety and environmental obligations) (other than for the payment of Indebtedness) or leases to which such Person is a party, or deposits to secure public or statutory obligations of such Person or deposits of cash, Cash Equivalents or U.S. government bonds to secure surety or appeal bonds to which such Person is a party, or deposits as security for the payment of rent, contested taxes or import duties and obligations in respect of letters of credit, bank guarantees or similar instruments that have been posted to support the same, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(5) Liens imposed by law, such as landlords’, carriers’, warehousemen’s, materialmen’s, repairmen’s, construction and mechanics’ Liens and other similar Liens, or similar landlord Liens specifically created by contract, and (i) for sums not yet overdue for a period of more than 60 days or, if more than 60 days overdue, are unfiled and no other action has been taken to enforce such Liens or (ii) for amounts being contested in good faith by appropriate actions or other Liens arising out of or securing judgments or awards against such Person with respect to which such Person will then be proceeding with an appeal or other proceedings for review if such Liens are adequately bonded or adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of such Person in accordance with GAAP;

(6) Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges not yet overdue for a period of more than 30 days or not yet payable or not subject to penalties for nonpayment or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate actions if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of such Person in accordance with GAAP;

(7) Liens in favor of issuers of performance, surety, bid, indemnity, warranty, release, appeal or similar bonds, instruments or obligations or with respect to regulatory requirements or letters of credit or bankers’ acceptance issued, and completion guarantees provided for, in each case, issued pursuant to the request of and for the account of such Person in the ordinary course of its business or consistent with past practice or industry practice;

(8) survey exceptions, encumbrances, ground leases, easements, restrictions, protrusions, encroachments or reservations of, or rights of others for, licenses, rights-of-way, servitudes, sewers, electric lines, drains, telegraph, telephone and cable television lines and other similar purposes, or zoning, building codes or other restrictions (including minor defects or irregularities in title and similar encumbrances) as to the use of real properties or Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of such Person or to the ownership of its properties that were not incurred in connection with Indebtedness and that do not in the aggregate materially impair their use in the operation of the business of such Person and exceptions on Mortgage Policies (as defined in the Senior Credit Facilities) insuring Liens granted on Mortgaged Properties (as defined in the Senior Credit Facilities);

 

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(9) Liens securing obligations in respect of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock permitted to be incurred or issued pursuant to Sections 4.09(b)(4), (6), (12), (13), (15), (23) or (30) or, with respect to assumed Indebtedness not incurred in contemplation of the relevant acquisition, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock only, Section 4.09(b)(14); provided that:

(a) Liens securing obligations relating to any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock permitted to be incurred or issued pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(13) relate only to obligations relating to Refinancing Indebtedness that is secured by Liens on the same assets as the assets securing the Refinanced Debt (as defined in the definition of “Refinancing Indebtedness”), plus improvements, accessions, proceeds or dividends or distributions in respect thereof and after-acquired property, or serves to refund, refinance, extend, replace, renew or defease Indebtedness incurred under Sections 4.09(b)(4), (12) or (13),

(b) Liens securing obligations relating to Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(23) or (30) extend only to the assets of Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors,

(c) Liens securing obligations in respect of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(4) extend only to the assets so purchased, replaced, leased or improved and proceeds and products thereof; provided, further that individual financings of assets provided by a counterparty may be cross-collateralized to other financings of assets provided by such counterparty and

(d) Liens securing obligations in respect of Indebtedness permitted to be assumed pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(14) are solely on acquired property or the assets of the acquired entity (other than after acquired property that is (A) affixed or incorporated into the property covered by such Lien, (B) after acquired property subject to a Lien securing such Indebtedness, the terms of which Indebtedness require or include a pledge of after acquired property (it being understood that such requirement shall not be permitted to apply to any property to which such requirement would not have applied but for such acquisition) and (C) the proceeds and products thereof);

(10) Liens existing, or provided for under binding contracts existing, on the Issue Date;

(11) Liens on property or shares of stock or other assets of a Person at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary; provided that such Liens are not created or incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person becoming such a Subsidiary;

(12) Liens on property or other assets at the time the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary acquired the property or such other assets, including any acquisition by means of a merger, amalgamation or consolidation with or into the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (provided that such Liens are not created or incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such acquisition, amalgamation, merger or consolidation) and any replacement, extension or renewal of any such Lien (to the extent the Indebtedness and other obligations secured by such replacement, extension or renewal Liens are permitted by this Indenture); provided that such replacement, extension or renewal Liens do not cover any property other than the property that was subject to such Liens prior to such replacement, extension or renewal;

 

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(13) Liens securing obligations in respect of Indebtedness or other obligations of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary permitted to be incurred in accordance with Section 4.09;

(14) Liens securing (x) Hedging Obligations and (y) obligations in respect of Cash Management Services;

(15) Liens on specific items of inventory or other goods and proceeds of any Person securing such Person’s accounts payable or similar obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances or letters of credit issued or created for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods;

(16) leases, subleases, licenses or sublicenses (or other agreement under which the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary has granted rights to end users to access and use the Issuer’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s products, technologies or services) that do not either (a) materially interfere with the business of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) secure any Indebtedness;

(17) Liens arising from Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent statutes) financing statement filings regarding operating leases, consignments or accounts entered into by the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice or purported Liens evidenced by the filing of precautionary Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent statutes) financing statements or similar public filings;

(18) Liens in favor of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor;

(19) Liens on equipment or vehicles of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary granted in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(20) Liens on accounts receivable, Securitization Assets and related assets incurred in connection with a Qualified Securitization Facility and Liens on any receivables transferred in connection with a Receivables Financing Transaction, including Liens on such receivables resulting from precautionary Uniform Commercial Code filings or from recharacterization of any such sale as a financing or a loan;

(21) Liens to secure any modification, refinancing, refunding, extension, renewal or replacement (or successive modification, refinancing, refunding, extensions, renewals or replacements) as a whole, or in part, of any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock secured by any Lien referred to in clauses (3), (9), (10), (11), (12) or this clause (21) of this definition; provided that (a) such new Lien will be limited to all or part of the same property that secured the original Lien (plus improvements, accessions, proceeds or dividends or distributions in respect thereof and after-acquired property) and (b) the Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock secured by such Lien at such time is not increased to any amount greater than the sum of (i) the outstanding principal amount or, if greater, committed amount of the Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock described under clauses (3), (9), (10), (11), (12) or this clause (21) of this definition at the time the original Lien became a Permitted Lien under this Indenture, plus (ii) any accrued and unpaid interest on the Indebtedness, any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on the Disqualified Stock, and any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock being so refinanced, extended, replaced,

 

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refunded, renewed or defeased plus (iii) the amount of any tender premium or penalty or premium required to be paid under the terms of the instrument or documents governing such refinanced Indebtedness and any defeasance costs and any fees and expenses (including original issue discount, upfront fees or similar fees) incurred in connection with the issuance of such new Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock or the extension, replacement, refunding, refinancing, renewal or defeasance of such refinanced Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock;

(22) deposits made or other security provided to secure liability to insurance brokers, carriers, underwriters or self-insurance arrangements, including Liens on insurance policies and the proceeds thereof securing the financing of the premiums with respect thereto;

(23) other Liens securing obligations in an aggregate outstanding amount not to exceed (as of the date any such Lien is incurred) the greater of (i) $70.0 million and (ii) 35.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor determined at the time of incurrence of such Lien for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis);

(24) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods;

(25) (i) the prior rights of consignees and their lenders under consignment arrangements entered into in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, (ii) Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention or similar arrangements for the sale of goods in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice and (iii) Liens arising by operation of law under Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code;

(26) Liens securing judgments for the payment of money not constituting an Event of Default under Section 6.01(5);

(27) Liens (a) of a collection bank arising under Section 4-208 or 4-210 of the Uniform Commercial Code on items in the course of collection, (b) attaching to commodity trading accounts or other brokerage accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, and (c) in favor of banking or other institutions or other electronic payment service providers arising as a matter of law or under general terms and conditions encumbering deposits or margin deposits or other funds maintained with such institution (including the right of set-off) and that are within the general parameters customary in the banking industry;

(28) Liens deemed to exist in connection with Investments in repurchase agreements permitted under this Indenture; provided that such Liens do not extend to assets other than those that are subject to such repurchase agreements;

(29) Liens that are contractual rights of set-off (a) relating to the establishment of depository relations with banks or other deposit-taking financial institutions or other electronic payment service providers and not given in connection with the issuance of Indebtedness, (b) relating to pooled deposit or sweep accounts to permit satisfaction of overdraft or similar obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice or (c) relating to purchase orders and other agreements entered into with customers of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

 

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(30) Liens on cash proceeds (as defined in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code) of assets sold that were subject to a Lien permitted hereunder;

(31) any encumbrance or restriction (including put, call arrangements, tag, drag, right of first refusal and similar rights) with respect to Capital Stock of any joint venture or similar arrangement pursuant to any joint venture or similar agreement;

(32) Liens (a) on cash advances or cash earnest money deposits in favor of the seller of any property to be acquired in an Investment permitted under this Indenture to be applied against the purchase price for such Investment and (b) consisting of a letter of intent or an agreement to sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of any property in a transaction permitted pursuant to Section 4.10;

(33) ground leases, subleases, licenses or sublicenses entered into by the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries as tenant, subtenant, licensee or sublicensee in respect of real property on which facilities owned or leased by the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries are located;

(34) Liens in connection with a Sale and Lease-Back Transaction;

(35) Liens on Capital Stock or other securities of an Unrestricted Subsidiary;

(36) any interest or title of a lessor, sublessor, licensor or sublicensor or secured by a lessor’s, sublessor’s, licensor’s or sublicensor’s interest under leases or licenses entered into by the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries as tenant, subtenant, licensee or sublicensee in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(37) deposits of cash with the owner or lessor of premises leased and operated by the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice to secure the performance of the Issuer’s or such Subsidiary’s obligations under the terms of the lease for such premises;

(38) rights of set-off, banker’s liens, netting arrangements and other Liens arising by operation of law or by the terms of documents of banks or other financial institutions in relation to the maintenance or administration of deposit accounts, securities accounts, cash management arrangements or in connection with the issuance of letters of credit, bank guarantees or other similar instruments;

(39) Liens on cash and Cash Equivalents used to satisfy or discharge Indebtedness; provided that such satisfaction or discharge is permitted under this Indenture;

(40) receipt of progress payments and advances from customers in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice to the extent the same creates a Lien on the related inventory and proceeds thereof and Liens on property or assets under construction arising from progress or partial payments by a third party relating to such property or assets;

 

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(41) agreements to subordinate any interest of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in any accounts receivable or other proceeds arising from inventory consigned by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to an agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(42) Liens securing Guarantees of any Indebtedness or other obligations otherwise permitted to be secured by a Lien under this Indenture (excluding Guarantees of any Indebtedness or other obligations permitted to be secured pursuant to clause (49) of this definition);

(43) Liens arising pursuant to Section 107(l) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act or similar provision of any environmental law;

(44) Liens disclosed by the title insurance reports or policies delivered on or prior to the Issue Date and any replacement, extension or renewal of any such Lien (to the extent the Indebtedness and other obligations secured by such replacement, extension or renewal Liens are permitted by this Indenture); provided that such replacement, extension or renewal Liens do not cover any property other than the property that was subject to such Liens prior to such replacement, extension or renewal;

(45) rights reserved or vested in any Person by the terms of any lease, license, franchise, grant or permit held by the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries or by a statutory provision, to terminate any such lease, license, franchise, grant or permit, or to require annual or periodic payments as a condition to the continuance thereof;

(46) restrictive covenants affecting the use to which real property may be put; provided that the covenants are complied with;

(47) security given to a public utility or any municipality or Governmental Authority when required by such utility or authority in connection with the operations of that Person in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(48) zoning, building and other similar land use restrictions, including, without limitation, site plan agreements, development agreements and contract zoning agreements;

(49) Liens on assets of Restricted Subsidiaries that are Foreign Subsidiaries or are not Guarantors (i) securing Indebtedness and other obligations of such Restricted Subsidiaries or (ii) to the extent arising mandatorily under applicable law;

(50) Liens on Escrowed Proceeds for the benefit of the related holders of debt securities or other Indebtedness (or the underwriters, trustee, escrow agent or arrangers thereof) or on cash set aside at the time of the incurrence of any Indebtedness or government securities purchased with such cash, in either case to the extent such cash or government securities prefund the payment of interest on such Indebtedness and are held in an escrow account or similar arrangement to be applied for such purpose;

(51) Liens on the Project Property securing the Project Indebtedness;

 

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(52) Liens on Additional Project Property securing the Additional Project Indebtedness, the proceeds of which were used to acquire, renovate or improve such Additional Project Property; and

(53) Liens on the assets of Restricted Subsidiaries that are not the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor securing Indebtedness or other obligations of such Restricted Subsidiaries or any other Restricted Subsidiaries that are not the Co-Issuer or Guarantors that is permitted under Section 4.09(b) or otherwise not prohibited by this Indenture.

If any Liens securing obligations are incurred to refinance Liens securing obligations initially incurred in reliance on a basket measured by reference to a percentage of Consolidated EBITDA, and such refinancing would cause the percentage of Consolidated EBITDA to be exceeded if calculated based on the Consolidated EBITDA on the date of such refinancing, such percentage of Consolidated EBITDA will not be deemed to be exceeded to the extent the principal amount of such obligations secured by such newly incurred Lien does not exceed the principal amount of such obligations secured by such Liens being refinanced, plus any accrued and unpaid interest on the Indebtedness (and with respect to Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, including an amount equal to any unutilized Designated Revolving Commitments being refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased to the extent permanently terminated at the time of incurrence of such Refinancing Indebtedness) plus the amount of any tender premium or penalty or premium required to be paid under the terms of the instrument or documents governing such refinanced Indebtedness, and any defeasance costs and any fees and expenses (including original issue discount, upfront fees or similar fees) incurred in connection with the issuance of such new Indebtedness, or the extension, replacement, refunding, refinancing, renewal or defeasance of such refinanced Indebtedness.

For purposes of this definition, the term “Indebtedness” will be deemed to include interest and other obligations payable on and with respect to such Indebtedness.

Permitted Parent” means any direct or indirect parent of the Parent Guarantor that at the time it became a parent of the Parent Guarantor was a Permitted Holder pursuant to clause (1) of the definition thereof.

Person” means any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

Preferred Stock” means any Equity Interest with preferential rights of payment of dividends or distributions or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up.

Private Placement Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(i) hereof to be placed on all Notes issued under this Indenture, except where otherwise permitted by the provisions of this Indenture.

Project Documents” means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of August 5, 2011, between the Issuer, Banc of America CDE III, LLC and certain other lenders from time to time a party thereto, along with any other document, agreement or instrument relating to the Project Indebtedness, in each case as amended, amended and restated, modified, supplemented and/or refinanced from time to time to the extent not prohibited by the Project Intercreditor Agreement.

 

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Project Indebtedness” means NMTC loans in an original aggregate principal amount of $68,519,000 advanced to the Issuer to finance the expansion and upgrade of the Issuer’s manufacturing operations at its existing 669-670 County Route 25, New Berlin, New York manufacturing facility.

Project Intercreditor Agreement” means that certain Intercreditor Agreement, dated as of August 5, 2011, between and among Bank of America, Banc of America CDE III, LLC and Agro-Farma, Inc.

Project Property” means the property described as collateral in that certain Uniform Commercial Code financing statement filed against the Issuer in favor of Banc of America CDE III, LLC, as the secured party, filed on March 7, 2014 with the Delaware Secretary of State as such financing statement may be continued, amended, amended and restated or modified from time to time; provided, however, that the property described therein may not be increased other than as a result of replacements or improvements to such property, and/or with respect to proceeds thereof.

Purchase Money Obligations” means any Indebtedness incurred to finance or refinance the acquisition, leasing, construction or improvement of property (real or personal) or assets (other than Capital Stock), and whether acquired through the direct acquisition of such property or assets, or otherwise.

QIB” means a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A.

Qualified Equity Interests” means Equity Interests that are not Disqualified Stock.

Qualified Proceeds” means the fair market value of assets that are used or useful in, or Capital Stock of any Person engaged in, a Similar Business.

Qualified Securitization Facility” means any Securitization Facility (i) constituting a securitization financing facility that meets the following conditions: (a) the Board of Directors will have determined in good faith that such Securitization Facility (including financing terms, covenants, termination events and other provisions) is in the aggregate economically fair and reasonable to the Issuer and the applicable Restricted Subsidiary or Securitization Subsidiary and (b) all sales and/or contributions of Securitization Assets and related assets to the applicable Person or Securitization Subsidiary are made at fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Issuer) or (ii) constituting a receivables financing facility.

Rating Agencies” means Moody’s and S&P or if Moody’s or S&P or if both do not make a rating on the Notes publicly available, a nationally recognized statistical rating agency or agencies, as the case may be, selected by the Issuer which will be substituted for Moody’s or S&P or both, as the case may be.

Receivables Financing Transaction” means any transaction or series of transactions entered into by the Issuer, Co-Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to which such party consummates a “true sale” of its receivables to a nonrelated third party on market terms as determined in good faith by the Issuer; provided that such Receivables Financing Transaction is (i) non-recourse to the Issuer, Co-Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries and their assets, other than any recourse solely attributable to a breach by the Issuer, Co-Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of representations and warranties that are customarily made by a seller in connection with a “true sale” of receivables on a non-recourse basis and (ii) consummated pursuant to customary contracts, arrangements or agreements entered into with respect to the “true sale” of receivables on market terms for similar transactions.

 

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Record Date” for the interest payable on any applicable Interest Payment Date means the April 1 and October 1 (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date.

Refinance” has the meaning assigned in the definition of “Refinancing Indebtedness” and “Refinancing” and “Refinanced” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

Refinanced Debt” has the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of “Refinancing Indebtedness.”

Refinancing Indebtedness” means (i) Indebtedness incurred by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) Disqualified Stock issued by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or (iii) Preferred Stock issued by any Restricted Subsidiary which, in each case, serves to extend, replace, refund, refinance, renew or defease (“Refinance”) any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, including Refinancing Indebtedness, so long as:

(1) the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of such new Indebtedness, the amount of such new Preferred Stock or the liquidation preference of such new Disqualified Stock does not exceed (a) the principal amount of (or accreted value, if applicable) the Indebtedness, the amount of the Preferred Stock or the liquidation preference of the Disqualified Stock being so extended, replaced, refunded, refinanced, renewed or defeased (such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, the “Refinanced Debt”), plus (b) any accrued and unpaid interest on, or any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on, such Refinanced Debt, plus (c) the amount of any tender premium or penalty or premium required to be paid under the terms of the instrument or documents governing such Refinanced Debt and any defeasance costs and any fees and expenses (including original issue discount, upfront fees or similar fees) incurred in connection with the issuance of such new Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock or to Refinance such Refinanced Debt (such amounts in clauses (b) and (c), the “Incremental Amounts”);

(2) such Refinancing Indebtedness has a:

(a) Weighted Average Life to Maturity at the time such Refinancing Indebtedness is incurred that is not less than the remaining Weighted Average Life to Maturity of the applicable Refinanced Debt;

(b) final scheduled maturity date equal to or later than the final scheduled maturity date of the Refinanced Debt (or, if earlier, the date that is 91 days after the maturity date of the Notes); and

(3) to the extent such Refinancing Indebtedness Refinances (i) Subordinated Indebtedness (other than Subordinated Indebtedness assumed or acquired in an acquisition and not created in contemplation thereof), unless such Refinancing constitutes a Restricted Payment permitted by Section 4.07, such Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated to the Notes or the Guarantee thereof at least to the same extent as the applicable Refinanced Debt or (ii) Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, such Refinancing Indebtedness must be Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, respectively.

 

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Refinancing Indebtedness will not include:

(a) Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of a Subsidiary of the Issuer that is not a Guarantor or the Co-Issuer that refinances Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Issuer;

(b) Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of a Subsidiary of the Issuer that is not a Guarantor or the Co-Issuer that refinances Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of a Guarantor or the Co-Issuer; or

(c) Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Issuer or Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that refinances Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of an Unrestricted Subsidiary,

and, provided, further that (x) clause (2) of this definition will not apply to any Refinancing of any Indebtedness other than Indebtedness incurred under Section 4.09(b)(2), any Subordinated Indebtedness (other than Subordinated Indebtedness assumed or acquired in an Investment or acquisition and not created in contemplation thereof), Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock and (y) Refinancing Indebtedness may be incurred in the form of a bridge or other interim credit facility intended to be Refinanced with long-term indebtedness (and such bridge or other interim credit facility shall be deemed to satisfy clause (2) of this definition so long as (x) such credit facility includes customary “rollover” provisions and (y) assuming such credit facility were to be extended pursuant to such “rollover” provisions, such extended credit facility would comply with clause (2) of this definition).

Regulation S” means Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act.

Regulation S Global Note” means a Regulation S Temporary Global Note or Regulation S Permanent Global Note, as applicable.

Regulation S Permanent Global Note” means a permanent Global Note in the form of Exhibit A hereto, bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of, and registered in the name of, the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note upon expiration of the applicable Restricted Period.

Regulation S Temporary Global Note” means a temporary Global Note in the form of Exhibit A hereto, bearing the Global Note Legend, the Private Placement Legend and the Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend and deposited with or on behalf of, and registered in the name of, the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes initially sold in reliance on Rule 903.

Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(iii) hereof.

Related Business Assets” means assets (other than Cash Equivalents) used or useful in a Similar Business; provided that any assets received by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for assets transferred by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary will not be deemed to be Related Business Assets if they consist of securities of a Person, unless upon receipt of the securities of such Person, such Person is or would become a Restricted Subsidiary.

 

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Relevant Taxable Income Category” means income or gain of the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer that is treated as (i) ordinary income or (ii) long-term capital gain or “qualified dividend income,” in each case for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Responsible Officer” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any director, vice president, assistant vice president, any trust officer or assistant trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter relating to this Indenture is referred because of such Person’s actual knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who, in each case, shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

Restricted Definitive Note” means a Definitive Note bearing, or that is required to bear, the Private Placement Legend.

Restricted Global Note” means a Global Note bearing, or that is required to bear, the Private Placement Legend.

Restricted Investment” means an Investment other than a Permitted Investment.

Restricted Period” means, in respect of any Note issued pursuant to Regulation S, the 40-day distribution compliance period (as defined in Regulation S) applicable to such Note.

Restricted Subsidiary” means, at any time, any direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor (including any Foreign Subsidiary and the Co-Issuer) that is not then an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided that upon the occurrence of an Unrestricted Subsidiary ceasing to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary, such Subsidiary will be included in the definition of “Restricted Subsidiary.” Wherever the term “Restricted Subsidiary” is used herein with respect to any Subsidiary of a referenced Person that is not the Issuer, then it will be construed to mean a Person that would be a Restricted Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor on a pro forma basis following consummation of one or a series of related transactions involving such referenced Person and the Issuer (unless such transactions would include a designation of a Subsidiary of such Person as an Unrestricted Subsidiary on a pro forma basis in accordance with this Indenture).

Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 144A” means Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 903” means Rule 903 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 904” means Rule 904 promulgated under the Securities Act.

S&P” means Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and any successor to its rating agency business.

Sale and Lease-Back Transaction” means any arrangement providing for the leasing by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of any real or tangible personal property, which property has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary to a third Person in contemplation of such leasing. The net proceeds of any Sale and Lease-Back Transaction will be determined giving effect to transaction expenses and the tax effect of such transactions (including taxes paid or payable and tax attributes used as a result of such transactions).

 

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SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.

Second Lien Facility” means the $750 million credit agreement entered into on April 23, 2014, as amended from time to time, among Greek Holdco (Debt), LLC, as administrative agent and, with TPG Greek Holdco (Debt) Co-Invest and TPG VI Greek, L.P., as lenders thereunder.

Secured Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary secured by a Lien.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

Securitization Assets” means (i) the accounts receivable, royalty or other revenue streams and other rights to payment and other assets related thereto subject to a Qualified Securitization Facility and the proceeds thereof and (ii) contract rights, lockbox accounts and records with respect to such accounts receivable and any other assets customarily transferred together with accounts receivable in a securitization financing.

Securitization Facility” means any transaction or series of securitization financings that may be entered into by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to which the Issuer or any such Restricted Subsidiary may sell, convey or otherwise transfer, or may grant a security interest in, Securitization Assets to either (a) a Person that is not the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary or (b) a Securitization Subsidiary that in turn sells such Securitization Assets to a Person that is not the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, or may grant a security interest in, any Securitization Assets of the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries.

Securitization Fees” means distributions or payments made directly or by means of discounts with respect to any participation interest issued or sold in connection with, and other fees and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel) paid to a Person that is not a Securitization Subsidiary in connection with, any Qualified Securitization Facility.

Securitization Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary formed for the purpose of, and that solely engages only in one or more Qualified Securitization Facilities and other activities reasonably related thereto.

Senior Credit Facilities” means, collectively, the senior secured term loan facility and the senior secured revolving facility under that certain credit agreement, dated as of October 7, 2016, by and among the Issuer as the U.S. Opco Borrower, Chobani Idaho, LLC, as the Idaho Borrower, Chobani Global Holdings, LLC, as Holdings, Bank of America, N.A., as the administrative agent, collateral agent, issuing bank and swing line lender, and the other lenders and other entities party thereto, including any guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, restatements, amendments and restatements, supplements, modifications, extensions, renewals, refundings, refinancings or replacements thereof and any one or more indentures or credit facilities or commercial paper facilities with banks or other institutional lenders, or investors, whether or not secured, that

 

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replace, refund, supplement or refinance any part of the loans, notes, other credit facilities or commitments thereunder, including any such replacement, refunding or refinancing facility or indenture that increases the amount borrowable thereunder or alters the maturity thereof (provided that such increase in borrowings is permitted by the covenant described under Section 4.09) or adds Restricted Subsidiaries as additional borrowers or guarantors thereunder and whether by the same or any other agent, trustee, lender or group of lenders or holders.

Senior Indebtedness” means:

(1) all Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor outstanding under the Senior Credit Facilities and the Notes and related Guarantees (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or similar proceeding or for reorganization of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor (at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, regardless of whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceedings)), and any and all other fees, expense reimbursement obligations, indemnification amounts, penalties, and other amounts (whether existing on the Issue Date or thereafter created or incurred) and all obligations of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor to reimburse any bank or other Person in respect of amounts paid under letters of credit, acceptances or other similar instruments;

(2) all (a) Hedging Obligations (and guarantees thereof) and (b) obligations in respect of Cash Management Services (and guarantees thereof), in the case of each of clauses (a) and (b), owing to a lender under the Senior Credit Facilities or any Affiliate of such lender (or any Person that was a lender or an Affiliate of such lender at the time the applicable agreement giving rise to such Hedging Obligation or Cash Management Obligations was entered into); provided that such Hedging Obligations and obligations in respect of Cash Management Services, as the case may be, are permitted to be incurred under the terms of this Indenture;

(3) any other Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor permitted to be incurred under the terms of this Indenture, unless the instrument under which such Indebtedness is incurred expressly provides that it is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or any related Guarantee; and

(4) all Obligations with respect to the items listed in the preceding clauses (1), (2) and (3);

provided that Senior Indebtedness will not include:

(a) any obligation of such Person to the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries;

(b) any liability for federal, state, local or other taxes owed or owing by such Person;

(c) any accounts payable or other liability to trade creditors arising in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

 

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(d) any Indebtedness or other Obligation of such Person which is subordinate or junior in any respect to any other Indebtedness or other Obligation of such Person;

(e) that portion of any Indebtedness which at the time of incurrence is incurred in violation of this Indenture; or

(f) any obligations under Project Indebtedness or Additional Project Indebtedness.

Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio” means, with respect to any Test Period, the ratio of (i) Consolidated Secured Debt outstanding on the last day of such Test Period minus the aggregate amount of cash and Cash Equivalents of the Parent Guarantor and the Restricted Subsidiaries on such date that (a) would not appear as “restricted” on a consolidated balance sheet of the Parent Guarantor and the Restricted Subsidiaries or (b) are restricted in favor of the Senior Credit Facilities (which may also secure other Indebtedness secured by a pari passu or junior Lien on the collateral securing the Senior Credit Facilities along with the Senior Credit Facilities), to (ii) Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for such Test Period, in each case on a pro forma basis with such pro forma adjustments as are appropriate and consistent with the pro forma provisions set forth in the definition of “Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio.”

Significant Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the SEC, as such regulation is in effect on the Issue Date; provided that notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will any Securitization Subsidiary be considered a Significant Subsidiary for purposes of Sections 6.01(4), (5) or (6).

Similar Business” means (i) any business conducted or proposed to be conducted by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary on the Issue Date or (ii) any business or other activities that are reasonably similar, ancillary, incidental, complementary or related to (including non-core incidental businesses acquired in connection with any Permitted Investment), or a reasonable extension, development or expansion of, the businesses which the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries conduct or propose to conduct on the Issue Date.

Specified Transaction” means (i) solely for the purposes of determining the applicable cash balance, any contribution of capital, including as a result of an Equity Offering, to the Issuer, in each case, in connection with an acquisition or Investment, (ii) any designation of operations or assets of the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary as discontinued operations (as defined under GAAP), (iii) any Investment that results in a Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary, (iv) any designation of a Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary or an Unrestricted Subsidiary in compliance with this Indenture, (v) any purchase or other acquisition of a business of any Person, or assets constituting a business unit, line of business or division of any Person, (vi) any Asset Sale (without regard to any de minimis thresholds set forth therein) (a) that results in a Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor or (b) of a business, business unit, line of business or division of the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, in each case whether by merger, amalgamation, consolidation or otherwise, (vii) any operational changes identified by the Issuer that have been made by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary during the Test Period or (viii) any Restricted Payment or other transaction that by the terms of this Indenture requires a financial ratio to be calculated on a pro forma basis.

Sponsor” means TPG Capital L.P. and its Affiliates (other than portfolio companies).

 

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Subordinated Indebtedness” means, with respect to the Notes:

(1) any Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer that is by its terms subordinated in right of payment to the Notes, and

(2) any Indebtedness of any Guarantor that is by its terms subordinated in right of payment to the Guarantee of such entity of the Notes.

Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person:

(1) any corporation, association, or other business entity (other than a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or similar entity) of which more than 50.00% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, members of management or trustees thereof is at the time of determination owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof; and

(2) any partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or similar entity of which:

(a) more than 50.00% of the capital accounts, distribution rights, total equity and voting interests or general or limited partnership interests, as applicable, are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof whether in the form of membership, general, special or limited partnership or otherwise, and

(b) such Person or any Restricted Subsidiary of such Person is a controlling general partner or otherwise controls such entity.

Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Parent Guarantor.

Subsidiary Guarantor” means a Guarantor that is a Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor.

Tax Distribution Period” means each taxable period of the Parent Guarantor and the Issuer, including, as applicable, each Estimated Tax Period.

Test Period” in effect at any time means the Parent Guarantor’s most recently ended four consecutive fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available (as determined in good faith by the Issuer).

Total Net Leverage Ratio” means, with respect to any Test Period, the ratio of (i) Consolidated Total Debt outstanding on the last day of such Test Period (plus, solely for the purposes of testing the Total Net Leverage Ratio under Section 4.09(b)(14), the aggregate liquidation preference of (a) all Disqualified Stock of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and (b) all Preferred Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries (except to the extent held by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary), in each case, outstanding on the last day of such Test Period) minus the aggregate amount of cash and Cash Equivalents of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries on such date that (x) would not

 

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appear as “restricted” on a consolidated balance sheet of the Issuer or (y) are restricted in favor of the Senior Credit Facilities (which may also secure other Indebtedness secured by a pari passu or junior Lien on the collateral securing the Senior Credit Facilities along with the Senior Credit Facilities), to (ii) Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for such Test Period, in each case on a pro forma basis with such pro forma adjustments as are appropriate and consistent with the pro forma adjustment provisions set forth in the definition of Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio.

Transaction Expenses” means any fees, expenses, costs or charges incurred or paid by the Parent Company, the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with the Transactions, including expenses in connection with hedging transactions, if any, payments to officers, employees and directors as change of control payments, severance payments, special or retention bonuses and charges for repurchase or rollover of, or modifications to, stock options and/or restricted stock.

Transactions” means the issuance of the Notes and borrowings under, and amendments to, the Senior Credit Facilities on the Issue Date, the termination and repayment of the Second Lien Facility and the payment of the Transaction Expenses, in each case made or incurred on the Issue Date.

Treasury Rate” means, as of any Redemption Date, the yield to maturity as of such Redemption Date of United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) that has become publicly available at least 2 Business Days prior to the Redemption Date (or, if such Statistical Release is no longer published, any publicly available source of similar market data)) most nearly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to April 15, 2020; provided that if the period from the Redemption Date to such date is less than 1 year, the weekly average yield on actively traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year will be used.

Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-777bbbb).

Trustee” means Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee, until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder.

Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code or any successor provision thereof as the same may from time to time be in effect in the State of New York.

Unrestricted Definitive Note” means one or more Definitive Notes that do not bear and are not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

Unrestricted Global Note” means a permanent Global Note, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, that bears the Global Note Legend and that has the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto, and that is deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary, representing Notes that do not bear and are not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

 

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Unrestricted Subsidiary” means:

(1) any Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor which at the time of determination is an Unrestricted Subsidiary (as designated by the Issuer, as provided below); and

(2) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

The Issuer may designate any Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor (including any existing Subsidiary and any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary but excluding the Issuer) to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary unless such Subsidiary or any of its Subsidiaries owns any Equity Interests or Indebtedness of, or owns or holds any Lien on, any property of, the Issuer or any Subsidiary of the Issuer (other than solely any Subsidiary of the Subsidiary to be so designated); provided:

(1) such designation complies with Section 4.07; and

(2) each of (a) the Subsidiary to be so designated and (b) its Subsidiaries has not at the time of designation, and does not thereafter, create, incur, issue, assume, guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable with respect to any Indebtedness pursuant to which the lender has recourse to any of the assets of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than Equity Interests in an Unrestricted Subsidiary).

The Issuer may designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that immediately after giving effect to such designation, no Event of Default will have occurred and be continuing and the Issuer could incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.09(a) (the “Fixed Charge Coverage Test”).

Any such designation by the Issuer will be notified by the Issuer to the Trustee by promptly filing with the Trustee a copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof giving effect to such designation and an Officer’s Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing provisions.

U.S. Person” means a U.S. person as defined in Rule 902(k) under the Securities Act.

Weighted Average Life to Maturity” means, when applied to any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, as the case may be, at any date, the quotient obtained by dividing:

(1) the sum of the products of the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twenty-fifth) from the date of determination to the date of each successive scheduled principal payment of such Indebtedness or redemption or similar payment with respect to such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, multiplied by the amount of such payment; by

(2) the sum of all such payments;

provided that for purposes of determining the Weighted Average Life to Maturity of any Indebtedness that is being Refinanced (the “Applicable Indebtedness”), the effects of any amortization or prepayments made on such Applicable Indebtedness prior to the date of the applicable Refinancing will be disregarded.

 

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Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” of any Person means a Subsidiary of such Person, 100.00% of the outstanding Equity Interests of which (other than directors’ qualifying shares and shares of Capital Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries issued to foreign nationals as required under applicable law) is at the time owned by such Person and/or by one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person.

Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary” is any Wholly-Owned Subsidiary that is a Restricted Subsidiary.

SECTION 1.02. Other Definitions.

 

Term

   Defined in
Section
“Acceptable Commitment”    4.10(b)(2)
“Advance Offer”    4.10(d)
“Advance Portion”    4.10(d)
“Affiliate Transaction”    4.11(a)
“Applicable Premium Deficit”    8.04(1)
“Asset Sale Offer”    4.10(d)
“Asset Sale Proceeds Application Period”    4.10(b)
“Authentication Order”    2.02
“Change of Control Offer”    4.14(a)
“Change of Control Payment”    4.14(a)
“Change of Control Payment Date”    4.14(a)(2)
“Covenant Defeasance”    8.03
“Covenant Suspension Event”    4.16(a)
“Declined Excess Proceeds”    4.10(d)
“DTC”    2.03
“Event of Default”    6.01
“Excess Proceeds”    4.10(d)
“Foreign Disposition”    4.10(c)
“incur” and “incurrence”    4.09(a)
“Legal Defeasance”    8.02
“Limited Condition Transaction”    1.06(a)
“Note Register”    2.03
“Offer Amount”    3.09(b)
“Offer Period”    3.09(b)
“Pari Passu Indebtedness”    4.10(d)
“Paying Agent”    2.03
“Purchase Date”    3.09(b)
“Qualified Reporting Subsidiary”    4.03(c)
“Redemption Date”    3.01
“Refunding Capital Stock”    4.07(b)(2)
“Registrar”    2.03
“Restricted Payments”    4.07(a)
“Reversion Date”    4.16(c)
“Second Commitment”    4.10(b)(2)
“Successor Company”    5.01(a)(1)(a)
“Successor Person”    5.01(b)(1)(A)
“Suspended Covenants”    4.16(a)
“Suspension Date”    4.16(a)
“Suspension Period”    4.16(c)
“Transaction Agreement Date”    1.06(a)
“Transfer Agent”    2.03
“Treasury Capital Stock”    4.07(b)(2)

 

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SECTION 1.03. [Reserved].

SECTION 1.04. Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(b) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

(c) “or” is not exclusive;

(d) the words “including,” “includes” and similar words shall be deemed to be followed by “without limitation”;

(e) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;

(f) “will” shall be interpreted to express a command;

(g) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;

(h) references to sections of, or rules under, the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall be deemed to include substitute, replacement or successor sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time;

(i) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article,” “Section” or “clause” refers to an Article, Section or clause, as the case may be, of this Indenture;

(j) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not any particular Article, Section, clause or other subdivision;

(k) [Reserved];

(l) the principal amount of any Preferred Stock at any time shall be (i) the maximum liquidation value of such Preferred Stock at such time or (ii) the maximum mandatory redemption or mandatory repurchase price with respect to such Preferred Stock at such time, whichever is greater;

(m) words used herein implying any gender shall apply to both genders;

(n) in the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including”; the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding”; and the word “through” means “to and including”; and

(o) the principal amount of any non-interest bearing Indebtedness or other discount security constituting Indebtedness at any date shall be the principal amount thereof that would be shown on a balance sheet of the Issuer dated such date prepared in accordance with GAAP.

 

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SECTION 1.05. Acts of Holders.

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Issuer. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent, or the holding by any Person of a Note, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 7.01 hereof) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Issuer, if made in the manner provided in this Section 1.05.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by the certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by or on behalf of any legal entity other than an individual, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute proof of the authority of the Person executing the same. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner that the Trustee deems sufficient.

(c) The ownership of Notes shall be proved by the Note Register.

(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Note shall bind every future Holder of the same Note and the Holder of every Note issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Trustee or the Issuer in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Note.

(e) Unless otherwise specified, if not set by the Issuer prior to the first solicitation of a Holder made by any Person in respect of any such action, or in the case of any such vote, prior to such vote, any such record date shall be the later of 10 days prior to the first solicitation of such consent or the date of the most recent list of Holders furnished to the Trustee prior to such solicitation.

(f) Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled to take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Note may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Note or by one or more duly appointed agents, each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any part of such principal amount. Any notice given or action taken by a Holder or its agents with regard to different parts of such principal amount pursuant to this paragraph shall have the same effect as if given or taken by separate Holders of each such different part.

(g) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Holder, including DTC, that is a Holder of a Global Note, may make, give or take, by a proxy or proxies duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided in this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders, and any Person, that is a Holder of a Global Note, including DTC, may provide its proxy or proxies to the beneficial owners of interests in any such Global Note through such Depositary’s standing instructions and customary practices.

 

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(h) The Issuer may fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Persons who are beneficial owners of interests in any Global Note held by DTC entitled under the procedures of such Depositary to make, give or take, by a proxy or proxies duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided in this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders. If such a record date is fixed, the Holders on such record date or their duly appointed proxy or proxies, and only such Persons, shall be entitled to make, give or take such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date. No such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action shall be valid or effective if made, given or taken more than 120 days after such record date.

SECTION 1.06. Limited Condition Transactions; Measuring Compliance.

(a) With respect to any (x) Investment or acquisition, in each case, for which the Issuer or any Subsidiary of the Issuer whose consummation is not conditioned on the availability of, or on obtaining, third-party financing for such Investment or acquisition (whether by merger, amalgamation, consolidation or other business combination or the acquisition of Capital Stock or otherwise) as applicable and (y) redemption, repurchase, defeasance, satisfaction and discharge or repayment of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock requiring irrevocable notice in advance of such redemption, repurchase, defeasance, satisfaction and discharge or repayment (any transaction described in clauses (x) or (y), a “Limited Condition Transaction”), in each case for purposes of determining:

(1) whether any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness), Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock that is being incurred or issued in connection with such Limited Condition Transaction is permitted to be incurred in compliance with Section 4.09;

(2) whether any Lien being incurred in connection with such Limited Condition Transaction or to secure any such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is permitted to be incurred in accordance with Section 4.12 or the definition of “Permitted Liens”;

(3) whether any Restricted Payment that is being made in connection with such Limited Condition Transaction is permitted to be made in compliance with Section 4.07 or the definition of “Permitted Investments”;

(4) whether any other transaction undertaken or proposed to be undertaken in connection with such Limited Condition Transaction complies with the covenants, agreements, conditions and representations and warranties contained in this Indenture or the Notes; and

(5) any calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, Total Net Leverage Ratio, Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio, Net Income, Consolidated Net Income, and/or Consolidated EBITDA and, whether a Default or Event of Default exists in connection with the foregoing,

 

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at the option of the Issuer, the date that the definitive agreement (or other relevant definitive documentation) for such Limited Condition Transaction is entered into (the “Transaction Agreement Date”) may be used as the applicable date of determination, as the case may be, in each case with such pro forma adjustments as are appropriate and consistent with the pro forma adjustment provisions set forth in the definition of “Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” or “Consolidated EBITDA” and if the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries could have taken such action on the relevant Transaction Agreement Date in compliance with the applicable ratios or other provisions, such provisions shall be deemed to have been complied with; provided, however, that the Issuer shall be entitled to subsequently elect, in its sole discretion, the date of consummation of such Limited Condition Transaction instead of the Transaction Agreement Date as the applicable date of determination. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Issuer elects to use the Transaction Agreement Date as the applicable date of determination in accordance with the foregoing, (a) any fluctuation or change in the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, Total Net Leverage Ratio, Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio, Net Income, Consolidated Net Income or Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor, the target business, or assets to be acquired subsequent to the Transaction Agreement Date and prior to the consummation of such Limited Condition Transaction, will not be taken into account for purposes of determining whether any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock, Preferred Stock, Lien or Restricted Payment that is being incurred, issued or made in connection with such Limited Condition Transaction is permitted to be incurred, issued or made or in connection with compliance by the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries with any other provision of this Indenture or the Notes or any other action or transaction undertaken in connection with such Limited Condition Transaction and (b) until such Limited Condition Transaction is consummated or such definitive agreements are terminated or the Issuer makes an election pursuant to the proviso to the immediately preceding sentence, such Limited Condition Transaction and all transactions proposed to be undertaken in connection therewith (including the incurrence of Indebtedness and Liens) will be given pro forma effect when determining compliance of other transactions (including the incurrence or issuance of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock, Preferred Stock, Liens and Restricted Payments unrelated to such Limited Condition Transaction) that are consummated after the Transaction Agreement Date and on or prior to the consummation of such Limited Condition Transaction and any such transactions (including any incurrence or issuance of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock and the use of proceeds thereof) will be deemed to have occurred on the Transaction Agreement Date and outstanding thereafter for purposes of calculating any baskets or ratios under this Indenture after the date of such agreement and before the consummation of such Limited Condition Transaction; provided, further that for purposes of any such calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, Consolidated Interest Expense will be calculated using an assumed interest rate for the Indebtedness to be incurred in connection with such Limited Condition Transaction based on the indicative interest margin contained in any financing commitment documentation with respect to such Indebtedness or, if no such indicative interest margin exists, as reasonably determined by the Issuer in good faith.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries (x) incurs Indebtedness, issues Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, creates Liens, makes Asset Sales, makes Investments, makes Restricted Payments, designates any Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary or an Unrestricted Subsidiary or repays any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock in connection with any Limited Condition Transaction under a ratio-based basket and (y) incurs Indebtedness, issues Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, creates Liens, makes Asset Sales, Investments or Restricted Payments, designates any as a Restricted Subsidiary or an Unrestricted Subsidiary or repays any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock in connection with any of Limited Condition Transaction under a non-ratio-based basket (which shall occur within five (5) Business Days of the events in clause (x) above), then the applicable ratio will be calculated with respect to any such action under the applicable ratio- based basket without regard to any such action under such non-ratio-based basket made in connection with such Limited Condition Transaction.

 

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In addition, compliance with any requirement relating to absence of Default or Event of Default, conditions and representations and warranties may be determined as of the Transaction Agreement Date and not as of any later date as would otherwise be required under this Indenture.

(b) In the event an item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) is incurred or issued, any Lien is incurred, any Restricted Payment is made or other transaction is undertaken on the same date that any other item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) is incurred or issued, any other Lien is incurred, any Restricted Payment is made or other transaction is undertaken, then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, Total Net Leverage Ratio and Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio will be calculated with respect to such incurrence, issuance, making or other transaction without regard to any other incurrence, issuance, making or transaction. Each item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock that is incurred or issued, each Lien incurred, each Restricted Payment made and each other transaction undertaken will be deemed to have been incurred, issued, made or taken first, to the extent available, pursuant to the relevant Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, Total Net Leverage Ratio and Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio test.

ARTICLE II

THE NOTES

SECTION 2.01. Form and Dating; Terms.

(a) General. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rules or usage. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall be issued initially in minimum denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000.

(b) Global Notes. Notes issued in global form shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A 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 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 of the outstanding Notes as shall be specified in the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto and each shall provide that it shall represent up to the aggregate principal amount of 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 applicable, to reflect exchanges and redemptions. 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 2.06 hereof.

(c) Temporary Global Notes. Notes offered and sold in reliance on Regulation S shall be issued initially in the form of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note, which shall be deposited on behalf of the purchasers of the Notes represented thereby with the Custodian and registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary for the accounts of designated agents holding on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, duly executed by the Issuers and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided.

 

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Following (i) the termination of the applicable Restricted Period and (ii) the receipt by the Trustee of (A) a certification or other evidence in a form reasonably acceptable to the Issuers of non-United States beneficial ownership of 100% of the aggregate principal amount of each Regulation S Temporary Global Note (except to the extent of any beneficial owners thereof who acquired an interest therein during the Restricted Period pursuant to another exemption from registration under the Securities Act and who shall take delivery of a beneficial ownership interest in a 144A Global Note bearing a Private Placement Legend, all as contemplated by Section 2.06(b) hereof) and (B) an Officer’s Certificate from the Issuers, the Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend shall be deemed removed from the Regulation S Temporary Global Note, following which temporary beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note shall automatically become beneficial interests in the Regulation S Permanent Global Note pursuant to the Applicable Procedures.

The aggregate principal amount of a Regulation S Temporary Global Note and a Regulation S Permanent Global Note may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee and the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, in connection with transfers of interest as hereinafter provided.

(d) Terms. The aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

The terms and provisions contained in the Notes shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the Issuers and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture (or the applicable supplemental indenture), expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. However, 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.

The Notes shall be subject to repurchase by the Issuers pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer as provided in Section 4.10 or a Change of Control Offer as provided in Section 4.14. The Notes shall not be redeemable, other than as provided in Article III hereof.

Additional Notes ranking pari passu with the Initial Notes may be created and issued from time to time by the Issuers without notice to or consent of the Holders and shall be consolidated with and form a single class with the Initial Notes and shall have the same terms as to status, redemption or otherwise as the Initial Notes except that interest may accrue on the Additional Notes from their date of issuance (or such other date specified by the Issuers), subject to the Issuers’ right to issue Additional Notes of a different series as set forth in the next paragraph; provided that the Issuers’ ability to issue Additional Notes shall be subject to the Issuers’ compliance with Section 4.09 and that a separate CUSIP or ISIN will be issued for Additional Notes, unless the Initial Notes and the Additional Notes are treated as fungible for U.S. federal income tax purposes, with the Initial Notes or any other Additional Notes bearing the same CUSIP or ISIN. Any Additional Notes shall be issued with the benefit of an indenture supplemental to this Indenture.

The Issuers may designate the maturity date, interest rate and optional redemption provisions applicable to a new or additional series of Additional Notes, which may differ from the maturity date, interest rate and optional redemption provisions applicable to the Initial Notes.

 

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Additional Notes that differ with respect to maturity date, interest rate or optional redemption provisions from the Initial Notes will constitute a different series of Notes from the Initial Notes and will vote separately for all purposes. Additional Notes that have the same maturity date, interest rate and optional redemption provisions as the Initial Notes will be treated as the same series as the Initial Notes unless otherwise designated by the Issuers. The Issuers similarly may vary the application of related other provisions (including the issue price and any applicable original issue discount legend) to any series of Additional Notes.

(e) Euroclear and Clearstream Applicable Procedures. 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 Banking” and “Customer Handbook” of Clearstream shall be applicable to transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note and the Regulation S Permanent Global Notes that are held by Participants through Euroclear or Clearstream and this Indenture shall not govern such transfers.

SECTION 2.02. Execution and Authentication. At least one Officer of the Issuers shall execute the Notes on behalf of the Issuers by manual, facsimile or electronic (in “.pdf” format) signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Note, the Note shall nevertheless be valid.

A Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose until authenticated substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, by the manual signature of the Trustee. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Note has been duly authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

On the Issue Date, the Trustee shall, upon receipt of an Issuers’ Order (an “Authentication Order”), authenticate and deliver the Initial Notes in the aggregate principal amount or amounts specified in such Authentication Order. In addition, at any time, from time to time, the Trustee shall, upon receipt of an Authentication Order (together with such other documents as may be required pursuant to this Indenture), authenticate and deliver any Additional Notes for an aggregate principal amount specified in such Authentication Order for such Additional Notes issued or increased hereunder.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Issuers to authenticate Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with Holders or an Affiliate of the Issuers.

SECTION 2.03. Registrar, Transfer Agent and Paying Agent. The Issuers shall maintain (i) an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration (“Registrar”), (ii) an office or agency where Notes may be presented for transfer or for exchange (“Transfer Agent”) and (iii) an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register of the Notes (“Note Register”) and of their transfer and exchange. The registered Holder will be treated as the owner of the Note for all purposes. Only registered Holders will have rights under this Indenture and the Notes. The Issuers may appoint one or more co-registrars, one or more co-transfer agents and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar, the term “Transfer Agent” includes any co-transfer agent and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agents. The

 

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Issuers may change any Paying Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar without prior notice to any Holder. The Issuers shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Issuers fail to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar, Transfer Agent or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Issuers or any of their Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar.

The Issuers initially appoint The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) to act as Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.

The Issuers initially appoint the Trustee to act as the Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Registrar for the Notes and to act as Custodian with respect to the Global Notes.

If any Notes are listed on an exchange, for so long as the Notes are so listed and the rules of such exchange so require, the Issuers will satisfy any requirement of such exchange as to paying agents, registrars and transfer agents and will comply with any notice requirements required under such exchange in connection with any change of any paying agent, registrar or transfer agent.

SECTION 2.04. Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. The Issuers shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that such Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by such Paying Agent for the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Issuers in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee for its own benefit and for the benefit of the Holders. The Issuers at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee for its own benefit and for the benefit of the Holders. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Issuers or a Subsidiary or the Trustee) shall have no further liability for the money. If any of the Issuers or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings relating to any of the Issuers, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.

SECTION 2.05. Holder Lists. The Registrar 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. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Issuers shall furnish to the Trustee at least five 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 as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders.

SECTION 2.06. Transfer and Exchange.

(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes. Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 2.06, a Global Note may be transferred, in whole and not in part, only to another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor thereto or a nominee of such successor thereto. A beneficial interest in a Global Note may not be exchanged for a Definitive Note of the same series unless (A) the Depositary (x) notifies the Issuers that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Note or (y) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Issuers within 90 days or (B) upon the request of a Holder if there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Notes. Upon the occurrence of any of the events in clauses (A) or (B) above, Definitive Notes delivered in exchange for any Global Note of the same series or beneficial

 

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interests therein will be registered in the names, and issued in any approved denominations, requested by or on behalf of the Depositary (in accordance with its customary procedures). Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Section 2.07 and Section 2.10. Every Note authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note of the same series or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.06 or Section 2.07 or Section 2.10, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Note, except for Definitive Notes issued subsequent to any of the events in (A) or (B) above and pursuant to Section 2.06(b)(ii)(B) and (c) hereof. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 2.06(a); provided, however, that beneficial interests in a Global Note may be transferred and exchanged as provided in Sections 2.06(b) or (c) hereof. The transferor shall also provide or cause to be provided to the Trustee all information necessary to allow the Trustee to comply with any applicable tax reporting obligations, including without limitation, any cost basis reporting obligations under Internal Revenue Code Section 6045. The Trustee may rely on any such information provided to it and shall have no responsibility to verify or ensure the accuracy of such information.

(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 the Restricted Global Notes shall be subject to restrictions on transfer comparable to those set forth herein to the extent required by the Securities Act. Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes also shall require compliance with either subparagraph (i) or (ii) below, as applicable, as well as one or more of the other following subparagraphs, as applicable:

(i) Transfer of Beneficial Interests in the Same Global Note. Beneficial interests in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the same Restricted Global Note in accordance with the transfer restrictions set forth in the Private Placement Legend; provided that prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period, transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note may not be made to a U.S. Person or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person other than pursuant to Rule 144A or another available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Beneficial interests in any Unrestricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. No written orders or instructions shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the transfers described in this Section 2.06(b)(i).

(ii) All Other Transfers and Exchanges of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes. In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests that are not subject to Section 2.06(b)(i) hereof, the transferor of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either (A) (1) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a beneficial interest in another Global Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged and (2) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account to be credited with such increase or (B) (1) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause to be issued a Definitive Note of the same series in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to

 

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be transferred or exchanged and (2) instructions given by the Depositary to the Registrar containing information regarding the Person in whose name such Definitive Note shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in (1) above; provided that in no event shall Definitive Notes be issued upon the transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note prior to (A) the expiration of the Restricted Period therefor and (B) the receipt by the Registrar of any certificates required pursuant to Rule 903(b)(3)(ii)(B). Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes contained in this Indenture and the Notes or otherwise applicable under the Securities Act, the Trustee shall adjust the principal amount of the relevant Global Note(s) pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof.

(iii) Transfer of Beneficial Interests to Another Restricted Global Note. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Restricted Global Note if the transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(ii) hereof and the Registrar receives the following:

(A) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the 144A Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof; or

(B) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof.

(iv) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Beneficial Interests in an Unrestricted Global Note. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be exchanged by any holder thereof for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note if the exchange or transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(ii) hereof and:

(A) [Reserved];

(B) [Reserved];

(C) [Reserved];

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(1) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note of the same series, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(a) thereof; or

 

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(2) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note of the same series, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar or the Issuer so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Issuer to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

If any such transfer is effected pursuant to subparagraph (D) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Issuers shall issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of beneficial interests transferred pursuant to subparagraph (D) above.

Beneficial interests in an Unrestricted Global Note cannot be exchanged for, or transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of, a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note.

In connection with any proposed exchange of Global Notes for Notes in definitive registered form, the Issuers or DTC shall be required to provide or cause to be provided to the Trustee all information reasonably necessary to allow the Trustee to comply with any applicable tax reporting obligations, including without limitation any cost basis reporting obligations under Internal Revenue Code Section 6045. The Trustee may rely on any such information provided to it and shall have no responsibility to verify or ensure the accuracy of such information.

(c) Transfer or Exchange of Beneficial Interests for Definitive Notes.

(i) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note, then, upon the occurrence of any of the events in clauses (A) and (B) of Section 2.06(a) hereof and receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

(A) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(a) thereof;

(B) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a person reasonably believed to be a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

 

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(C)    if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D)    if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof; or

(E)    if such beneficial interest is being transferred to the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof;

the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h)hereof, and the Issuers shall execute and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, authenticate and mail to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the applicable principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through instructions from the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall mail such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(i) shall bear the Private Placement Legend and shall be subject to all restrictions on transfer contained therein.

(ii)    Beneficial Interests in Regulation S Temporary Global Note to Definitive Notes. Notwithstanding Sections 2.06(c)(i)(A) and (C) hereof, a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note may not be exchanged for a Definitive Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note prior to (A) the expiration of the Restricted Period and (B) the receipt by the Registrar of any certificates required pursuant to Rule 903(b)(3)(ii)(B) of the Securities Act, except in the case of a transfer pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 903 or Rule 904.

(iii)    Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. A holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note may exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or may transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note only upon the occurrence of any of the events in clause (A) of Section 2.06(a) hereof and if:

(A)    [Reserved];

(B)    [Reserved];

(C)    [Reserved];

(D)    the Registrar receives the following:

 

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(1)    if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(b) thereof; or

(2)    if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar or the Issuer so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Issuer to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

(iv)    Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted 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, upon the occurrence of any of the events in clauses (A) and (B) of Section 2.06(a) hereof and satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.06(b)(ii) hereof, the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Issuers shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and mail to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the applicable principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(iv) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through instructions from or through the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall mail such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(iv) shall not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(d)    Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Beneficial Interests.

(i)    Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes. If any Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note or to transfer such Restricted Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

 

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(A)    if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(b) thereof;

(B)    if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a person reasonably believed to be a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C)    if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D)    if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof; or

(E)    if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof;

the Trustee shall cancel the Restricted Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of, in the case of clause (A) above, the applicable Restricted Global Note, in the case of clause (B) above, the applicable 144A Global Note and, in the case of clause (C) above, the applicable Regulation S Global Note.

(ii)    Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes. A Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Restricted Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note only if:

(A)    [Reserved];

(B)    [Reserved];

(C)    [Reserved];

(D)    the Registrar receives the following:

(1)    if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(c) thereof; or

 

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(2)    if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this sub (D), if the Registrar or the Issuer so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Issuer to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

Upon satisfaction of the conditions of any of the subparagraphs in this Section 2.06(d)(ii), the Trustee shall cancel the Restricted Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of the Unrestricted Global Note.

(iii)    Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes. A Holder of an Unrestricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note at any time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer, the Trustee shall cancel the applicable Unrestricted Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of one of the Unrestricted Global Notes.

If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a beneficial interest is effected pursuant to sub-paragraph (ii) or (iii) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Issuers shall issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of Definitive Notes so transferred.

(e)    Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Definitive Notes. Upon request by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder’s compliance with this Section 2.06(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 or exchange in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such Holder or by its attorney, duly authorized in writing.

In addition, the requesting Holder shall provide any additional certifications, documents and information, as applicable, required pursuant to the following provisions of this Section 2.06(e):

(i)    Restricted Definitive Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. Any Restricted Definitive Note may be transferred to and registered in the name of Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note if the Registrar receives the following:

 

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(A)    if the transfer will be made to a person reasonably believed to be a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, then the transferor must deliver a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(B)    if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 903 or Rule 904, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof; or

(C)    if the transfer will be made pursuant to any other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.

(ii)    Restricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. Any Restricted Definitive Note may be exchanged by the Holder thereof for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or transferred to a Person or Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note if:

(A)    [Reserved];

(B)    [Reserved];

(C)    [Reserved];

(D)    the Registrar receives the following:

(1)    if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(d) thereof; or

(2)    if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph(D), if the Registrar or the Issuer so requests, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Issuer to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

 

(iii)    Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. A Holder of Unrestricted Definitive Notes may transfer such Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note. Upon receipt of a request to register such a transfer, the Registrar shall register the Unrestricted Definitive Notes pursuant to the instructions from the Holder thereof.

 

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(f)    [Reserved].

(g)    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)    Private Placement Legend.

(A)    Except as permitted by subparagraph (B) below, each Global Note and each Definitive Note (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) shall bear the legend in substantially the following form:

THE SECURITY (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) EVIDENCED HEREBY WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”) AND THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION THEREFROM. EACH PURCHASER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE SELLER MAY BE RELYING ON THE EXEMPTION FROM THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 OF THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144A THEREUNDER. THE HOLDER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ISSUERS THAT PRIOR TO THE DATE (THE “RESALE RESTRICTION TERMINATION DATE”) THAT IS [IN THE CASE OF RULE 144A NOTES: ONE YEAR AFTER THE LATER OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF, THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE OF THE ISSUANCE OF ANY ADDITIONAL NOTES AND THE LAST DATE ON WHICH ANY ISSUER OR ANY AFFILIATE OF SUCH ISSUER WAS THE OWNER OF THIS SECURITY (OR ANY PREDECESSOR OF SUCH SECURITY)] [IN THE CASE OF REGULATION S NOTES: 40 DAYS AFTER THE LATER OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF AND THE DATE ON WHICH THIS SECURITY (OR ANY PREDECESSOR OF SUCH SECURITY) WAS FIRST OFFERED TO PERSONS OTHER THAN DISTRIBUTORS (A) SUCH SECURITY MAY BE RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, ONLY (1)(a) INSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A PERSON WHO THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (b) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A FOREIGN PERSON IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 903 OR RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (c) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144 THEREUNDER (IF APPLICABLE) OR (d) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANOTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AND BASED UPON AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE ISSUERS IF THE ISSUERS SO REQUEST), (2) TO THE ISSUERS OR (3) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE JURISDICTION AND (B) THE HOLDER WILL AND EACH SUBSEQUENT HOLDER IS REQUIRED TO, NOTIFY ANY PURCHASER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY OF THE RESALE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN CLAUSE (A) ABOVE. NO REPRESENTATION CAN BE MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF THE EXEMPTION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 FOR RESALE OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY.

 

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[IN THE CASE OF REGULATION S NOTES: BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF, THE HOLDER HEREOF REPRESENTS THAT IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON NOR IS IT PURCHASING FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A U.S. PERSON AND IS ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.]

(B)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Global Note or Definitive Note issued pursuant to subparagraphs (b)(iv), (c)(iii), (c)(iv), (d)(ii), (d)(iii), (e)(ii) or (e)(iii) of this Section 2.06 (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) shall not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(ii)    Global Note Legend. Each Global Note shall bear a legend in substantially the following form (with appropriate changes in the last sentence if DTC is not the Depositary):

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 2.06(h) OF THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(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 ISSUERS. 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 CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”) TO THE ISSUERS OR THEIR AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR 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.

 

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(iii)    Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend. The Regulation S Temporary Global Note shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

THIS NOTE (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A TRANSACTION ORIGINALLY EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, ANY U.S. PERSON EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND ALL APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. TERMS USED ABOVE HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF, THE HOLDER HEREOF REPRESENTS THAT IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON NOR IS IT PURCHASING FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A U.S. PERSON AND IS ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.

(iv)    OID Legend. Each Note that has more than a de minimis amount of original issue discount for U.S. federal income tax purposes shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

THIS NOTE HAS BEEN ISSUED WITH “ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 1272 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED). UPON WRITTEN REQUEST (ADDRESSED TO [NAME/TITLE] AT [ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER]), THE ISSUERS WILL PROMPTLY MAKE AVAILABLE TO ANY HOLDER OF THIS NOTE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: (1) THE ISSUE PRICE AND ISSUE DATE OF THE NOTE; (2) THE AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT ON THE NOTE; AND (3) THE YIELD TO MATURITY OF THE NOTE.

(h)    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 will 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 will 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.

(i)    General Provisions Relating to Transfers and Exchanges.

(i)    To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Issuers shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof or at the Registrar’s request.

(ii)    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 Issuers shall 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 2.07, 2.10, 3.06, 3.09, 4.10, 4.14 and 9.05 hereof).

 

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(iii)    Neither the Issuers nor the Registrar 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 mailing of a notice of redemption of the Notes to be redeemed under Section 3.03 hereof and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, (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, (C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between a Record Date and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date or (D) to register the transfer of or to exchange any Notes tendered (and not withdrawn) for repurchase in connection with a Change of Control Offer or an Asset Sale Offer.

(iv)    Neither the Registrar nor the Issuers shall 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.

(v)    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 Issuers, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(vi)    Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Issuers shall 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 premium, if any) and interest on such Notes and for all other purposes, and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the Issuers shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

(vii)    Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Note at the office or agency of the Issuers designated pursuant to Section 4.02 hereof, the Issuers shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and mail, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more replacement Notes of any authorized denomination or denominations of a like aggregate principal amount.

(viii)    At the option of the Holder, subject to Section 2.06(a) hereof, Notes may be exchanged for other Notes of any authorized denomination or denominations of a like aggregate principal amount upon surrender of the Notes to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Global Notes or Definitive Notes are so surrendered for exchange, the Issuers shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and mail, the replacement Global Notes and Definitive Notes to which the Holder making the exchange is entitled in accordance with Section 2.02.

(ix)    All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to the Issuers pursuant to this Section 2.06 to effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile or electronically (in “.pdf” or other format).

 

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(x)    The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Note (including any transfers between or among Depositary Participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Notes) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

(xi)    Neither the Trustee nor any Agent shall have any responsibility or liability for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary.

SECTION 2.07.    Replacement Notes. If either (x) any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee, the Registrar or the Issuers or (y) if the Issuers and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the ownership and destruction, loss or theft of any Note, then the Issuers shall issue and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, shall authenticate a replacement Note. An indemnity bond must be supplied by the Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee to protect the Trustee and the Issuers to protect the Issuers, the Trustee, any Agent and any authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Issuers and the Trustee shall charge the Holder for their expenses in replacing a Note.

Every replacement Note is a contractual obligation of the Issuers and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.

SECTION 2.08.    Outstanding Notes. The Notes outstanding at any time are all the Notes authenticated by the Trustee except for those cancelled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest in a Global Note effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section 2.08 as not outstanding. Except as set forth in Section 2.09 hereof, a Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Issuers or a Guarantor or an Affiliate of the Issuers or a Guarantor holds the Note.

If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Note is held by a protected purchaser (as defined in Section 8-303 of the Uniform Commercial Code).

If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under Section 4.01 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding and interest on it ceases to accrue.

If the Paying Agent (other than the Issuers or a Guarantor or an Affiliate of the Issuers or a Guarantor) holds, on a Redemption Date or maturity date, money sufficient to pay Notes (or portions thereof) payable on that date, then on and after that date such Notes (or portions thereof) shall be deemed to be no longer outstanding and shall cease to accrue interest.

 

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SECTION 2.09.    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 Issuers or a Guarantor or by any Affiliate of the Issuers or a Guarantor 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 a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes so owned which have been pledged in good faith shall not be disregarded if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to deliver any such direction, waiver or consent with respect to such pledged Notes and that the pledgee is not the Issuers or a Guarantor or any Affiliate of the Issuers or a Guarantor.

SECTION 2.10.    Temporary Notes. Until certificates representing Notes are ready for delivery, the Issuers may prepare and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, shall authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be substantially in the form of certificated Notes but may have variations that the Issuers consider appropriate for temporary Notes and as shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Without unreasonable delay, the Issuers shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate definitive Notes in exchange for temporary Notes.

Holders and beneficial holders, as the case may be, of temporary Notes shall be entitled to all of the benefits accorded to Holders, or beneficial holders, respectively, of Notes under this Indenture.

SECTION 2.11.    Cancellation. The Issuers 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. The Trustee or, at the direction of the Trustee, the Registrar or the Paying Agent 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 requirement of the Exchange Act). Certification of the cancellation of all surrendered Notes shall be delivered to the Issuers at the Issuers’ written request. The Issuers 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 Issuers default in a payment of interest on the Notes, they shall pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof. The Issuers may pay the defaulted interest to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date. The Issuers 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, and at the same time the Issuers shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such defaulted interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such defaulted interest as provided in this Section 2.12. The Trustee shall fix or cause to be fixed any 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. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Issuers of any such special record date. At least 15 days before any such special record date, the Issuers (or, upon the written request of the Issuers, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Issuers) shall mail or cause to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, or otherwise deliver in accordance with the Applicable Procedures, to each Holder, with a copy to the Trustee, a notice at his or her address as it appears in the Note Register that states the special record date, the related payment date and the amount of such interest to be paid.

 

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Subject to this Section 2.12 and for greater certainty, each Note delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Note shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Note.

SECTION 2.13.    CUSIP/ISIN Numbers. The Issuers in issuing the Notes may use CUSIP and ISIN numbers (in each case, if then generally in use) and, if so, the Trustee shall use CUSIP and ISIN numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided 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 redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Issuers will as promptly as practicable notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the CUSIP and ISIN numbers.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION

SECTION 3.01.    Notices to Trustee. If the Issuers elect to redeem the Notes pursuant to Section 3.07 hereof, they shall furnish to the Trustee, at least five Business Days (unless the Trustee agrees to a shorter period) before notice of redemption is required to be delivered to Holders pursuant to Section 3.03 hereof, an Officer’s Certificate setting forth (i) the paragraph or subparagraph of such Note and/or Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall occur, (ii) the date of redemption, which will be selected by the Issuers in their discretion, subject to any limitations set forth herein (the “Redemption Date”), (iii) the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed and (iv) the redemption price.

SECTION 3.02.    Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed. If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed or purchased at any time, the Trustee shall, upon prior written request of the Issuers, select the Notes to be redeemed or purchased (a) if the Notes are listed on an exchange, in compliance with the requirements of such exchange or (b) if the Notes are not listed on an exchange, on a pro rata basis to the extent practicable, or, if a pro rata basis is not practicable for any reason, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee deems fair and appropriate, and in any case in accordance with the Applicable Procedures to the extent applicable. In the event of partial redemption by lot, the particular Notes to be redeemed shall be selected, unless otherwise provided herein, not less than 10 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 Issuers 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. No Notes of $2,000 or less can be redeemed or purchased in part, except that if all of the Notes of a Holder are to be redeemed, the entire outstanding amount of Notes held by such Holder 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 3.03.    Notice of Redemption. The Issuers shall deliver electronically, mail or cause to be mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid, notices of redemption at least 10 but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed at such Holder’s registered address or otherwise in accordance with Applicable Procedures, except that redemption notices may be delivered or mailed more than 60 days prior to a Redemption Date if the notice is issued in connection with Section 3.03(i), Article VIII or Article XI hereof.

 

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The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed and will state:

(a)    the Redemption Date;

(b)    the redemption price;

(c)    if any Definitive Note is to be redeemed in part only, the portion of the principal amount of that Note that is to be redeemed and that, upon request, after the Redemption Date upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the original Note representing the same indebtedness to the extent not redeemed will be issued in the name of the Holder 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 Issuers default in making such redemption payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the Redemption Date subject to satisfaction or waiver of any conditions specified in clause (i) below;

(g)    the paragraph or subparagraph of the Notes and/or Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the Notes called for redemption are being redeemed;

(h)    the CUSIP and ISIN number, if any, printed on the Notes being redeemed and that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of any such CUSIP and ISIN number that is listed in such notice or printed on the Notes; and

(i)    if such redemption is subject to satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, a description of such conditions and, if applicable, will state that, in the Issuers’ discretion, the Redemption Date may be delayed until such time (including more than 60 days after the date the redemption notice was mailed or delivered, including by electronic transmission) as any or all such conditions are satisfied (or waived by the Issuers in their sole discretion), or that such redemption may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions are not satisfied (or waived by the Issuers in their sole discretion) by the Redemption Date, or by the Redemption Date so delayed, or such notice may be rescinded at any time in the Issuers’ discretion if in the good faith judgment of the Issuers any or all of such conditions will not be satisfied.

At the Issuers’ request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Issuers’ name and at their expense; provided that the Issuers shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least five Business Days before notice of redemption is required to be delivered, mailed or caused to be mailed to Holders pursuant to this Section 3.03 (unless a shorter notice shall be agreed to by the Trustee), an Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice together with the form of notice of redemption setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in the preceding paragraph.

 

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The Issuers may redeem Notes pursuant to one or more of the Sections of this Indenture, and a single redemption notice may be delivered with respect to redemptions made pursuant to different Sections. Any such notice may provide that redemptions made pursuant to different Sections will have different Redemption Dates.

The Issuers may provide in such notice that payment of the redemption price and performance of the Issuers’ obligations with respect to such redemption may be performed by another Person. If any Notes are listed on an exchange, and the rules of the exchange so require, the Issuers will notify the exchange of any such redemption and the principal amount of any Notes outstanding following any partial redemption of such Notes. In no event will the Trustee be responsible for monitoring, or charged with knowledge of, the maximum aggregate amount of Notes eligible hereunder to be redeemed. Notes will remain outstanding until redeemed, notwithstanding that they have been called for redemption or are subject to a notice of redemption.

SECTION 3.04.    Effect of Notice of Redemption. Once notice of redemption is delivered in accordance with Section 3.03 hereof, subject to satisfaction of any conditions precedent relating thereto specified in the applicable notice of redemption, Notes called for redemption become irrevocably due and payable on the Redemption Date at the redemption price, except as set forth in Section 3.03(i). The notice, if delivered, mailed or caused to be mailed in a manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to deliver such notice or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Note designated for redemption in whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Note. Subject to Section 3.05 hereof, on and after the Redemption Date or the date of purchase, interest shall cease to accrue on Notes or portions of Notes called for redemption or purchase.

SECTION 3.05.    Deposit of Redemption Price.

(a)    Prior to 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Redemption Date, the Issuers shall deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued and unpaid interest on all Notes to be redeemed on that Redemption Date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent shall promptly return to the Issuers any money deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Issuers in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the redemption price of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, all Notes to be redeemed.

(b)    If the Issuers comply with the preceding paragraph (a), on and after the Redemption Date, interest shall cease to accrue on the Notes or the portions of Notes called for redemption. If a Note is redeemed on or after a Record Date but on or prior to the related Interest Payment Date, then any accrued and unpaid interest to the Redemption Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Note was registered at the close of business on such Record Date. If any Note called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender for redemption because of the failure of the Issuers 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 accrued to the Redemption Date not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof.

SECTION 3.06.    Notes Redeemed in Part. Upon surrender of a Definitive Note that is redeemed in part, upon request the Issuer shall issue and 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 representing the same indebtedness to the extent not redeemed;

 

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provided that each new Note will be in a principal amount of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000. It is understood that, notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, only an Authentication Order and not an Opinion of Counsel or Officer’s Certificate is required for the Trustee to authenticate such new Note.

SECTION 3.07.    Optional Redemption.

(a)    At any time prior to April 15, 2020, the Issuers may at their option on one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Notes, upon notice as described under Section 3.03 hereof at a redemption price (as calculated by the Issuers) equal to the sum of (i) 100.00% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed, plus (ii) the Applicable Premium, plus (iii) accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date.

(b)    At any time prior to April 15, 2020, the Issuers may, at their option and on one or more occasions, redeem up to 40.00% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes and Additional Notes issued under this Indenture at a redemption price (as calculated by the Issuer) equal to the sum of (i) 107.500% of the aggregate principal amount thereof, with an amount equal to or less than the net cash proceeds from one or more Equity Offerings to the extent such net cash proceeds are received by or contributed to the Issuer, plus (ii) accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date; provided that (a) at least 50.00% of the sum of the aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued under this Indenture on the Issue Date and any Additional Notes issued under this Indenture after the Issue Date remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of each such redemption and (b) each such redemption occurs within 180 days of the date of closing of the applicable Equity Offering or contribution.

(c)    In connection with any Change of Control Offer or other tender offer to purchase all of the Notes, if Holders of not less than 90.00% of the aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes validly tender and do not validly withdraw such Notes in such Change of Control Offer or other tender offer and the Issuers purchase, or any third party making such Change of Control Offer or other tender offer in lieu of the Issuers purchases, all of the Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn by such Holders, the Issuers or such third party will have the right upon notice, given not more than 60 days following such purchase date, to redeem all Notes that remain outstanding following such purchase at a price equal to the price offered to each other Holder in such Change of Control Offer or other tender offer, plus, to the extent not included in the Change of Control Offer or other tender offer payment, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date (subject to the right of the Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on an Interest Payment Date that is on or prior to the Redemption Date).

(d)    Except pursuant to clause (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 3.07, the Notes will not be redeemable at the Issuers’ option prior to April 15, 2020.

(e)    On and after April 15, 2020, the Issuers may at their option redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, on one or more occasions, upon notice in accordance with Section 3.03 hereof, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date, if redeemed during the twelve month period beginning on April 15 in each of the years indicated below:

 

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Year

   Percentage  

2020

     105.625

2021

     103.750

2022

     101.875

2023 and thereafter

     100.000

(f)    Any redemption pursuant to this Section 3.07 shall be made pursuant to Sections 3.01 through 3.06.

(g)    In addition to any redemption pursuant to this Section 3.07, the Issuers or their Affiliates may at any time and from time to time acquire Notes by means other than a redemption, whether by tender offer, in the open market, negotiated transaction or otherwise.

(h)    Any notice of redemption made in connection with a related transaction or event (including an Equity Offering, contribution, Change of Control, Asset Sale or other transaction) may, at the Issuers’ discretion, be given prior to the completion or the occurrence thereof, and any such redemption or notice may, at the Issuers’ discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent, including, but not limited to, the completion or occurrence of the related transaction or event, as the case may be.

SECTION 3.08.    Mandatory Redemption. The Issuers will not be required to make any mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.

SECTION 3.09.    Offers to Repurchase by Application of Excess Proceeds.

(a)    In the event that, pursuant to Section 4.10 hereof, the Issuers shall be required to commence an Asset Sale Offer, they shall follow the procedures specified below.

(b)    The Asset Sale Offer shall remain open for a period of 20 Business Days following its commencement and no longer, except to the extent that a longer period is required by applicable law (the “Offer Period”). No later than 5 Business Days after the termination of the Offer Period (the “Purchase Date”), the Issuers shall apply all Excess Proceeds (the “Offer Amount”) to the purchase of Notes and, if required, Pari Passu Indebtedness (on a pro rata basis, if applicable), or, if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes and Pari Passu Indebtedness tendered in response to the Asset Sale Offer. Payment for any Notes so purchased shall be made in the same manner as interest payments are made.

(c)    If the Purchase Date is on or after a Record Date and on or before the related Interest Payment Date, any accrued and unpaid interest, up to but excluding the Purchase Date, shall be paid to the Person in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on such Record Date, and no additional interest shall be payable to Holders who tender Notes pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer.

(d)    Upon the commencement of an Asset Sale Offer, the Issuers shall deliver electronically or send, by first-class mail, postage prepaid, a notice to each of the Holders, with a copy to the Trustee. The notice shall contain all instructions and materials necessary to enable such Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer. The Asset Sale Offer shall be made to all Holders and holders of such Pari Passu Indebtedness. The notice, which shall govern the terms of the Asset Sale Offer, shall state:

(i)    that the Asset Sale Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 3.09 and Section 4.10 hereof and the length of time the Asset Sale Offer shall remain open;

 

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(ii)    the Offer Amount, the purchase price and the Purchase Date;

(iii)    that any Note not tendered or accepted for payment shall continue to accrue interest;

(iv)    that, unless the Issuers default in making such payment, any Note accepted for payment pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer shall cease to accrue interest on and after the Purchase Date;

(v)    that any Holder electing to have less than all of the aggregate principal amount of its Notes purchased pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer may elect to have Notes purchased in an amount not less than $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof;

(vi)    that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to any Asset Sale Offer shall be required to surrender the Note, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” attached to the Note completed, or transfer such Note by book-entry transfer, to the Issuers, the Depositary, if appointed by the Issuers, or a Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice at least two Business Days before the Purchase Date;

(vii)    that Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their election if the Issuers, the Depositary or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, receives, not later than the expiration of the Offer Period, a facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Note the Holder delivered for purchase and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing its election to have such Note purchased;

(viii)    that, if the aggregate principal amount (or accreted value, as applicable) of Notes and/or the Pari Passu Indebtedness surrendered by the holders thereof exceeds the Offer Amount, the Trustee will select the Notes to be purchased in accordance with Section 3.02 and the Issuer will select such Pari Passu Indebtedness to be purchased pursuant to the terms of such Pari Passu Indebtedness; provided that as between the Notes and any Pari Passu Indebtedness, such purchases will be made on a pro rata basis based on the accreted value or principal amount of the Notes or such Pari Passu Indebtedness tendered with adjustments as necessary so that no Notes or Pari Passu Indebtedness will be repurchased in part in an unauthorized denomination; and

(ix)    that Holders whose certificated Notes were purchased only in part shall be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered (or transferred by book-entry transfer) representing the same indebtedness to the extent not repurchased.

 

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(e) On or before the Purchase Date, the Issuers shall, to the extent lawful, (1) accept for payment, on a pro rata basis as described in clause (d)(viii) of this Section 3.09, the Offer Amount of Notes or portions thereof validly tendered pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer, or if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes tendered and (2) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted, together with an Officer’s Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions thereof so tendered and not validly withdrawn.

(f) The Issuers, the Depositary or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, shall promptly mail or deliver to each tendering Holder an amount equal to the purchase price of the Notes properly tendered by such Holder and accepted by the Issuers for purchase, and the Issuers shall promptly issue a new Note, and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, shall authenticate and mail or deliver (or cause to be transferred by book-entry) such new Note to such Holder (it being understood that, notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, no Opinion of Counsel or Officer’s Certificate is required for the Trustee to authenticate and mail or deliver such new Note) in a principal amount equal to any unpurchased portion of the Note surrendered representing the same indebtedness to the extent not repurchased. Any Note not so accepted shall be promptly mailed or delivered by the Issuers to the Holder thereof. The Issuers shall publicly announce the results of the Asset Sale Offer on or as soon as practicable after the Purchase Date.

(g) Prior to 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Purchase Date, the Issuers shall deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the purchase price of and accrued and unpaid interest on all Notes to be purchased on that Purchase Date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent shall promptly return to the Issuers any money deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Issuers in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the purchase price of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, all Notes to be redeemed.

Other than as specifically provided in this Section 3.09 or Section 4.10 hereof, any purchase pursuant to this Section 3.09 shall be made pursuant to the applicable provisions of Sections 3.01 through 3.06 hereof, and references therein to “redeem,” “redemption,” “Redemption Date” and similar words shall be deemed to refer to “purchase,” “repurchase,” “Purchase Date” and similar words, as applicable.

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

SECTION 4.01. Payment of Notes. The Issuers shall pay or cause to be paid the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes on the dates and in the manner provided in the Notes and this Indenture. Principal, premium, if any, and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor or an Affiliate of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor, holds as of 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the due date money deposited by the Issuer in immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest then due.

The Issuers shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal at the rate equal to the then applicable interest rate on the Notes to the extent lawful; the Issuer 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 period) at the same rate to the extent lawful.

 

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SECTION 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Issuers shall maintain the offices or agencies (which may be an office of the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee, Registrar or Transfer Agent) required under Section 2.03 hereof where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange or presented for payment and where notices and demands to or upon the Issuers in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be made. The Issuers shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Issuers shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

The Issuers may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Issuers of its obligation to maintain such offices or agencies as required by Section 2.03 hereof for such purposes. The Issuers shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

The Issuers hereby designate the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Issuers in accordance with Section 2.03 hereof; provided the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall not be an office or agency of the Issuers for the purpose of effecting service of legal process on the Issuers.

SECTION 4.03. Reports and Other Information.

(a) So long as any Notes are outstanding, the Issuer will furnish to the Holders:

(1) (a) within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Parent Guarantor ending after the Issue Date, all annual consolidated financial statements of the Parent Guarantor substantially in the form that would be required to be contained in a filing with the SEC on Form 10-K (but only to the extent similar information was included in the Offering Memorandum), in accordance with the requirements of such Form 10-K as of the Issue Date, if the Parent Guarantor were required to file such form, together with a report thereon by the Parent Guarantor’s independent auditors, and a “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations;” and

(b) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Parent Guarantor commencing with the fiscal quarter of the Parent Guarantor ending after the Issue Date, all quarterly consolidated financial statements of the Parent Guarantor substantially in the form that would be required to be contained in a filing with the SEC on Form 10-Q (but only to the extent similar information was included in the Offering Memorandum), in accordance with the requirements of such Form 10-Q as of the Issue Date, if the Parent Guarantor were required to file such form, and a “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations;” and

(2) promptly from time to time after the occurrence of an event required to be therein reported, such other information containing substantially the same information that would be required to be contained in filings with the SEC on Form 8-K, in accordance with the requirements of such Form 8-K as of the Issue Date, under Items:

 

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1.03 (Bankruptcy or Receivership); 2.01 (Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets); 2.04 (Triggering Events that Accelerate or Increase a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement); 4.02 (Non-Reliance on Previously Issued Financial Statements or a Related Audit Report or Completed Interim Review); 5.01 (Changes in Control of Registrant); 5.02(a)(1) (Resignation of Director due to Disagreement with Registrant); 5.02(c)(1) (Name and Position of Newly Appointed Officer and Date of Appointment); and 5.03(b) (Changes in Fiscal Year),

if the Parent Guarantor were required to file such reports;

provided, however,

(i) no such reports referenced under clause (2) above will be required to include as an exhibit or summary of terms of, any employment or compensatory arrangement agreement, plan or understanding between the Issuer (or any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company) and any director, manager or executive officer, of the Issuer (or any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company);

(ii) in no event will such reports be required to comply with Section 302, Section 404 or Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or related Items 307 and 308 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC;

(iii) in no event will such reports be required to comply with Item 302 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC;

(iv) in no event will such reports be required to comply with Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC or contain separate financial statements for the Issuer, the Co-Issuer, the Guarantors or other Subsidiaries the shares of which may be pledged to secure the Notes or any Guarantee that would be required under (i) Section 3-09 of Regulation S-X or (ii) Section 3-16 of Regulation S-X, respectively, promulgated by the SEC;

(v) in no event will such reports be required to comply with Regulation G under the Exchange Act or Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC with respect to any non-GAAP financial measures contained therein;

(vi) no such reports referenced under clause (2) above will be required to be furnished if the Issuer determines in its good faith judgment that such event is not material to the Holders or the business, assets, operations or financial position of the Parent Guarantor and the Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

(vii) in no event will such reports be required to comply with Item 601 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC (with respect to exhibits) or, with respect to reports referenced in clause (2) above, to include as an exhibit copies of any agreements, financial statements or other items that would be required to be filed as exhibits to a current report on Form 8-K, except for agreements evidencing material Indebtedness (excluding any schedules thereto);

 

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(viii) in no event will reports delivered prior to the completion of the first fiscal year following the Issue Date be required to comply with Regulation S- X of the SEC;

(ix) trade secrets and other confidential information that is competitively sensitive in the good faith and reasonable determination of the Issuer may be excluded from any disclosures; and

(x) such information will not be required to contain any “segment reporting.”

(b) The Issuer may satisfy its obligations in this Section 4.03 with respect to financial information relating to the Parent Guarantor by furnishing financial information relating to any Parent Company; provided that if and so long as such Parent Company has Independent Assets or Operations, the same is accompanied by consolidating information (which need not be audited) that explains in reasonable detail the differences between the information relating to such Parent Company, on the one hand, and the information relating to the Parent Guarantor and the Restricted Subsidiaries on a stand-alone basis, on the other hand.

(c) In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, the financial statements, information, auditors’ reports and other documents and information required to be provided pursuant to Section 4.03(a) may be, rather than those of the Parent Guarantor, those of (a) any predecessor or successor of the Parent Guarantor, (b) any Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor that, together with its consolidated Subsidiaries, constitutes substantially all of the assets of the Parent Guarantor and its consolidated Subsidiaries (“Qualified Reporting Subsidiary”) or (c) any direct or indirect parent of the Parent Guarantor; provided that, if the financial information required to be provided pursuant to clauses (1) and (2) of Section 4.03(a) relates to such Qualified Reporting Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor or such Parent Company, such financial information will be accompanied by consolidating information (which need not be audited), which may be posted to the website of the Issuer or on Intralinks, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any comparable password protected online data system, that explains in reasonable detail (in the good faith judgment of the Issuer) the differences between the information relating to such Qualified Reporting Subsidiary or such Parent Company (as the case may be), on the one hand, and the information relating to the Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries on a stand-alone basis, on the other hand.

(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Issuer will not be deemed to have failed to comply with any of its obligations under this Section 4.03 for purposes of Section 6.01(3) hereof until 180 days after the date any report is due under this Section 4.03.

(e) The Issuer will make available such information and such reports to any Holder and, upon request, to any beneficial owner of the Notes, in each case by posting such information on its website, on Intralinks, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any comparable password-protected online data system that will require a confidentiality acknowledgment, and will make such information readily available to any Holder, any bona fide prospective investor in the Notes (which prospective investors will be limited to “qualified institutional buyers” within the meaning of Rule 144A of the Securities Act that certify their status as such to the reasonable satisfaction of the Issuer), any bona fide securities analyst (to the extent providing analysis of investment in the Notes to investors and prospective investors therein) or any bona fide market maker in the Notes who agrees to treat such information as confidential or accesses such information on Intralinks, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any comparable password-protected online data system that will require a

 

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confidentiality acknowledgment; provided that the Issuer may deny access to any competitively-sensitive information otherwise to be provided pursuant to this paragraph to any such Holder, prospective investor, security analyst or market maker that is a competitor of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries, or an affiliate of such a competitor (other than any affiliate that is a bona fide bank debt fund, distressed asset fund, hedge fund, mutual fund, insurance company, financial institution or investment vehicle engaged in the business of investing in, acquiring or trading commercial loans, bonds and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course (and not organized primarily for the purpose of making equity investments)) to the extent that the Issuer determines in good faith that the provision of such information to such Person would be competitively harmful to the Issuer and its Subsidiaries; provided, further that such Holders, prospective investors, security analysts or market makers will agree to (1) treat all such reports (and the information contained therein) and information as confidential, (2) not use such reports and the information contained therein for any purpose other than their investment or potential investment in the Notes and (3) not publicly disclose or distribute any such reports (and the information contained therein).

(f) In addition, to the extent not satisfied by the reports required under this Section 4.03 or otherwise made publicly-available by the Issuer, the Issuer will furnish to Holders thereof and prospective investors in the Notes, upon their request, the information, if any, required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) (or any successor provision) of the Securities Act.

(g) The Issuer will be deemed to have furnished the reports in Sections 4.03(a)(1) and (2) if the Issuer or any Parent Company has filed reports containing such information with the SEC.

(h) To the extent any information is not provided within the time periods specified in this Section 4.03 and such information is subsequently provided, the Issuer will be deemed to have satisfied its obligations with respect thereto at such time and any Default with respect thereto will be deemed to have been cured.

(i) The Issuer shall use its commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its judgment as to what is prudent at the time, to participate in quarterly conference calls after the delivery of the information referred to in Section 4.03(a)(1) and Section 4.03(a)(2) above, respectively (which may be a single conference call together with investors and lenders holding other securities or Indebtedness of the Issuer and/or the Restricted Subsidiaries and/or any Parent Company of the Issuer) to discuss operating results and related matters. The Issuer shall issue a press release which will provide the date and time of any such call and will direct Holders, prospective investors and securities analysts to contact the investor relations office of the Issuer to obtain access to the conference call.

(j) It is understood that the Trustee shall have no obligation whatsoever to determine whether or not such information, documents or reports have been posted on the Issuer’s website or filed with the SEC. The posting or delivery of any 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 Issuers’ compliance with any of the covenants under this Indenture (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on an Officer’s Certificate).

 

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SECTION 4.04. Compliance Certificate.

(a) The Issuer shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year ending after the Issue Date, a certificate from the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer stating that a review of the activities of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officer with a view to determining whether the Issuer has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Issuer has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every condition and covenant contained in this Indenture during such fiscal year and is not in Default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions, covenants and conditions of this Indenture (or, if a Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Issuer is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto).

(b) When any Default has occurred and is continuing under this Indenture, the Issuer shall promptly (which shall be no more than thirty (30) days after becoming aware of such Default) deliver to the Trustee by registered or certified mail or by facsimile transmission an Officer’s Certificate specifying such Default, its status and what actions the Issuers propose to take with respect thereto.

SECTION 4.05. Taxes. The Issuer shall pay or discharge, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to pay or discharge, prior to delinquency, all material taxes, lawful assessments, and governmental levies except such as are contested in good faith and by appropriate actions or where the failure to effect such payment or discharge is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.

SECTION 4.06. Stay, Extension and Usury Laws. The Issuer, the Co-Issuer and each of the Guarantors covenant (to the extent that they may lawfully do so) that they shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Issuer, the Co-Issuer and each of the Guarantors (to the extent that they may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waive all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenant (to the extent that they may lawfully do so) that they shall not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but shall suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

SECTION 4.07. Limitation on Restricted Payments.

(a) The Parent Guarantor will not, and will not permit the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, to:

(I) declare or pay any dividend or make any payment or distribution on account of the Parent Guarantor’s, the Issuer’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s Equity Interests (in each case, solely in such Person’s capacity as holder of such Equity Interests), including any dividend or distribution payable in connection with any merger, amalgamation or consolidation, other than:

 

  (A)

dividends, payments or distributions payable solely in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer or a Parent Company or in options, warrants or other rights to purchase such Equity Interests; or

 

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  (B)

dividends, payments or distributions by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary so long as, in the case of any dividend, payment or distribution payable on or in respect of any class or series of securities issued by a Restricted Subsidiary other than a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary receives at least its pro rata share of such dividend, payment or distribution in accordance with its Equity Interests in such class or series of securities or such other amount to which it is entitled pursuant to the terms of such Equity Interest;

(II) purchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value any Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Parent Company, including in connection with any merger, amalgamation or consolidation, in each case held by Persons other than the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary;

(III) make any principal payment on, or redeem, repurchase, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value, in each case, prior to any scheduled repayment, sinking fund payment or final maturity, any Subordinated Indebtedness, other than:

 

  (A)

Indebtedness permitted under Sections 4.09(b)(7), (8) and (9); or

 

  (B)

the payment, redemption, repurchase, defeasance, acquisition or retirement for value of Subordinated Indebtedness in connection with satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final maturity, in each case due within one year of the date of such payment, redemption, repurchase, defeasance, acquisition or retirement; or

(IV) make any Restricted Investment;

(all such payments and other actions set forth in clauses (I) through (IV) above being collectively referred to as “Restricted Payments”), unless, at the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Restricted Payment:

(1) in the case of a Restricted Payment described in clauses (I) and (II) above utilizing clauses (3)(A) or (3)(F) below, no Event of Default will have occurred and be continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof;

(2) in the case of a Restricted Payment described in clauses (I) and (II) above utilizing clause (3)(A) or (3)(F) below, immediately after giving effect to any such Restricted Payment made utilizing clause (3)(A) below on a pro forma basis, the Issuer could incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Test; and

(3) such Restricted Payment, together with the aggregate amount of all other Restricted Payments (including the fair market value of any non-cash amount) made by the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries after the Issue Date (excluding Restricted Payments permitted by Section 4.07(b), other than Section 4.07(b)(1)), is less than the sum of (without duplication):

 

  (A)

50.00% of the Consolidated Net Income of the Parent Guarantor for the period (taken as one accounting period) from the beginning of the Parent Guarantor’s fiscal quarter in which the Notes are originally issued to the end of the most recently ended fiscal quarter for which financial statements are available (as determined in good faith by the Issuer) preceding such Restricted Payment, or, in the case such Consolidated Net Income for such period is a deficit, minus 100.00% of such deficit; plus

 

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  (B)

100.00% of the aggregate net cash proceeds and the fair market value of marketable securities or other property received by the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries since the Issue Date (other than net cash proceeds to the extent such net cash proceeds have been used to incur Indebtedness or issue Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock pursuant to 4.09(b)(12)(a)) from the issue or sale of:

(i) (A) Equity Interests of the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer, including Treasury Capital Stock, but excluding cash proceeds and the fair market value of marketable securities or other property received from the sale of:

(x) Equity Interests to any future, present or former employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants or independent contractors (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof) of the Issuer, its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company after the Issue Date to the extent such amounts have been applied to Restricted Payments made in accordance with Section 4.07(b)(4); and

(y) Designated Preferred Stock; and

(B) Equity Interests of Parent Companies, to the extent the proceeds of any such issuance or consideration for any such sale are contributed to the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer (excluding contributions of the proceeds from the sale of Designated Preferred Stock of such companies or contributions to the extent such amounts have been applied to Restricted Payments made in accordance with Section 4.07(b)(4)); or

(ii) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, that has been converted into or exchanged for Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Parent Company;

provided that this clause (3)(B) will not include the proceeds from (W) Refunding Capital Stock (as defined below) applied in accordance with Section 4.07(b)(2), (X) Equity Interests or convertible debt securities of the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer sold to a Restricted Subsidiary, (Y) Disqualified Stock or debt securities that have been converted into Disqualified Stock or (Z) Excluded Contributions; plus

 

  (C)

100.00% of the aggregate amount of cash, Cash Equivalents and the fair market value of marketable securities or other property contributed to the capital of the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer (other than in the form of Disqualified Stock) following the Issue Date (including the fair market value of any Indebtedness contributed to the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries for cancellation) or that becomes part of the capital of the

 

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  Parent Guarantor or the Issuer through consolidation, amalgamation or merger following the Issue Date, in each case not involving cash consideration payable by the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer (other than (X) net cash proceeds to the extent such net cash proceeds have been used to incur Indebtedness or issue Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(12)(a)), (Y) cash, Cash Equivalents and marketable securities or other property that are contributed by a Restricted Subsidiary or (Z) Excluded Contributions); plus

 

  (D)

100.00% of the aggregate amount received in cash and the fair market value of marketable securities or other property received by the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary by means of:

(i) the sale or other disposition (other than to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary) of, or other returns on Investments from, Restricted Investments made by the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries (including cash distributions and cash interest received in respect of Restricted Investments) and repurchases and redemptions of such Restricted Investments from the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries (other than by the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary) and repayments of loans or advances, and releases of guarantees, which constitute Restricted Investments made by the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries, in each case after the Issue Date (excluding any Excluded Contributions made pursuant to clause (2) of the definition thereof); or

(ii) the sale (other than to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary) of Equity Interests of an Unrestricted Subsidiary or a distribution from an Unrestricted Subsidiary (other than, in each case, to the extent the Investment in such Unrestricted Subsidiary constituted a Permitted Investment, but including such cash or fair market value to the extent exceeding the amount of such Permitted Investment) or a dividend or distribution from an Unrestricted Subsidiary after the Issue Date (excluding any Excluded Contributions made pursuant to clause (2) of the definition thereof); or

(iii) any returns, profits, distributions and similar amounts received on account of any Permitted Investment subject to a dollar-denominated or ratio-based basket (to the extent in excess of the original amount of such Investment); plus

 

  (E)

in the case of the redesignation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary or the merger, amalgamation or consolidation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary into the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary or the transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of an Unrestricted Subsidiary to the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary after the Issue Date, the fair market value of the Investment in such Unrestricted Subsidiary (or the assets transferred) at the time of the redesignation of such Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary or at the time of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or transfer of assets, to the extent the designation of such Unrestricted Subsidiary constituted a Restricted Investment, and not exceeding the amount of such Restricted Investment; plus

 

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  (F)

the greater of (i) $35.0 million and (ii) 17.50% of the Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis).

(b) Section 4.07(a) will not prohibit:

(1) the payment of any dividend or other distribution or the consummation of any irrevocable redemption within 60 days after the date of declaration of the dividend or other distribution or giving of the redemption notice, as the case may be, if at the date of declaration or notice, the dividend or other distribution or redemption payment would have complied with the provisions of this Indenture;

(2) (a) the redemption, repurchase, defeasance, discharge, retirement or other acquisition of (i) any Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or any Parent Company, including any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions thereon (“Treasury Capital Stock”), or (ii) Subordinated Indebtedness, in each case, made (x) in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of, a sale or issuance (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary) of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Parent Company (in the case of proceeds, to the extent any such proceeds therefrom are contributed to the Issuer) (in each case, other than Disqualified Stock) (“Refunding Capital Stock”) and (y) within 120 days of such sale or issuance, (b) the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions on Treasury Capital Stock out of the proceeds of a sale or issuance (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary or to an employee stock ownership plan or any trust established by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary) of Refunding Capital Stock made within 120 days of such sale or issuance, and (c) if, immediately prior to the retirement of Treasury Capital Stock, the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions thereon by the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer was permitted under Section 4.07(b)(6)(A) or (B), the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions on the Refunding Capital Stock (other than Refunding Capital Stock the proceeds of which were used to redeem, repurchase, retire or otherwise acquire any Equity Interests of any Parent Company) in an aggregate amount per annum no greater than the aggregate amount of dividends or distributions per annum that were declarable and payable on such Treasury Capital Stock immediately prior to such retirement;

(3) the principal payment on, defeasance, redemption, repurchase, exchange or other acquisition or retirement of (a) Subordinated Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor made (i) by exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the sale, issuance or incurrence of, new Subordinated Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor or Disqualified Stock of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor and (ii) within 120 days of such sale, issuance or incurrence, (b) Disqualified Stock of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor made by exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the sale, issuance or incurrence of, Disqualified Stock or Subordinated Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor, made within 120 days of such sale, issuance or incurrence, (c) Disqualified Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor made by exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the sale or issuance of, Disqualified Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor made within 120 days of such sale or issuance that, in each case, is Refinancing Indebtedness incurred or issued, as applicable, in compliance with Section 4.09 and (d) any Subordinated Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock that constitutes Acquired Indebtedness;

 

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(4) a Restricted Payment to pay for the repurchase, retirement or other acquisition or retirement for value of, or a distribution in respect of, Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) (including related stock appreciation rights or similar securities) of the Issuer or any Parent Company held by any future, present or former employee, director, officer, member of management, consultant or independent contractor (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof) of the Issuer, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company including, without limitation, pursuant to any management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement, or any equity subscription or equity holder agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any principal and interest payable on any notes issued by the Issuer or any Parent Company in connection with any such repurchase, retirement or other acquisition); provided that, the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments made under this clause (4) does not exceed $15.0 million in any fiscal year (increasing to $30.0 million in any fiscal year following an underwritten public Equity Offering by the Issuer or any Parent Company) with unused amounts in any calendar year being carried over to succeeding calendar years; provided, further, that such amount in any calendar year under this clause(4) may be increased by an amount not to exceed:

 

  (A)

the cash proceeds from the sale of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer and, to the extent contributed to the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer, the cash proceeds from the sale of Equity Interests of any Parent Company, in each case to any future, present or former employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants or independent contractors (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof) of the Issuer, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company that occurs after the Issue Date, to the extent the cash proceeds from the sale of such Equity Interests have not otherwise been applied to the payment of Restricted Payments by virtue of Section 4.07(a)(3); plus

 

  (B)

the amount of any cash bonuses otherwise payable to members of management, employees, directors, consultants or independent contractors (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof) of the Issuer, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company that are foregone in exchange for the receipt of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Parent Company pursuant to any compensation arrangement, including any deferred compensation plan; plus

 

  (C)

the cash proceeds of life insurance policies received by the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries (or by any Parent Company to the extent contributed to the Issuer) (other than in the form of Disqualified Stock) after the Issue Date; minus

 

  (D)

the amount of any Restricted Payments previously made with the cash proceeds described in clauses (A), (B) and (C) of this clause (4);

 

 

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and provided that the Issuer may elect to apply all or any portion of the aggregate increase contemplated by Sections 4.07(b)(4)(A), (B) and (C) in any fiscal year and provided, further, that cancellation of Indebtedness owing to the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries or any Parent Company from any future, present or former employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants or independent contractors (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof), of the Issuer, any Parent Company or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with a repurchase of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Parent Company will not be deemed to constitute a Restricted Payment for purposes of this Section 4.07 or any other provision of this Indenture;

(5) the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions to holders of any class or series of Disqualified Stock of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or any class or series of Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary issued in accordance with Section 4.09 to the extent such dividends or distributions are included in the definition of “Fixed Charges”;

(6) (A) the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions to holders of any class or series of Designated Preferred Stock issued by the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary after the Issue Date;

(B) the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions to any Parent Company, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the payment of dividends or distributions to holders of any class or series of Designated Preferred Stock issued by such Parent Company after the Issue Date; provided that the amount of dividends and distributions paid pursuant to this clause (B) will not exceed the aggregate amount of cash actually contributed to the Issuer from the sale of such Designated Preferred Stock; or

(C) the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions on Refunding Capital Stock that is Preferred Stock in excess of the dividends or distributions declarable and payable thereon pursuant to Section 4.07(b)(2);

provided that in the case of each of clauses (A), (B) and (C) of this clause (6), for the most recently ended Test Period preceding the date of issuance of such Designated Preferred Stock or the declaration of such dividends or distributions on Refunding Capital Stock that is Preferred Stock, after giving effect to such issuance or declaration on a pro forma basis, the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Parent Guarantor of at least 2.00 to 1.00;

(7) (a) payments made or expected to be made by the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or any Parent Company in respect of withholding or similar taxes payable by any future, present or former employee, director, officer, member of management, consultant or independent contractor (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or permitted transferees) of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or any Parent Company, (b) any repurchases or withholdings of Equity Interests in connection with the exercise of stock options, warrants or similar rights if such Equity Interests represent a portion of the exercise price of, or withholding obligations with respect to, such options, warrants or similar rights or required withholding or similar taxes and (c) loans or advances to officers, directors, employees, managers, consultants and independent contractors of the Issuer or any Parent Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such Person’s purchase of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Parent Company; provided that no cash is actually advanced pursuant to this clause (c) other than to pay taxes due in connection with such purchase, unless immediately repaid;

 

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(8) the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions on the Issuer’s common equity (or the payment of dividends or distributions to any Parent Company to fund a payment of dividends or distributions on such Parent Company’s common equity), following the first public offering of the Issuer’s common equity or the common equity of any Parent Company after the Issue Date, in an amount not to exceed 6.00% per annum of the net cash proceeds received by or contributed to the Issuer in or from any such public offering, other than public offerings with respect to the Issuer’s or such Parent Company’s common equity registered on Form S-4 or Form S-8 and other than any public sale constituting an Excluded Contribution;

(9) Restricted Payments in an amount that does not exceed the aggregate amount of Excluded Contributions;

(10) Restricted Payments in an aggregate amount taken together with all other Restricted Payments made pursuant to this clause (10) not to exceed (as of the date any such Restricted Payment is made) the greater of (a) $50.0 million and (b) 25.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis); provided that if this clause (10) is utilized to make a Restricted Investment, the amount deemed to be utilized under this clause (10) will be the amount of such Restricted Investment at any time outstanding (with the fair market value of such Investment being measured at the time made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value, but subject to adjustment as set forth in the definition of “Investment”);

(11) distributions or payments of Securitization Fees;

(12) [Reserved];

(13) the repurchase, redemption, defeasance, acquisition or retirement for value of any Subordinated Indebtedness pursuant to the provisions similar to those of Sections 4.10 and 4.14; provided that (i) at or prior to such repurchase, redemption, defeasance, acquisition or retirement, the Issuers (or a third person permitted by this Indenture) have made any required Change of Control Offer or Asset Sale Offer, as applicable, to purchase the Notes on the terms provided in this Indenture applicable to Change of Control Offers or Asset Sale Offers, respectively, and (ii) all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn by Holders in any such Change of Control Offer or Asset Sale Offer, as applicable, have been repurchased, redeemed, acquired or retired for value;

(14) the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary to, or the making of loans or advances to, the Issuer or any Parent Company in amounts required for any Parent Company to pay, in each case without duplication:

(A) franchise, excise and similar taxes, and other fees, taxes and expenses required to maintain their corporate or other legal existence;

 

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(B) with respect to a Relevant Taxable Income Category of either the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer, as the case may be, cash distributions by the Parent Guarantor to its direct members, or by the Issuer to the Parent Guarantor, in an amount for each Tax Distribution Period equal to the excess (if any) of (i) the product of (A) the excess (if any) of (I) the cumulative amount of the Relevant Taxable Income Category of the Parent Guarantor (in the case of distributions by the Parent Guarantor) or the Issuer (in the case of distributions to the Parent Guarantor) over (II) the cumulative amount of tax deductions and losses of the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer (respectively) attributable to that Relevant Taxable Income Category, multiplied by (B) the Applicable Tax Rate over (ii) the cumulative amount distributed by the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer (respectively) pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4.07(b)(14)(B) with respect to that Relevant Taxable Income Category, with all cumulative amounts under this clause (B) determined from the Issue Date through the date of determination (and for the avoidance of doubt, amounts paid as cash distributions by the Issuer to the Parent Guarantor in accordance with this clause (B) may be paid by the Parent Guarantor to its direct members in accordance with this clause (B)); provided that no distribution with respect to this clause (B) shall be made in connection with the liquidation of the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer;

(C) salary, bonus, severance and other benefits payable to, and indemnities provided on behalf of, employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants and independent contractors of any Parent Company and any payroll, social security or similar taxes thereof;

(D) general corporate or other operating, administrative, compliance and overhead costs and expenses (including expenses relating to auditing and other accounting matters) of any Parent Company;

(E) fees and expenses (including ongoing compliance costs and listing expenses) related to any equity or debt offering of a Parent Company (whether or not consummated);

(F) amounts that would be permitted to be paid directly by the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries under Section 4.11 (other than clause (b)(2)(a) thereof);

(G) interest or principal on Indebtedness the proceeds of which have been contributed to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or that has been guaranteed by, or is otherwise, considered Indebtedness of, the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary incurred in accordance with Section 4.09; and

(H) to finance Investments or other acquisitions or investments otherwise permitted to be made pursuant to this Section 4.07 if made by the Issuer; provided that (A) such Restricted Payment must be made within 120 days of the closing of such Investment, acquisition or investment, (B) such Parent Company must, promptly following the closing thereof, cause (1) all property acquired (whether assets or Equity

 

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Interests) to be contributed to the capital of the Issuer or one of the Restricted Subsidiaries or (2) the merger, amalgamation, consolidation, or sale of the Person formed or acquired into the Issuer or one of the Restricted Subsidiaries (to the extent not prohibited by Section 5.01) in order to consummate such Investment, acquisition or investment, (C) such Parent Company and its Affiliates (other than the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary) receives no consideration or other payment in connection with such transaction except to the extent the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary could have given such consideration or made such payment in compliance with this Indenture, (D) any property received by the Issuer may not increase amounts available for Restricted Payments pursuant to Section 4.07(a)(3) and (E) to the extent constituting an Investment, such Investment will be deemed to be made by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to another provision of this Section 4.07 (other than pursuant to Section 4.07(b)(9)) or pursuant to the definition of “Permitted Investments” (other than clause (9) thereof);

(15) [Reserved];

(16) the distribution, by dividend, distribution or otherwise, or other transfer or disposition of shares of Capital Stock of, Equity Interests in, or Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary by, Unrestricted Subsidiaries (other than Unrestricted Subsidiaries, substantially all the assets of which are cash and Cash Equivalents);

(17) cash payments or loans, advances, dividends or distributions to any Parent Company to make payments, in lieu of issuing fractional shares in connection with share dividends, share distribution, share splits, reverse share splits, mergers, consolidations, amalgamations or other business combinations and in connection with the exercise of warrants, options or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for Equity Interests of the Issuer, any of the Restricted Subsidiaries or any Parent Company;

(18) Restricted Payments, provided that after giving pro forma effect thereto and the application of the net proceeds therefrom, the Total Net Leverage Ratio for the Test Period immediately preceding such Restricted Payment would be no greater than 4.00 to 1.00;

(19) payments made for the benefit of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to the extent such payments could have been made by the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries because such payments (a) would not otherwise be Restricted Payments and (b) would be permitted by Section 4.11;

(20) payments and distributions to dissenting stockholders of Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to applicable law, pursuant to or in connection with a consolidation, amalgamation, merger or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of any Restricted Subsidiary that complies with the terms of this Indenture or any other transaction that complies with the terms of this Indenture;

(21) the payment of dividends, other distributions and other amounts by the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer to, or the making of loans to, any Parent Company in the amount required for such Parent Company to, if applicable, pay amounts equal to amounts required for such Parent Company, if applicable, to pay interest and/or principal

 

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(including AHYDO “catch-up payments”) on Indebtedness, the proceeds of which have been permanently contributed to the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary and that has been guaranteed by, or is otherwise considered Indebtedness of, the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary incurred in accordance with this Indenture; provided that the aggregate amount of such dividends, distributions, loans and other amounts shall not exceed the amount of cash actually contributed to the Parent Guarantor or the Issuer for the incurrence of such Indebtedness; and

(22) the refinancing of any Subordinated Indebtedness with the Net Proceeds of, or in exchange for, any Refinancing Indebtedness;

provided that at the time of, and after giving effect to, any Restricted Payment permitted under Section 4.07(b)(17), in respect of Restricted Payments described in clauses (I), (II) or (III) of Section 4.07(a), no Event of Default will have occurred and be continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof. For purposes of Sections 4.07(b)(7) and 4.07(b)(14), taxes will include all interest and penalties with respect thereto and all additions thereto.

(c) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.07, in the event that any Restricted Payment or Investment (or a portion thereof) meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of Restricted Payments described in Section 4.07(a) or 4.07(b) and/or one or more of the clauses contained in the definition of “Permitted Investments,” the Issuer may, in its sole discretion, be entitled to divide or classify (and later divide, classify, re-divide and re-classify), in whole or in part, such Restricted Payment or Investment (or any portion thereof) among Section 4.07(a) and/or 4.07(b) and/or one or more clauses contained in the definition of “Permitted Investments,” in a manner that otherwise complies with this Section 4.07. The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) will be the fair market value on the date the Restricted Payment is made, or at the Issuer’s election, the date a commitment is made to make such Restricted Payment, of the assets or securities proposed to be transferred or issued by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, pursuant to the Restricted Payment.

(d) As of the Issue Date, all of the Issuer’s Subsidiaries will be Restricted Subsidiaries. The Issuer will not permit any Unrestricted Subsidiary to become a Restricted Subsidiary except pursuant to the penultimate sentence of the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary.” For purposes of designating any Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, all outstanding Investments by the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries (except to the extent repaid) in the Subsidiary so designated will be deemed to be Restricted Payments or Permitted Investments in an amount determined as set forth in the definition of “Investments.” Such designation will be permitted only if a Restricted Payment in such amount would be permitted at such time pursuant to this Section 4.07 or if an Investment would be permitted at such time, pursuant to the definition of “Permitted Investments,” and if such Subsidiary otherwise meets the definition of an Unrestricted Subsidiary. Unrestricted Subsidiaries will not be subject to any of the restrictive covenants set forth in this Indenture. For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 4.07 will not restrict the making of any “AHYDO catch up payment” with respect to, and required by the terms of, any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary permitted to be incurred under the terms of this Indenture.

 

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SECTION 4.08. Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.

(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor to, create or otherwise cause to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or consensual restriction on the ability of any such Restricted Subsidiary to:

(1) (A) pay dividends or make any other distributions to the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor on its Capital Stock or with respect to any other interest or participation in, or measured by, its profits, or

(B) pay any Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or to any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor;

(2) make loans or advances to the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or to any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor; or

(3) sell, lease or transfer any of its properties or assets to the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or to any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor;

provided that any dividend, distribution or liquidation priority between or among classes or series of Capital Stock, and the subordination of any obligation (including the application of any remedy bars thereto) to any other obligation will not be deemed to constitute such an encumbrance or restriction.

(b) The restrictions in Section 4.08(a) will not apply to encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of:

(1) encumbrances or restrictions in effect on the Issue Date, including pursuant to the Senior Credit Facilities and the related documentation and Hedging Obligations and the related documentation;

(2) this Indenture, the Notes and the guarantees thereof;

(3) Purchase Money Obligations and Capitalized Lease Obligations that impose restrictions of the nature discussed in Section 4.08(a)(3) on the property so acquired;

(4) applicable law or any applicable rule, regulation or order;

(5) any agreement or other instrument of a Person, or relating to Indebtedness or Equity Interests of a Person, acquired by or merged, amalgamated or consolidated with and into the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or an Unrestricted Subsidiary that is designated as a Restricted Subsidiary, or any other transaction entered into in connection with any such acquisition, merger, consolidation or amalgamation in existence at the time of such acquisition or at the time it merges, amalgamates or consolidates with or into the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or an Unrestricted Subsidiary that is designated as a Restricted Subsidiary or assumed in connection with the acquisition of assets from such Person (but, in any such case, not created in contemplation thereof), which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person so acquired and its Subsidiaries, or the property or assets of the Person so acquired or designated and its Subsidiaries or the property or assets so acquired or designated;

 

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(6) contracts or agreements for the sale or disposition of assets, including any restrictions with respect to a Subsidiary of the Issuer pursuant to an agreement that has been entered into for the sale or disposition of any of the Capital Stock or assets of such Subsidiary;

(7) Project Documents or Additional Project Documents;

(8) Secured Indebtedness otherwise permitted to be incurred pursuant to Sections 4.09 and 4.12 that limit the right of the debtor to dispose of assets or incur Liens;

(9) restrictions on cash or other deposits or net worth imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice or arising in connection with any Permitted Liens;

(10) provisions in agreements governing Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors permitted to be incurred subsequent to the Issue Date pursuant to Section 4.09;

(11) provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements (including equity holder agreements) relating to such joint venture or its members or entered into in the ordinary course of business;

(12) customary provisions contained in leases, sub-leases, licenses, sub- licenses, Equity Interests or similar agreements, including with respect to intellectual property and other agreements;

(13) restrictions created in connection with any Qualified Securitization Facility or Receivables Financing Transaction that, in the good faith determination of the Issuer, are necessary or advisable to effect such Qualified Securitization Facility or Receivables Financing Transaction;

(14) restrictions or conditions contained in any trading, netting, operating, construction, service, supply, purchase, sale or other agreement to which the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary is a party entered into in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice; provided that such agreement prohibits the encumbrance of solely the property or assets of the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary that are subject to such agreement, the payment rights arising thereunder or the proceeds thereof and does not extend to any other asset or property of the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary or the assets or property of another Restricted Subsidiary;

(15) customary provisions restricting subletting or assignment of any lease governing a leasehold interest of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary;

(16) customary provisions restricting assignment of any agreement;

(17) restrictions arising in connection with cash or other deposits permitted under Section 4.12;

 

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(18) any other agreement or instrument governing any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock, or Preferred Stock permitted to be incurred or issued pursuant to Section 4.09 entered into after the Issue Date that contains encumbrances and restrictions that either (i) are no more restrictive in any material respect, taken as a whole, with respect to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary than (A) the restrictions contained in this Indenture or the Senior Credit Facilities as of the Issue Date or (B) those encumbrances and other restrictions that are in effect on the Issue Date with respect to the Issuer or that Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to agreements in effect on the Issue Date, (ii) are not materially more disadvantageous, taken as a whole, to the Holders than is customary in comparable financings for similarly situated issuers or (iii) will not materially impair the Issuers’ ability to make payments on the Notes when due, in each case in the good faith judgment of the Issuer;

(19) (i) under terms of Indebtedness and Liens in respect of Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(4) and any permitted refinancing in respect thereof, and (ii) agreements entered into in connection with a Sale and Lease- Back Transaction entered into in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(20) customary restrictions and conditions contained in documents relating to any Lien so long as (i) such Lien is a Permitted Lien and such restrictions or conditions relate only to the specific asset subject to such Lien and (ii) such restrictions and conditions are not created for the purpose of avoiding the restrictions imposed by this covenant;

(21) any encumbrance or restriction with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary that was previously an Unrestricted Subsidiary which encumbrance or restriction exists pursuant to or by reason of an agreement that such Subsidiary is a party to or entered into before the date on which such Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such agreement was not entered into in anticipation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary becoming a Restricted Subsidiary and any such encumbrance or restriction does not extend to any assets or property of the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary other than the assets and property of such Restricted Subsidiary;

(22) any encumbrances or restrictions imposed by any amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings of the contracts, instruments or obligations referred to in clauses (1) through (20) of this Section 4.08(b); provided that such amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings are, in the good faith judgment of the Issuer, no more restrictive in any material respect with respect to such encumbrance and other restrictions, taken as a whole, than those prior to such amendment, modification, restatement, renewal, increase, supplement, refunding, replacement or refinancing;

(23) any encumbrance or restriction existing under, by reason of or with respect to Refinancing Indebtedness; provided that the encumbrances and restrictions contained in the agreements governing that Refinancing Indebtedness are, in the good faith judgment of the Issuer, not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, than those contained in the agreements governing the Indebtedness being refinanced; and

(24) applicable law or any applicable rule, regulation or order in any jurisdiction where Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries permitted to be incurred or issued pursuant to Section 4.09 is incurred or issued.

 

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SECTION 4.09. Limitation on Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock.

(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any of the Restricted Subsidiaries to, create, incur, issue, assume, guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly, liable, contingently or otherwise (collectively, “incur” and collectively, an “incurrence”) with respect to any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness) and the Issuer will not issue any shares of Disqualified Stock and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to issue any shares of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock; provided that the Issuer may incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness) or issue shares of Disqualified Stock, and any Restricted Subsidiary may incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness), issue shares of Disqualified Stock and issue shares of Preferred Stock, if the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred or such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is issued (or, in the case of Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, on the date such Designated Revolving Commitments are established after giving pro forma effect to the incurrence of the entire committed amount of Indebtedness thereunder, in which case such committed amount under such Designated Revolving Commitments may thereafter be borrowed and reborrowed, in whole or in part, from time to time, without further compliance with this proviso) would have been at least 2.00 to 1.00, determined on a pro forma basis (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred, or the Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock had been issued, as the case may be, and the application of proceeds therefrom had occurred at the beginning of such Test Period; provided, further that Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors or the Co-Issuer may not incur Indebtedness or issue Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock under this paragraph if, after giving pro forma effect to such incurrence or issuance (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness, liquidation preference of Disqualified Stock and amount of Preferred Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors or the Co-Issuer incurred or issued pursuant to this paragraph then outstanding, together with any principal amounts incurred or issued by such Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors or the Co-Issuer with respect to Indebtedness incurred pursuant to clause (14)(a) below and Refinancing Indebtedness in respect of any of the foregoing (excluding any Incremental Amounts), in each case then outstanding would exceed (as of the date such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is issued, incurred or otherwise obtained), the greater of (x) $65.0 million and (y) 32.50% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (tested on a pro forma basis).

(b) Section 4.09(a) will not apply to:

(1) the incurrence of Indebtedness pursuant to Credit Facilities by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary and the issuance and creation of letters of credit thereunder (with letters of credit being deemed to have a principal amount equal to the face amount thereof) in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed the sum of (a) $975.0 million and (b) the Permitted Incremental Amount; provided that any Indebtedness incurred under this Section 4.09(b)(1) may be extended, replaced, refunded, refinanced, renewed or defeased (including through successive extensions, replacements, refundings, refinancings, renewals and defeasances) with new Indebtedness so long as the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of such new Indebtedness does not exceed the sum of (x) the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of the Indebtedness being so extended, replaced, refunded, refinanced, renewed or defeased (and with respect to Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, including an amount equal to any unutilized

 

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Designated Revolving Commitments being refinanced to the extent permanently terminated at the time of incurrence of such Refinancing Indebtedness), plus (y) any accrued and unpaid interest on the Indebtedness being refinanced, plus (z) the amount of any tender premium or penalty or premium required to be paid under the terms of the instrument or documents governing such refinanced Indebtedness and any defeasance costs and any fees and expenses (including original issue discount, upfront fees or similar fees) incurred in connection with the incurrence of such new Indebtedness or the extension, replacement, refunding, refinancing, renewal or defeasance of such refinanced Indebtedness;

(2) the incurrence by the Issuer or the Co-Issuer and any Guarantor of Indebtedness represented by the Notes and related Guarantees (but excluding any Additional Notes);

(3) the incurrence of Indebtedness by the Issuer and any Restricted Subsidiary in existence on the Issue Date (excluding Indebtedness described in Sections 4.09(b)(1) and (2));

(4) (a) the incurrence of Attributable Indebtedness and (b) Indebtedness (including Capitalized Lease Obligations and Purchase Money Obligations) and Disqualified Stock incurred or issued by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary and Preferred Stock issued by any Restricted Subsidiary to finance the purchase, lease, expansion, construction, installation, replacement, repair or improvement of property (real or personal), equipment or other assets, including assets that are used or useful in a Similar Business, whether through the direct purchase of assets or the Capital Stock of any Person owning such assets in an aggregate principal amount, together with any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof (excluding any Incremental Amounts) and all other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock and/or Preferred Stock incurred or issued and outstanding under this clause (4), together with any Refinancing Indebtedness incurred or issued and outstanding under Section 4.09(b)(13) in respect thereof at such time, not to exceed (as of the date such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock and/or Preferred Stock is issued, incurred or otherwise obtained) the greater of (x) $100.0 million and (y) 50.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis);

(5) Indebtedness incurred by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (a) constituting reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit, bank guarantees, banker’s acceptances, warehouse receipts, or similar instruments issued or entered into, or relating to obligations or liabilities incurred, in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, including in respect of workers’ compensation claims, performance, completion or surety bonds, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance or self-insurance, unemployment insurance or other social security legislation or other Indebtedness with respect to reimbursement-type obligations regarding workers’ compensation claims, performance, completion or surety bonds, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance or self-insurance or (b) as an account party in respect of letters of credit, bank guarantees or similar instruments in favor of suppliers, trade creditors or other Persons issued or incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

 

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(6) the incurrence of Indebtedness arising from agreements of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary providing for indemnification, adjustment of purchase price, earnouts or similar obligations, in each case, incurred or assumed in connection with the acquisition or disposition of any business, assets or a Subsidiary, other than guarantees of Indebtedness incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or a Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition;

(7) the incurrence of Indebtedness by the Issuer and owing to a Restricted Subsidiary or the issuance of Disqualified Stock of the Issuer to a Restricted Subsidiary (or to any Parent Company which is substantially contemporaneously transferred to any Restricted Subsidiary); provided that any such Indebtedness for borrowed money owing to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor or the Co-Issuer is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes on customary terms; provided, further, that any subsequent issuance or transfer of any Capital Stock or any other event that results in any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or any other subsequent transfer of any such Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock (except to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary or any pledge of such Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock constituting a Permitted Lien) will be deemed, in each case, to be an incurrence of such Indebtedness (to the extent such Indebtedness is then outstanding) or issuance of such Disqualified Stock (to the extent such Disqualified Stock is then outstanding) not permitted by this clause (7);

(8) the incurrence of Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary (or to any Parent Company which is substantially contemporaneously transferred to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary); provided that any such Indebtedness for borrowed money incurred by a Guarantor or the Co-Issuer and owing to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor or the Co-Issuer is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Guarantee of the Notes of such Guarantor or the Obligations under the Notes of the Co-Issuer on customary terms; provided, further, that any subsequent issuance or transfer of any Capital Stock or any other event which results in any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or any such subsequent transfer of any such Indebtedness (except to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary or any pledge of such Indebtedness constituting a Permitted Lien) will be deemed, in each case, to be an incurrence of such Indebtedness (to the extent such Indebtedness is then outstanding) not permitted by this clause (8);

(9) the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary (or to any Parent Company which is substantially contemporaneously transferred to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary); provided that any subsequent issuance or transfer of any Capital Stock or any other event that results in any such Restricted Subsidiary that holds such Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or any other subsequent transfer of any such shares of Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock (except to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary or any pledge of such Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock constituting a Permitted Lien) will be deemed, in each case, to be an issuance of such shares of Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock (to the extent such Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock is then outstanding) not permitted by this clause (9);

(10) the incurrence of Hedging Obligations (excluding Hedging Obligations entered into for speculative purposes);

 

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(11) the incurrence of obligations in respect of self-insurance and obligations in respect of performance, bid, appeal and surety bonds and performance, banker’s acceptance facilities and completion guarantees and similar obligations provided by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or obligations in respect of letters of credit, bank guarantees or similar instruments related thereto, in each case in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, including those incurred to secure health, safety and environmental obligations;

(12) (a) the incurrence of Indebtedness or issuance of Disqualified Stock of the Issuer and the incurrence or issuance of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary in an aggregate principal amount or liquidation preference up to 100.00% of the net cash proceeds received by the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries since the Issue Date from the issue or sale of Equity Interests of the Issuer, the Co-Issuer and the Guarantors or contributions to the capital of the Issuer, the Co-Issuer and the Guarantors including through consolidation, amalgamation or merger (in each case, other than proceeds of Disqualified Stock or sales of Equity Interests to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary) as determined in accordance with Sections 4.07(a)(3)(B) and (3)(C) to the extent such net cash proceeds or cash have not been applied pursuant to such clauses to make Restricted Payments pursuant to Section 4.07(a) or to make Permitted Investments (other than Permitted Investments specified in clause (1), (2) or (3) of the definition thereof); and

(b) the incurrence of Indebtedness or issuance of Disqualified Stock of the Issuer and the incurrence or issuance of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary in an aggregate principal amount or liquidation preference that, when aggregated with the principal amount and liquidation preference of all other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock then outstanding and incurred or issued, as applicable, pursuant to this clause (12)(b), together with any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof (excluding any Incremental Amounts), does not exceed (as of the date such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is issued, incurred or otherwise obtained) (i) the greater of (x) $70.0 million and (y) 35.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis); plus, without duplication, (ii) in the event of any extension, replacement, refinancing, renewal or defeasance of any such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, an amount equal to (x) any accrued and unpaid interest on the Indebtedness, any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock, and any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on the Disqualified Stock being so refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased plus (y) the amount of any tender premium or penalty or premium required to be paid under the terms of the instrument or documents governing such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock and any defeasance costs and any fees and expenses (including original issue discount, upfront fees or similar fees) incurred in connection with the issuance of such new Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock or the extension, replacement, refunding, refinancing, renewal or defeasance of such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock;

(13) the incurrence or issuance by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of Refinancing Indebtedness that serves to refund, refinance, extend, replace, renew or defease (collectively, “refinance” with “refinances,” “refinanced,” and “refinancing” having a correlative meaning) any Indebtedness (including any Designated Revolving Commitments) incurred or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock issued as permitted under Section 4.09(a) and Sections 4.09(b)(2), (3), (4) and (12)(a), this Section 4.09(b)(13) and Section 4.09(b)(14) or any successive Refinancing Indebtedness with respect to any of the foregoing;

(14) the incurrence or issuance of (a) Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Issuer or Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary incurred or issued to finance an acquisition or investment (or other purchase of assets) or that is assumed by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such

 

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acquisition or investment (or other purchase of assets); and (b) Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of Persons that are acquired by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or merged into, amalgamated or consolidated with the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; provided that in the case of the preceding clauses (a) and (b), either:

(i) after giving pro forma effect to such acquisition, amalgamation, consolidation or merger, the Issuer would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Test; or

(ii) after giving pro forma effect to such acquisition, amalgamation, consolidation or merger, the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Parent Guarantor for the most recent Test Period preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred or such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is issued (or, in the case of Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, on the date such Designated Revolving Commitments are established after giving pro forma effect to the incurrence of the entire committed amount of Indebtedness thereunder, in which case such committed amount under such Designated Revolving Commitments may thereafter be borrowed and reborrowed, in whole or in part, from time to time, without further compliance with this clause (ii)) would be no less than the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio immediately prior to giving effect to such incurrence of Indebtedness or issuance of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, in each case, determined on a pro forma basis (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred, or the Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock had been issued, as the case may be, and the application of proceeds therefrom had occurred at the beginning of such Test Period;

provided, further that, with respect to Indebtedness incurred pursuant to clause (14)(a), Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors or the Co-Issuer may not incur Indebtedness or issue Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock under this clause (14) if, after giving pro forma effect to such incurrence or issuance (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness, liquidation preference of Disqualified Stock and amount of Preferred Stock of such Restricted Subsidiaries incurred or issued pursuant to this clause (14) then outstanding, together with any principal amounts incurred or issued by such Restricted Subsidiaries under Section 4.09(a) and any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof (excluding any Incremental Amounts), in each case then outstanding would exceed (as of the date such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is issued, incurred or otherwise obtained) the greater of (I) $65.0 million and (II) 32.50% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis);

(15) the incurrence of Indebtedness arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

 

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(16) the incurrence of Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary supported by a letter of credit or bank guarantee issued pursuant to any Credit Facility, in a principal amount not in excess of the stated amount of such letter of credit or bank guarantee;

(17) (a) the incurrence of any guarantee by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness or other obligations of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary so long as the incurrence of such Indebtedness or other obligation incurred by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary is permitted under the terms of this Indenture, or (b) any co-issuance by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Indebtedness or other obligations of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary so long as the incurrence of such Indebtedness or other obligations by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary is permitted under the terms of this Indenture;

(18) the incurrence of Indebtedness issued by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to future, present or former employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants and independent contractors thereof, their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members and permitted transferees thereof, in each case to finance the purchase or redemption of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Parent Company to the extent described in Section 4.07(b)(4);

(19) customer deposits and advance payments received in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice from customers for goods and services purchased in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(20) the incurrence of (a) Indebtedness owed to banks and other financial institutions incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice in connection with ordinary banking arrangements to manage cash balances (including netting services, automatic clearinghouse arrangements, overdraft protections, employee credit card programs and related or similar services or activities) of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries and (b) Indebtedness in respect of Cash Management Services, including Cash Management Obligations;

(21) Indebtedness incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary in connection with bankers’ acceptances, discounted bills of exchange or the discounting or factoring of receivables for credit management purposes, in each case incurred or undertaken in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice on arm’s-length commercial terms;

(22) the incurrence of Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary consisting of (a) the financing of insurance premiums or (b) take-or-pay obligations contained in supply arrangements in each case, incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(23) the incurrence of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock by Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors or the Co-Issuer in an aggregate principal amount or liquidation preference that, when aggregated with the principal amount and liquidation preference of all other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock then outstanding and incurred or issued, as applicable, pursuant to this clause (23), together with any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof (excluding any Incremental Amounts), does not exceed (as of the date such Indebtedness is issued, incurred or otherwise obtained) the greater of (a) $60.0 million and (b) 30.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis);

 

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(24) the incurrence of Indebtedness by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary undertaken in connection with cash management (including netting services, automatic clearinghouse arrangements, overdraft protections, employee credit card programs and related or similar services or activities) with respect to the Issuer, any Subsidiaries or any joint venture in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, including with respect to financial accommodations of the type described in the definition of Cash Management Services;

(25) the incurrence of Indebtedness by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent that the net proceeds thereof are promptly deposited with the Trustee to satisfy and discharge the Notes in accordance with this Indenture;

(26) guarantees incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice in respect of obligations to suppliers, customers, franchisees, lessors, licensees, sub-licensees, and distribution partners;

(27) the incurrence of Indebtedness attributable to (but not incurred to finance) the exercise of appraisal rights or the settlement of any claims or actions (whether actual, contingent or potential) with respect to any acquisition (by merger, consolidation or amalgamation or otherwise) in accordance with the terms of this Indenture;

(28) the incurrence of Indebtedness representing deferred compensation to employees of any Parent Company, the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, including Indebtedness consisting of obligations under deferred compensation or any other similar arrangements incurred in connection with any investment or any acquisition (by merger, consolidation or amalgamation or otherwise) permitted under this Indenture;

(29) the incurrence of Indebtedness arising out of any Sale and Lease-Back Transaction incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(30) the incurrence of Additional Project Indebtedness;

(31) the incurrence of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock by Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors to fund working capital requirements in an aggregate principal amount or liquidation preference that, when aggregated with the principal amount and liquidation preference of all other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock then outstanding and incurred or issued, as applicable, pursuant to this clause (31), together with any Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof (excluding any Incremental Amounts), does not exceed (as of the date such Indebtedness is issued, incurred or otherwise obtained) the greater of (a) $25.0 million and (b) 12.50% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis);

(32) Qualified Securitization Facilities and, to the extent constituting Indebtedness, Receivables Financing Transactions;

 

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(33) Indebtedness consisting of obligations of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer, or any Restricted Subsidiary to pay any shortfall following application of incremental tax revenue payments paid against scheduled principal and interest payments of revenue allocation bonds or similar tax increment financing obligations incurred in connection with economic or infrastructure development projects undertaken by municipalities or similar public authorities in support of the operations of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary; and

(34) all premiums (if any), interest (including post-petition interest), fees, expenses, charges and additional or contingent interest on obligations described in clauses (1) through (33) of this Section 4.09(b).

(c) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.09:

(1) in the event that an item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) at any time, whether at the time of incurrence or upon the application of all or a portion of the proceeds thereof or subsequently, meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of permitted Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock described in clauses (1) through (34) of Section 4.09(b) or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.09(a), the Issuer may, in its sole discretion, divide and classify (and later divide, classify, re-divide and re-classify) such item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) and will only be required to include the amount and type of such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or a portion thereof) in such of the above clauses or under Section 4.09(a) as determined by the Issuer at such time; provided that all Indebtedness outstanding under the Credit Facilities on the Issue Date will, at all times, be treated as incurred on the Issue Date under Section 4.09(b)(1) and may not be reclassified;

(2) the Issuer is entitled to divide and classify an item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock in more than one of the types of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock described in Section 4.09(a) and Section 4.09(b), subject to the proviso to Section 4.09(c)(1);

(3) the principal amount of Indebtedness outstanding under any clause of this Section 4.09 will be determined after giving effect to the application of proceeds of any such Indebtedness to refinance any such other Indebtedness;

(4) in the event an item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) is incurred or issued pursuant to Section 4.09(b) (other than Sections 4.09(b)(1)(b) or (14) above) on the same date that an item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) is incurred or issued under Section 4.09(a) or Sections 4.09(b)(1)(b) or (14), then the applicable Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, or applicable leverage ratio, will be calculated with respect to such incurrence or issuance under Section 4.09(a) or Sections 4.09(b)(1)(b) or (14) without regard to any incurrence or issuance under Section 4.09(b) (other than with respect to any incurrence or issuance under Section 4.09(b)(1)(b) or (14)). Unless the Issuer elects otherwise, the incurrence or issuance of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock will be deemed incurred or issued first under Section 4.09(a) or Sections 4.09(b)(1)(b) or (14) to the extent permitted, with the balance incurred or issued under Section 4.09(b) (other than pursuant to Sections 4.09(b)(1)(b) or (14)); and

 

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(5) guarantees of, or obligations in respect of letters of credit relating to, Indebtedness that are otherwise included in the determination of a particular amount of Indebtedness will not be included in the determination of such amount of Indebtedness; provided that the incurrence of the Indebtedness represented by such guarantee or letter of credit, as the case may be, was incurred in compliance with this Section 4.09.

Accrual of interest or dividends or distributions, the accretion of accreted value, the accretion or amortization of original issue discount, and the payment of interest or dividends or distributions in the form of additional Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock and increases in the amount of Indebtedness outstanding solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate of currencies, will, in each case, not be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness or an issuance of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock for purposes of this Section 4.09. Any Indebtedness incurred, or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock issued, to refinance Indebtedness incurred, or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock issued, pursuant to Sections 4.09(b)(1), (2), (3), (4), (12), (13), (14) and (23) will be permitted to include additional Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock incurred to pay (I) any accrued and unpaid interest on the Indebtedness, any accrued and unpaid dividends on the Preferred Stock and any accrued and unpaid dividends on the Disqualified Stock being so refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased and (II) the amount of any tender premium or penalty or premium required to be paid under the terms of the instrument or documents governing such refinanced Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock and any defeasance costs and any fees and expenses (including original issue discount, upfront fees or similar fees) incurred in connection with the issuance of such new Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock or the extension, replacement, refunding, refinancing, renewal or defeasance of such refinanced Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock (and, with respect to Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, will be permitted to include an amount equal to any unutilized Designated Revolving Commitments being refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased to the extent permanently terminated at the time of incurrence of such Refinancing Indebtedness).

For purposes of determining compliance with any U.S. dollar-denominated restriction on the incurrence of Indebtedness or issuance of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, the U.S. dollar-equivalent principal amount of Indebtedness, liquidation preference of Disqualified Stock or amount of Preferred Stock denominated in a foreign currency will be calculated based on the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock was incurred or issued (or, in the case of revolving credit debt, the date such Indebtedness was first committed or first incurred (whichever yields the lower U.S. dollar equivalent)); provided that if such Indebtedness is incurred or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is issued to refinance other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, as applicable, denominated in a foreign currency, and such refinancing would cause the applicable U.S. dollar-denominated restriction to be exceeded if calculated at the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date of such refinancing, such U.S. dollar-denominated restriction will be deemed not to have been exceeded so long as the principal amount of such refinancing Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock does not exceed (1) the principal amount of such Indebtedness, the liquidation preference of such Disqualified Stock or the amount of such Preferred Stock, as applicable, being refinanced, extended, replaced refunded, renewed or defeased, plus (2) any accrued and unpaid interest on the Indebtedness, any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock and any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on the Disqualified Stock being so refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased, plus (3) the amount of any tender premium or penalty or premium required to be paid under the terms of the instrument or documents governing such refinanced Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock and any defeasance costs and any fees and

 

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expenses (including original issue discount, upfront fees or similar fees) incurred in connection with the issuance of such new Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock or the extension, replacement, refunding, refinancing, renewal or defeasance of such refinanced Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock (and, with respect to Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, will be permitted to include an amount equal to any unutilized Designated Revolving Commitments being refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased to the extent permanently terminated at the time of incurrence of such Refinancing Indebtedness).

The principal amount of any Indebtedness incurred or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock issued to refinance other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, if incurred or issued in a different currency from the Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, as applicable, being refinanced, will be calculated based on the currency exchange rate applicable to the currencies in which such respective Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is denominated that is in effect on the date of such refinancing. The principal amount of any non-interest bearing Indebtedness or other discount security constituting Indebtedness at any date will be the principal amount thereof that would be shown on a balance sheet of the Issuer dated such date prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The Issuers will not, and will not permit any Guarantor to, directly or indirectly, incur any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness) that is contractually subordinated in right of payment to any Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or such Guarantor, as the case may be, unless such Indebtedness is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or such Guarantor’s Guarantee to the extent and in the same manner as such Indebtedness is contractually subordinated to other Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or such Guarantor, as the case may be.

For purposes of this Indenture, (1) unsecured Indebtedness will not be deemed to be subordinated or junior to Secured Indebtedness merely because it is unsecured, (2) Indebtedness will not be deemed to be subordinated or junior to any other Indebtedness merely because it is issued or guaranteed by other obligors and (3) Secured Indebtedness will not be deemed to be subordinated or junior to any other Secured Indebtedness merely because it has a junior priority lien with respect to the same collateral.

If any Indebtedness is incurred, or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is issued, in reliance on a basket measured by reference to a percentage of Consolidated EBITDA, and any refinancing thereof would cause the percentage of Consolidated EBITDA to be exceeded if calculated based on the Consolidated EBITDA on the date of such refinancing, such percentage of Consolidated EBITDA will not be deemed to be exceeded to the extent the principal amount of such newly incurred Indebtedness, the liquidation preference of such newly issued Disqualified Stock or the amount of such newly issued Preferred Stock does not exceed the sum of (i) the principal amount of such Indebtedness, the liquidation preference of such Disqualified Stock or the amount of such Preferred Stock being refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased plus (ii) any accrued and unpaid interest on the Indebtedness, any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock and any accrued and unpaid dividends or distributions on the Disqualified Stock being so refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased plus (iii) the amount of any tender premium or penalty or premium required to be paid under the terms of the instrument or documents governing such refinanced Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock and any defeasance costs and any fees and expenses (including original issue discount, upfront fees or similar fees) incurred in connection with the issuance of such new Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock or the

 

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extension, replacement, refunding, refinancing, renewal or defeasance of such refinanced Indebtedness, Preferred Stock or Disqualified Stock (and, with respect to Indebtedness under Designated Revolving Commitments, will be permitted to include an amount equal to any unutilized Designated Revolving Commitments being refinanced, extended, replaced, refunded, renewed or defeased to the extent permanently terminated at the time of incurrence of such Refinancing Indebtedness).

SECTION 4.10. Asset Sales.

(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, consummate an Asset Sale, unless:

(1) the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, receives consideration (including by way of relief from, or by any other Person assuming responsibility for, any liabilities, contingent or otherwise, in connection with such Asset Sale) at least equal to the fair market value (measured at the time of contractually agreeing to such Asset Sale) of the assets sold or otherwise disposed of; and

(2) except in the case of a Permitted Asset Swap, at least 75.00% of the consideration for such Asset Sale, together with all other Asset Sales since the Issue Date (on a cumulative basis), received by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, is in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents; provided that each of the following will be deemed to be cash or Cash Equivalents for purposes of this Section 4.10(a)(2):

(A) any liabilities (as shown on the Issuer’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s most recent balance sheet or in the footnotes thereto or, if incurred or accrued subsequent to the date of such balance sheet, such liabilities that would have been reflected on the Issuer’s or a Restricted Subsidiary’s consolidated balance sheet or in the footnotes thereto if such incurrence or accrual had taken place on or prior to the date of such balance sheet, as determined in good faith by the Issuer) of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, other than liabilities that are by their terms subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or any Guarantor’s Guarantee of the Notes, that are (i) assumed by the transferee of any such assets (or a third party in connection with such transfer) or (ii) otherwise cancelled or terminated in connection with the transaction with such transferee (other than intercompany debt owed to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary);

(B) any securities, notes or other obligations or assets received by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary from such transferee or in connection with such Asset Sale (including earnouts and similar obligations) that are converted by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary into cash or Cash Equivalents, or by their terms are required to be satisfied for cash or Cash Equivalents (to the extent of the cash or Cash Equivalents received) within 180 days following the closing of such Asset Sale;

(C) any Designated Non-Cash Consideration received by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in such Asset Sale having an aggregate fair market value, taken together with all other Designated Non-Cash Consideration received pursuant to this clause (C) that is at that time outstanding, not to exceed the greater of (x) $60.0 million and (y) 30.00% of Consolidated EBITDA of the Parent Guarantor for the most recently ended Test Period (calculated on a pro forma basis), with the fair market value of each item of Designated Non-Cash Consideration being measured, at the Issuer’s option, either at the time of contractually agreeing to such Asset Sale or at the time received and, in either case, without giving effect to subsequent changes in value;

 

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(D) Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary that ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such Asset Sale (other than intercompany debt owed to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary), to the extent that the Issuer and each other Restricted Subsidiary are released from any guarantee of payment of the principal amount of such Indebtedness in connection with such Asset Sale; and

(E) any Investment, Capital Stock, assets, property or capital or other expenditure of the kind referred to in Section 4.10(b)(2).

(b) Within 450 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds of any Asset Sale (as may be extended pursuant to clause (2) below, the “Asset Sale Proceeds Application Period”), the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, at its option, may apply an amount equal to the Net Proceeds from such Asset Sale:

(1) to repay:

(A) Obligations in respect of Credit Facilities (including the Senior Credit Facilities) incurred under Section 4.09(b)(1) and, in the case of revolving obligations, to correspondingly reduce commitments with respect thereto;

(B) Obligations in respect of Secured Indebtedness of the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, other than Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, and in the case of revolving obligations, to correspondingly reduce commitments with respect thereto;

(C) Obligations in respect of the Notes or any other Indebtedness (other than Subordinated Indebtedness) of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that if the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary will so repay any such Indebtedness other than the Notes, the Issuers will reduce Obligations under the Notes on a pro rata basis by, at their option, (i) redeeming Notes as described under Section 3.07, (ii) purchasing Notes through open-market purchases, at a price equal to (or higher than) 100.00% of the principal amount thereof, or (iii) making an offer (in accordance with the procedures set forth below for an Asset Sale Offer) to all Holders to purchase their Notes on a pro rata basis with such other Indebtedness for no less than 100.00% of the principal amount thereof, plus the amount of accrued but unpaid interest, if any, on the principal amount of Notes to be repurchased to the date of repurchase; or

(D) Obligations in respect of Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor, other than Obligations owed to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

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provided that in the case of clause (C) above, (i) if an offer to purchase any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary is made, such amount will be deemed repaid to the extent of the amount of such offer, whether or not accepted by the holders of such Indebtedness, and no Net Proceeds in the amount of such offer will be deemed to exist following such offer, and (ii) if the holder of any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary declines the repayment of such Indebtedness owed to it from such Net Proceeds, such amount will be deemed repaid to the extent of the declined Net Proceeds; or

(2) to make (a) an Investment in any one or more businesses; provided that such Investment in any business is in the form of the acquisition of Capital Stock and results in the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary owning an amount of the Capital Stock of such business such that it constitutes or continues to constitute a Restricted Subsidiary, (b) capital expenditures, (c) other expenditures made in connection with the construction or development of facilities operated or to be operated by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, (d) acquisitions of properties (including fee and leasehold interests) or (e) acquisitions of other assets, other than securities, in the case of clauses (a), (d) and this clause (e), either (i) that are or will be used or useful in a Similar Business or (ii) that replace, in whole or in part, the properties or assets that are the subject of such Asset Sale; provided that in the case of this clause (2), a binding commitment will be treated as a permitted application of the Net Proceeds from the date of such commitment so long as the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary enters into such commitment with the good faith expectation that such Net Proceeds will be applied to satisfy such commitment within 180 days of such commitment (or, if later, 450 days after the receipt of such Net Proceeds) (an “Acceptable Commitment”) and, in the event that any Acceptable Commitment is later cancelled or terminated for any reason before the Net Proceeds are applied in connection therewith, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary enters into another Acceptable Commitment (a “Second Commitment”) within 180 days of such cancellation or termination (or, if later, 450 days after the receipt of such Net Proceeds); provided, further, that if any Second Commitment is later cancelled or terminated for any reason before such Net Proceeds are applied, then such Net Proceeds will constitute Excess Proceeds (as defined below); or

(3) any combination of the foregoing.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) to the extent that any or all of the Net Proceeds of any Asset Sale by a Foreign Subsidiary giving rise to a prepayment event pursuant to the foregoing (a “Foreign Disposition”) would be prohibited or delayed by applicable local law if distributed by the Foreign Subsidiary to the Issuer or any Guarantor, as applicable (either directly or indirectly through the applicable Subsidiaries), an amount equal to the portion of such Net Proceeds so affected will not be required to be applied in compliance with this covenant; provided that if such distribution would be permitted under the applicable local law, an amount equal to such Net Proceeds permitted to be distributed will be applied in compliance with this covenant (net of any additional taxes that would be payable or reserved against if there was such a distribution of such Net Proceeds) and (ii) to the extent that the Issuer has determined in good faith that the distribution by the applicable Foreign Subsidiary of any or all of the Net Proceeds of

 

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any Foreign Disposition to the Issuer or Guarantor, as applicable (either directly or indirectly through the applicable Subsidiaries) could have an adverse tax consequence to Issuer or Parent Guarantor, or any of their respective Subsidiaries, Affiliates or direct or indirect owners (which for the avoidance of doubt, includes, but is not limited to, the incurrence of a tax liability, including as a result of an actual or deemed dividend or withholding tax), the amount equal to the Net Proceeds so affected will not be required to be applied in compliance with this covenant. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Indenture shall be construed to require any Subsidiary that is not a Domestic Subsidiary to repatriate cash.

(d) The amount equal to the Net Proceeds from Asset Sales, that are not invested or applied as provided and within the time period set forth in Section 4.10(b) (it being understood that an amount equal to any portion of such Net Proceeds used to make an offer to purchase Notes pursuant to Section 4.10(b)(1)(C) will be deemed to have been so applied whether or not such offer is accepted) will be deemed to constitute “Excess Proceeds.” When the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $50.0 million, the Issuers will make an offer to all Holders and, at the option of the Issuers, to any holders of any Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes (“Pari Passu Indebtedness” and such offer, an “Asset Sale Offer”), to purchase the maximum aggregate principal amount of the Notes and such Pari Passu Indebtedness that is in an amount equal to at least $2,000, or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000, that may be purchased with an amount equal to the Excess Proceeds at an offer price, in the case of the Notes, in cash in an amount equal to 100.00% of the principal amount thereof (or accreted value thereof, if less), plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any (or, in respect of such Pari Passu Indebtedness, such other price, if any, as may be provided for by the terms of such Pari Passu Indebtedness), to, but excluding, the date fixed for the closing of such offer, in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 3.09 (or, in respect of such Pari Passu Indebtedness, the agreement or instrument governing the terms thereof). The Issuers will commence an Asset Sale Offer with respect to Excess Proceeds within thirty days after the date that the amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $50.0 million by mailing or electronically delivering the notice required pursuant to Section 3.09, with a copy to the Trustee, or otherwise in accordance with Applicable Procedures. The Issuers may satisfy the foregoing obligation with respect to any Net Proceeds from an Asset Sale by making an offer to purchase Notes with respect to the amount of all or part of the available Net Proceeds (the “Advance Portion”) prior to the expiration of the Asset Sale Proceeds Application Period with respect to the amount of all or a part of the available Net Proceeds in advance of being required to do so by this Indenture (the “Advance Offer”).

To the extent that the aggregate principal amount (or accreted value, as applicable) of Notes and such Pari Passu Indebtedness tendered pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer is less than the Excess Proceeds (or in the case of an Advance Offer, the Advance Portion), the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries may use any remaining Excess Proceeds (or in the case of an Advance Offer, the Advance Portion) in any manner not prohibited by this Indenture (any such remaining Excess Proceeds and Advance Portion amount, “Declined Excess Proceeds”). If the aggregate principal amount (or accreted value, as applicable) of Notes and/or the Pari Passu Indebtedness surrendered in an Asset Sale Offer exceeds the amount of Excess Proceeds (or in the case of an Advance Offer, the Advance Portion), the Trustee will select the Notes to be purchased in the manner described under Section 3.02 and the Issuers will select such Pari Passu Indebtedness to be purchased pursuant to the terms of such Pari Passu Indebtedness; provided that as between the Notes and any Pari Passu Indebtedness, such purchases will be made on a pro rata basis based on the accreted value or principal amount of the Notes or such Pari Passu Indebtedness tendered with adjustments as necessary so that no Notes or Pari Passu Indebtedness will be repurchased in part in an unauthorized denomination. Upon completion of any such Asset Sale Offer, for purposes of this provision the amount of Excess Proceeds (or in the case of an Advance Offer, the Advance

 

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Portion) that resulted in the Asset Sale Offer or Advance Offer will be reset to zero (regardless of whether there are any remaining Excess Proceeds (or Advance Portion) upon such completion). An Asset Sale Offer or Advance Offer may be made at the same time as consents are solicited with respect to an amendment, supplement or waiver of this Indenture, Notes and/or Guarantees (but the Asset Sale Offer or Advance Offer may not condition tenders on the delivery of such consents).

(e) Pending the final application of the amount of any Net Proceeds pursuant to this Section 4.10, such amount of Net Proceeds may be applied to temporarily reduce Indebtedness outstanding under a revolving credit facility, including under the Senior Credit Facilities, or otherwise invested in any manner not prohibited by this Indenture.

(f) The Issuers will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws or regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer or Advance Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Indenture, the Issuers will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached their obligations described in this Indenture by virtue thereof.

(g) The Issuers’ obligation to make an offer to repurchase the Notes pursuant to this Section 4.10 may be waived or modified with the written consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes.

SECTION 4.11. Transactions with Affiliates.

(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, make any payment to, or sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets to, or purchase any property or assets from, or enter into or make or amend any transaction, contract, agreement, understanding, loan, advance or guarantee with, or for the benefit of, any Affiliate of the Issuer (each of the foregoing, an “Affiliate Transaction”) involving aggregate payments or consideration in excess of $15.0 million, unless:

(1) such Affiliate Transaction is on terms, taken as a whole, that are not materially less favorable to the Issuer or the relevant Restricted Subsidiaries than those that would have been obtained at such time in a comparable transaction by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary with a Person other than an Affiliate of the Issuer on an arm’s-length basis or, if in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors no comparable transaction is available with which to compare such Affiliate Transaction, such Affiliate Transaction is otherwise fair to the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary from a financial point of view; and

(2) the Issuer delivers to the Trustee with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions requiring aggregate payments or consideration in excess of $30.0 million, a resolution adopted by the majority of the Board of Directors approving such Affiliate Transaction and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction complies with Section 4.11(a)(1).

 

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(b) Section 4.11(a) will not apply to the following:

(1) (a) transactions between or among the Issuer and one or more Restricted Subsidiaries or between or among Restricted Subsidiaries or, in any case, any entity that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such transaction and (b) any merger, consolidation or amalgamation of the Issuer and any Parent Company; provided that such merger, consolidation or amalgamation of the Issuer is otherwise in compliance with the terms of this Indenture and effected for a bona fide business purpose;

(2) (a) Restricted Payments permitted by Section 4.07 hereof (including any transaction specifically excluded from the definition of the term “Restricted Payments,” including pursuant to the exceptions contained in the definition thereof and the parenthetical exclusions of such definition), but excluding any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 4.07(b)(14)(G), (b) any “Permitted Investments” or any acquisition otherwise permitted by this Indenture and (c) Indebtedness permitted by Section 4.09;

(3) (a) payments, loans, advances or guarantees (or cancellation of loans, advances or guarantees) to future, present or former employees, officers, directors, managers, consultants or independent contractors or guarantees in respect thereof for bona fide business purposes or in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice, (b) any subscription agreement or similar agreement pertaining to the repurchase of Equity Interests pursuant to put/call rights or similar rights with current, former or future officers, directors, employees, managers, consultants and independent contractors of the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries or of any Parent Company and (c) any payment of compensation or other employee compensation, benefit plan or arrangement, any health, disability or similar insurance plan which covers current, former or future officers, directors, employees, managers, consultants and independent contractors of the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company;

(4) the payment of fees and compensation paid to, and indemnities and reimbursements and employment and severance arrangements provided to, or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, present, future or former employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants or independent contractors (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof) of the Issuer, any Parent Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

(5) transactions in which the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, delivers to the Trustee a letter from an Independent Financial Advisor stating that such transaction is fair to the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary from a financial point of view or stating that the terms, when taken as a whole, are not materially less favorable to the Issuer or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary with a Person that is not an Affiliate of the Issuer on an arm’s-length basis;

(6) the existence of, or the performance by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of its obligations under the terms of, any agreement as in effect as of the Issue Date, or any amendment thereto or replacement thereof (so long as any such amendment or replacement is not materially disadvantageous in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors to the Holders when taken as a whole as compared to the applicable agreement as in effect on the Issue Date);

 

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(7) the existence of, or the performance by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of its obligations under the terms of, any equity holder agreement or the equivalent (including any registration rights agreement or purchase agreement related thereto) to which it is a party as of the Issue Date and any amendment thereto and similar agreements or arrangements that it may enter into thereafter; provided that the existence of, or the performance by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of obligations under any future amendment to any such existing agreement or arrangement or under any similar agreement or arrangement entered into after the Issue Date will only be permitted by this clause (7) to the extent that the terms of any such amendment or new agreement or arrangement are not otherwise materially disadvantageous in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors to the Holders when taken as a whole (as compared to the original agreement or arrangement in effect on the Issue Date);

(8) cash payments and in-kind donations to the Chobani Foundation, made in the ordinary course;

(9) transactions with customers, clients, suppliers, contractors, joint venture partners or purchasers or sellers of goods or services, or transactions otherwise relating to the purchase or sale of goods or services, in each case in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice and otherwise in compliance with the terms of this Indenture that are fair to the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries, in the reasonable determination of the Board of Directors or the senior management of the Issuer, or are on terms at least as favorable as might reasonably have been obtained at such time from an unaffiliated party;

(10) the issuance, sale or transfer of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer or any Parent Company to any Person and the granting and performing of customary rights (including registration rights) in connection therewith, and any contribution to the capital of the Issuer;

(11) sales of accounts receivable, or participations therein, or Securitization Assets or related assets in connection with any Qualified Securitization Facility and any other transaction effected in connection with a Qualified Securitization Facility or a financing related thereto;

(12) payments by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary made for any financial advisory, consulting, financing, underwriting or placement services or in respect of other investment banking activities, including in connection with acquisitions or divestitures, which payments are approved by, or made pursuant to arrangements approved by, a majority of the Board of Directors in good faith;

(13) payments with respect to Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock and other Equity Interests (and cancellation of any thereof) of the Issuer, any Parent Company and any Restricted Subsidiary and Preferred Stock (and cancellation of any thereof) of any Restricted Subsidiary to any future, current or former employee, director, officer, member of management, consultant or independent contractor (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or permitted transferees) of the Issuer, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent Company pursuant to any management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement or any equity subscription or equity holder agreement that are, in each case, approved by the Issuer in good faith; and any employment agreements, severance arrangements, stock option plans and other compensatory arrangements (and any successor plans thereto) and any supplemental executive retirement benefit plans or arrangements with any such employees, directors, officers, members of management, consultants or independent contractors (or their respective Controlled Investment Affiliates or Immediate Family Members or any permitted transferees thereof) that are, in each case, approved by the Issuer in good faith;

 

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(14) (a) investments by Affiliates in securities or Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (and payment of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such Affiliates in connection therewith) so long as the investment is being offered by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary generally to other investors on the same or more favorable terms and (b) payments to Affiliates in respect of securities or Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary contemplated in the foregoing subclause (a) or that were acquired from Persons other than the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries, in each case, in accordance with the terms of such securities or Indebtedness;

(15) payments to or from, and transactions with, any joint venture or Unrestricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice, industry practice or industry norms (including, any cash management activities related thereto);

(16) payments by the Issuer (and any Parent Company) and its Subsidiaries pursuant to tax sharing agreements among the Issuer (and any Parent Company) and its Subsidiaries; provided that in each case the amount of such payments by the Issuer and its Subsidiaries are permitted under Section 4.07(b)(14);

(17) any lease entered into between the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, as lessee, and any Affiliate of the Issuer, as lessor, and transactions pursuant to that lease which lease is approved by the Board of Directors or senior management of the Issuer in good faith;

(18) intellectual property licenses in the ordinary course of business or consistent with industry practice;

(19) the payment of reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses relating to registration rights and indemnities provided to equity holders of the Issuer or any Parent Company pursuant to any equity holders agreement or registration rights agreement entered into on or after the Issue Date;

(20) transactions permitted by, and complying with, Section 5.01 solely for the purpose of (a) reorganizing to facilitate any initial public offering of securities of the Issuer or any Parent Company, (b) forming a holding company or (c) reincorporating the Issuer or the Co-Issuer in a new jurisdiction;

(21) transactions undertaken in good faith (as determined by the Board of Directors or certified by senior management of the Issuer in an Officer’s Certificate) for the purposes of improving the consolidated tax efficiency of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries and not for the purpose of circumventing any covenant set forth in this Indenture;

(22) (a) transactions with a Person that is an Affiliate of the Issuer (other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary) solely because the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary owns Equity Interests in such Person and (b) transactions with any Person that is an Affiliate solely because a director or officer of such Person is a director or officer of the Issuer, any Restricted Subsidiary or any Parent Company;

 

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(23) (a) pledges and other transfers of Equity Interests in Unrestricted Subsidiaries and (b) any transactions with an Affiliate in which the consideration paid consists solely of Equity Interests of the Issuer or a Parent Company;

(24) the sale, issuance or transfer of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer;

(25) investments by the Parent Company in securities or Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor; and

(26) payments on the Notes in accordance with this Indenture and payments of Obligations under any Credit Facility and payments in respect of Obligations under other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries held by Affiliates; provided that such Obligations were acquired by an Affiliate of the Issuer in compliance with this Indenture.

SECTION 4.12. Liens. The Issuers will not, and will not permit any Guarantor to, create, incur or assume any Lien (except Permitted Liens) that secures Obligations under any Indebtedness or any related guarantee of Indebtedness, on any asset or property of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor, or any income or profits therefrom, or assign or convey any right to receive income therefrom, unless:

(1) in the case of Liens securing Subordinated Indebtedness, the Notes and related Guarantees are secured by a Lien on such property, assets or proceeds that is senior in priority to such Liens until such time as such Subordinated Indebtedness is no longer secured by such Liens; and

(2) in all other cases, the Notes or the Guarantees are equally and ratably secured until such time as such Obligations are no longer secured by such Liens.

For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.12, (A) a Lien need not be incurred solely by reference to one category of Permitted Liens described in the definition thereof but is permitted to be incurred in part under any combination thereof and of any other available exemption and (B) in the event that a Lien (or any portion thereof) meets the criteria of one or more of the categories of Permitted Liens, the Issuer may, in its sole discretion, be entitled to divide or classify (and later divide, classify, re-divide and re-classify), in whole or in part, any such Lien (or any portion thereof) among one or more of such categories or clauses in any manner.

Any Lien created for the benefit of the Holders pursuant to this Section 4.12 will be deemed automatically and unconditionally released and discharged upon the release and discharge of each of the Liens described in clauses (1) and (2) of this Section 4.12 or upon such Liens no longer attaching to assets or property of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor.

The expansion of Liens by virtue of accretion or amortization of original issue discount, the payment of dividends in the form of Indebtedness and increases in the amount of Indebtedness outstanding solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate of currencies will not be deemed to be an incurrence of Liens for purposes of this covenant.

 

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SECTION 4.13. Company Existence. Subject to Article V hereof, the Issuer shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its organizational existence, and the corporate, partnership or other organizational existence of each of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in accordance with the respective organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Issuer or any such Restricted Subsidiary; provided that the Issuer shall not be required to preserve the corporate, partnership or other organizational existence of its Restricted Subsidiaries, if the Issuer in good faith shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

SECTION 4.14. Offer to Repurchase Upon Change of Control.

(a) If a Change of Control occurs, unless the Issuers have previously or concurrently electronically delivered or mailed a redemption notice with respect to all the outstanding Notes as described under Section 3.07, the Issuers will make an offer to purchase all of the Notes pursuant to the offer described below (the “Change of Control Offer”) at a price in cash (the “Change of Control Payment”) equal to 101.00% of the aggregate principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the date of repurchase, subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date prior to such repurchase.

Within 60 days following any Change of Control, the Issuers will send notice of such Change of Control Offer electronically or by first-class mail, postage prepaid, with a copy to the Trustee, to each Holder at such Holder’s registered address or otherwise in accordance with the Applicable Procedures, with the following information:

(1) a Change of Control Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 4.14 and all Notes properly tendered pursuant to such Change of Control Offer will be accepted for payment by the Issuers;

(2) the purchase price and the purchase date, which will be no earlier than 20 Business Days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed or otherwise delivered (the “Change of Control Payment Date”), subject to extension (in the case where such notice is mailed or otherwise delivered prior to the occurrence of the Change of Control) in the event that the occurrence of the Change of Control is delayed;

(3) any Note not properly tendered will remain outstanding and continue to accrue interest;

(4) unless the Issuers default in the payment of the Change of Control Payment, all Notes accepted for payment pursuant to the Change of Control Offer will cease to accrue interest on the Change of Control Payment Date;

(5) Holders electing to have any Notes purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required to surrender such Notes, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” on the reverse of such Notes completed, to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice or otherwise in accordance with the Applicable Procedures, prior to the close of business on the third Business Day preceding the Change of Control Payment Date;

 

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(6) Holders will be entitled to withdraw their tendered Notes and their election to require the Issuers to purchase such Notes; provided that the Paying Agent receives, not later than the close of business on the second Business Day prior to the expiration date of the Change of Control Offer, a facsimile transmission or letter or other notice in accordance with the Applicable Procedures setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of Notes tendered for purchase, and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing its tendered Notes and its election to have such Notes purchased;

(7) Holders whose Notes are being purchased only in part will be issued new Notes and such new Notes will be equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered; provided that the unpurchased portion of the Notes must be equal to at least $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000;

(8) if such notice is delivered prior to the occurrence of a Change of Control, stating that the Change of Control Offer is conditional on the occurrence of such Change of Control and describing each such condition, and, if applicable, stating that, in the Issuer’s discretion, the Change of Control Payment Date may be delayed until such time (including more than 60 days after the date the notice was mailed or delivered, including by electronic transmission) as any or all such conditions are satisfied (or waived by the Issuers in their sole discretion), or such purchase may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions are not satisfied (or waived by the Issuers in their sole discretion) by the Change of Control Payment Date, or by the Change of Control Payment Date as so delayed, or such notice may be rescinded at any time in the Issuer’s discretion if in the good faith judgment of the Issuer any or all of such conditions will not be satisfied. In addition, the Issuers may provide in such notice that payment of the purchase price and performance of the Issuers’ obligations with respect to such purchase may be performed by another Person; and

(9) the other instructions, as determined by the Issuer, consistent with this Section 4.14, that a Holder must follow in order to have its Notes repurchased.

The Issuers will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws or regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of Notes by the Issuers pursuant to a Change of Control Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Indenture, the Issuers will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached their obligations described in this Indenture by virtue thereof.

(b) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Issuers will, to the extent permitted by law:

(1) accept for payment all Notes or portions thereof properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

(2) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the aggregate Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions thereof validly tendered and not validly withdrawn; and

(3) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee (a) an Officer’s Certificate to the Trustee stating that such Notes or portions thereof have been tendered to and purchased by the Issuers and (b) at the Issuers’ option, the Notes so accepted for cancellation.

 

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(c) The Issuers will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer following a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Issuers and purchases all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer.

(d) A Change of Control Offer may be made in advance of a Change of Control and conditional upon such Change of Control, if a definitive agreement is in place for the Change of Control at the time of making of the Change of Control Offer.

(e) A Change of Control Offer may be made at the same time as consents are solicited with respect to an amendment, supplement or waiver of this Indenture, Notes and/or Guarantees (but the Change of Control Offer may not condition tenders on the delivery of such consents).

(f) Other than as specifically provided in this Section 4.14, any purchase pursuant to this Section 4.14 shall be made pursuant to Sections 3.02, 3.05 and 3.06, and references therein to “redeem,” “redemption,” “Redemption Date” and similar words shall be deemed to refer to “purchase,” “repurchase,” “Change of Control Payment Date” and similar words, as applicable.

(g) The Issuers’ obligation to make an offer to repurchase the Notes pursuant to this Section 4.14 may be waived or modified (at any time, including after a Change of Control) with the written consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding.

SECTION 4.15. Limitation on Guarantees of Indebtedness by Restricted Subsidiaries. The Issuer will not permit any Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries that are Restricted Subsidiaries (and non-Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries if such non-Wholly-Owned Subsidiary guarantees Indebtedness under the Senior Credit Facilities or Capital Markets Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor), other than the Co-Issuer, a Guarantor or an Excluded Subsidiary, to guarantee the payment of (i) any Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor under the Senior Credit Facilities incurred under Section 4.09(b)(1) or (ii) Capital Markets Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor, in each case, having an aggregate principal amount outstanding in excess of $25.0 million unless:

(1) such Restricted Subsidiary within 30 days executes and delivers to the Trustee a supplemental indenture to this Indenture, the form of which is attached as Exhibit D hereto, providing for a Guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary, except that with respect to a guarantee of Indebtedness of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor if such Indebtedness is by its express terms subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or such Guarantor’s Guarantee, any such guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary with respect to such Indebtedness will be subordinated in right of payment to such Guarantee substantially to the same extent as such Indebtedness is subordinated to the Notes; and

 

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(2) such Restricted Subsidiary waives and will not in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any rights of reimbursement, indemnity or subrogation or any other applicable rights against the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary as a result of any payment by such Restricted Subsidiary under its Guarantee; provided that this Section 4.15 will not be applicable to any guarantee of any Restricted Subsidiary that existed at the time such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary and was not incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary. The Issuer may elect, in its sole discretion, to cause any Subsidiary that is not otherwise required to be a Guarantor to become a Guarantor, in which case such Subsidiary will not be required to comply with clause (1) or (2) of this Section 4.15 and such Guarantee may be released at any time in the Issuer’s sole discretion.

SECTION 4.16. Suspension of Covenants.

(a) During any period of time that (i) the Notes have an Investment Grade Rating and (ii) no Default has occurred and is continuing under this Indenture (the occurrence of the events described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being collectively referred to as a “Covenant Suspension Event” and the date thereof being referred to as the “Suspension Date”), the Guarantees will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged (subject to reinstatement pursuant to clause (f) below) and the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries will not be subject to Section 4.07, Section 4.08, Section 4.09, Section 4.10, Section 4.11, Section 4.15, Section 5.01(a)(1)(d) and 5.01(b) hereof shall not be applicable to the Notes (collectively, the “Suspended Covenants”).

(b) During a Suspension Period (as defined below), the Issuer may not designate any of its Subsidiaries as Unrestricted Subsidiaries pursuant to the second sentence of the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary.”

(c) In the event that the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries are not subject to the Suspended Covenants under this Indenture for any period of time as a result of the foregoing, and on any subsequent date (the “Reversion Date”) the Notes no longer have an Investment Grade Rating, then the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries will thereafter again be subject to the Suspended Covenants under this Indenture with respect to future events. The period of time between the Suspension Date and the Reversion Date is referred to in this Indenture as the “Suspension Period.” Upon the occurrence of a Covenant Suspension Event, the amount of Excess Proceeds from Net Proceeds will be reset to zero for purposes of Section 4.10.

(d) In the event of any such reinstatement, no action taken or omitted to be taken by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or events occurring prior to such reinstatement with respect to any of the Suspended Covenants will give rise to a Default or Event of Default under this Indenture with respect to the Notes; provided that

(1) with respect to Restricted Payments made after the Reversion Date, the amount of Restricted Payments made will be calculated as though Section 4.07 had been in effect prior to, but not during, the Suspension Period;

(2) all Indebtedness incurred, or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock issued, during the Suspension Period will be classified to have been incurred or issued pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(3);

(3) any Affiliate Transaction entered into after the Reversion Date pursuant to an agreement entered into during any Suspension Period will be deemed to be permitted pursuant to Section 4.11(b)(6);

 

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(4) any encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor to take any action described in Section 4.08(a) that becomes effective during any Suspension Period will be deemed to be permitted pursuant to Section 4.08(b)(1); and

(5) no Subsidiary of the Issuer will be required to comply with Section 4.15 after the Reversion Date with respect to any guarantee entered into by such Subsidiary during any Suspension Period;

(6) all Liens permitted to be created, incurred or assumed during the Suspension Period will be deemed to have been outstanding on the Issue Date, so that they are classified as permitted under clause (10) of the definition of “Permitted Liens”; and

(7) all Investments made during the Suspension Period will be deemed to have been outstanding on the Issue Date, so that they are classified as Permitted Investments permitted under clause (5) of the definition of “Permitted Investments.”

(e) Notwithstanding that the Suspended Covenants may be reinstated after the Reversion Date, (i) no Default, Event of Default or breach of any kind will be deemed to exist under this Indenture, the Notes or the Guarantees with respect to the Suspended Covenants, and none of the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries will bear any liability for any actions taken or events occurring during the Suspension Period, or any actions taken at any time pursuant to any contractual obligation arising during a Suspension Period, in each case, as a result of a failure to comply with the Suspended Covenants during the Suspension Period (or, upon termination of the Suspension Period or after that time, based on any action taken or event that occurred during the Suspension Period) and (ii) following a Reversion Date, the Issuer and each Restricted Subsidiary will be permitted, without causing a Default or Event of Default, to honor, comply with or otherwise perform any contractual commitments or obligations arising during any Suspension Period (that were permitted to be entered into at such time) and to consummate any transactions contemplated thereby.

(f) During the Suspension Period, the Guarantees will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged and the obligation to grant further Guarantees will be suspended. Upon the Reversion Date, the obligation to grant Guarantees pursuant to Section 4.15 will be reinstated (and the Reversion Date will be deemed to be the date on which any guaranteed Indebtedness was incurred for purposes of Section 4.15).

(g) The Trustee shall have no duty to (i) monitor the ratings of the Notes, (ii) determine whether a Covenant Suspension Event or Reversion Date has occurred, or (iii) notify Holders of any of the foregoing.

SECTION 4.17. Limitations on Activities of the Co-Issuer. The Co-Issuer shall not hold any material assets, become liable for any material obligations, engage in any trade or business, or conduct any business activity, other than (1) the issuance of its Capital Stock to the Issuer or any Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary, (2) the incurrence of Indebtedness as a co-obligor or guarantor, as the case may be, of the Notes, any Credit Facility and any other Indebtedness that is permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.09 and (3) activities incidental thereto.

 

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SECTION 4.18. Limitation on Activities of the Parent Guarantor. The Parent Guarantor shall not engage in any operating or business activities; provided that the following and any activities incidental thereto shall be permitted in any event:

(1) the Parent Guarantor’s ownership of the Equity Interests of the Issuer and its other Subsidiaries, including receipt and payment of Restricted Payments and other amounts in respect of Equity Interests;

(2) the maintenance of the Parent Guarantor’s legal existence (including the ability to incur and pay, as applicable, fees, costs and expenses and taxes relating to such maintenance);

(3) the performance of the Parent Guarantor’s obligations as a guarantor and pledgor with respect to the Credit Facilities or any other documents governing Indebtedness of the Issuer or any other Subsidiary of the Issuer, including but not limited to, the incurrence of Indebtedness and Liens solely in respect of the performance of such obligations;

(4) any public offering of the Parent Guarantor’s common equity or any other issuance or sale of its Equity Interests (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the making of any dividend or distribution on account of, or any redemption, retirement, sinking fund or similar payment, purchase or other acquisition for value of, any shares of any class of Equity Interest);

(5) the Parent Guarantor’s receipt and payment of dividends and distributions or making contributions to the capital of the Issuer or its other Subsidiaries;

(6) the Parent Guarantor’s filing of tax reports and paying taxes and other customary obligations in the ordinary course (and contesting any taxes);

(7) the Parent Guarantor’s participating in tax, accounting and other administrative matters with respect to the Issuer or its other Subsidiaries and the provision of administrative and advisory services (including treasury and insurance services) to the Issuer or its other Subsidiaries;

(8) the Parent Guarantor holding any cash or property (not including the Parent Guarantor’s operation of any property);

(9) the Parent Guarantor providing indemnification to officers, directors, members of management, managers, employees, consultants or independent contractors;

(10) the Parent Guarantor’s merging, amalgamating or consolidating with or into any Person (in compliance with Article V hereof);

(11) the Parent Guarantor’s activities incidental to Permitted Investments consummated by the Issuer and the other Restricted Subsidiaries, including the formation of acquisition vehicle entities and intercompany loans and/or Investments incidental to such Permitted Investments or similar Investments;

(12) any transaction of the Parent Guarantor with the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent expressly permitted under this Indenture;

 

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(13) the Parent Guarantor preparing reports to Governmental Authorities and to its shareholders;

(14) the Parent Guarantor holding director and shareholder meetings, preparing organizational records and other organizational activities required to maintain its separate organizational structure;

(15) the Parent Guarantor complying with applicable law;

(16) the Parent Guarantor’s activities relating to any management equity plan, stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan;

(17) the performance of the Parent Guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture and its Guarantee; and

(18) any activities incidental or reasonably related to the foregoing.

ARTICLE V

SUCCESSORS

SECTION 5.01. Merger, Amalgamation, Consolidation or Sale of All or Substantially All Assets.

(a) Neither the Issuer nor the Co-Issuer may consolidate, amalgamate or merge with or into or wind up into, or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets, in one or more related transactions, to any Person unless:

(1) (a) the Issuer or the Co-Issuer, as applicable, is the surviving Person or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation, amalgamation or merger (if other than the Issuer or the Co-Issuer, as applicable), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made, is a Person organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia, or any territory thereof (such Person, as the case may be, being herein called the “Successor Company”); provided that in the case where the surviving Person is not a corporation, a co-obligor of the Notes is a corporation;

(b) the Successor Company, if other than the Issuer or the Co-Issuer, as applicable, expressly assumes all the obligations of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer, as applicable, under the Notes pursuant to supplemental indentures or other customary documents or instruments;

(c) immediately after such transaction, no Default exists;

(d) immediately after giving pro forma effect to such transaction and any related financing transactions, as if such transactions had occurred at the beginning of the most recently ended Test Period, either:

(i) the Issuer (or Successor Company, as applicable) would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Test, or

 

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(ii) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the Issuer (or Successor Company, as applicable) would be equal to or greater than the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the Issuer immediately prior to such transaction;

(e) each Guarantor, unless it is the other party to the transactions described above, in which case Section 5.01(a)(1)(b) will apply, will have by supplemental indenture or otherwise confirmed that its Guarantee applies to such Person’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes; and

(f) the Issuer or the Co-Issuer, as applicable (or the Successor Company, as applicable), will have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, amalgamation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indentures, if any, comply with this Indenture; or

(2) the transaction is made in compliance with Section 4.10; or

(3) in the case of assets consisting of Equity Interests of Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors, such Equity Interests are sold, assigned, transferred, leased, conveyed or otherwise disposed of to one or more Restricted Subsidiaries.

Notwithstanding clauses (c) through (f) of Section 5.01(a)(1),

(1) any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge with or into or wind up into or sell, assign, lease, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or part of its properties and assets to the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary,

(2) the Issuer or the Co-Issuer may consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge with or into, or wind up into an Affiliate of the Issuer for the purpose of reincorporating the Issuer or the Co-Issuer in the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof, so long as the amount of Indebtedness of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries is not increased thereby,

(3) the Issuer or the Co-Issuer may convert into a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company or trust organized or existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization of the Issuer or the laws of a jurisdiction in the United States (and, if such entity is not a corporation, a co-obligor of the Notes is a corporation organized or existing under such laws), and

(4) the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor may change its name.

(b) Subject to Section 10.06, no Guarantor will, and the Issuer will not permit any Guarantor to, consolidate, amalgamate or merge with or into or wind up into (whether or not such Guarantor is the surviving Person), or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties or assets, in one or more related transactions, to any Person unless:

 

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(1) (A) such Guarantor is the surviving Person or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation, amalgamation or merger (if other than such Guarantor) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition will have been made is a Person organized or existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization of such Guarantor or the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia, or any territory thereof (such Guarantor or such Person, as the case may be, being herein called the “Successor Person”);

(B) the Successor Person, if other than such Guarantor, expressly assumes all the obligations of such Guarantor under this Indenture and such Guarantor’s related Guarantee pursuant to supplemental indentures or other documents or instruments;

(C) immediately after such transaction, no Default exists; and

(D) the Issuer will have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, amalgamation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indentures, if any, comply with this Indenture; or

(2) in the case of a Subsidiary Guarantor, the transaction is made in compliance with, if applicable, Section 4.10; or

(3) in the case of assets consisting of Equity Interests of Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors, such Equity Interests are sold, assigned, transferred, leased, conveyed or otherwise disposed of to one or more Restricted Subsidiaries.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Guarantor may (1) merge, amalgamate or consolidate with or into, wind up into or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or part of its properties and assets to another Guarantor or the Issuer, (2) merge with an Affiliate of the Issuer for the purpose of reincorporating the Guarantor in the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof, (3) convert into a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company or trust organized or existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization of such Guarantor or the laws of a jurisdiction in the United States, (4) liquidate or dissolve or change its legal form if the Issuer determines in good faith that such action is in the best interests of the Issuer and is not materially disadvantageous to the Holders of the Notes and (5) change its name.

SECTION 5.02. Successor Person Substituted. Upon any consolidation, amalgamation or merger, or any winding up, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor in accordance with Section 5.01 hereof, the Successor Company or Successor Person formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into or with which the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or such Guarantor, as applicable, is merged or to which such wind up, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition, the provisions of this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees referring to the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or such Guarantor, as applicable, shall refer instead to the Successor Company or Successor Person and not to the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or such Guarantor, as applicable), and may exercise every right and power of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or such Guarantor, as applicable, under this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees with the same effect as if such Successor Company or Successor Person had been named as the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor, as applicable, herein, and such Guarantor’s Guarantee and such Guarantor will be automatically released and discharged from its obligations hereunder, and, in the case of a predecessor Issuer or Co-Issuer shall automatically be released from its obligations thereunder; provided that the predecessor Issuer or Co-Issuer shall not be relieved from the obligations under this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees in the case of any lease.

 

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ARTICLE VI

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

SECTION 6.01. Events of Default. An “Event of Default,” wherever used herein, means any one of the following events (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):

(1) default in payment when due and payable, upon redemption, acceleration or otherwise, of principal of, or premium, if any, on the Notes;

(2) default for 30 days or more in the payment when due of interest on, or with respect to, the Notes;

(3) failure by the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor for 60 days after receipt of written notice given by the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 30.00% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes to comply with any of its obligations, covenants or agreements (other than a default referred to in clause (1) or (2) of this Section 6.01) contained in this Indenture or the Notes;

(4) default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there is issued or by which there is secured or evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders) would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders) would constitute a Significant Subsidiary), other than Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, whether such Indebtedness or guarantee now exists or is created after the issuance of the Notes, if both:

(A) such default either results from the failure to pay any principal of such Indebtedness at its stated final maturity (after giving effect to any applicable grace periods) or relates to an obligation other than the obligation to pay principal of any such Indebtedness at its stated final maturity and results in the holder or holders of such Indebtedness causing such Indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity; and

(B) the principal amount of such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness in default for failure to pay principal at its stated final maturity (after giving effect to any applicable grace periods), or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregate $40.0 million or more at any one time outstanding;

 

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(5) failure by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders) would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) to pay final judgments aggregating in excess of $40.0 million (net of amounts covered by insurance policies), which final judgments remain unpaid, undischarged, unwaived and unstayed for a period of more than 90 consecutive days after such judgment becomes final;

(6) the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders) would constitute a Significant Subsidiary), pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(i) commences proceedings to be adjudicated bankrupt or insolvent;

(ii) consents to the institution of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under applicable Bankruptcy Law;

(iii) consents to the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of it or for all or substantially all of its property;

(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or

(v) generally is not paying its debts as they become due;

(7) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(i) is for relief against the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any of the Significant Subsidiaries (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary), in a proceeding in which the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any such Significant Subsidiary (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary), is to be adjudicated bankrupt or insolvent;

(ii) appoints a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any of the Significant Subsidiaries (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary), or for all or substantially all of the property of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any of the Significant Subsidiaries (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Parent Guarantor made available to the Holders), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary); or

 

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(iii) orders the liquidation of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer or any of the Significant Subsidiaries (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Parent Guarantor made available to the Holders), would constitute a Significant Subsidiary);

and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 consecutive days; or

(8) the Guarantee of the Parent Guarantor or any Significant Subsidiary (or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders) would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) will for any reason cease to be in full force and effect except as contemplated by the terms of this Indenture or be declared null and void in a final non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction or any Financial Officer of the Parent Guarantor, in the case of the Parent Guarantor, or any Financial Officer of any Guarantor that is a Significant Subsidiary (or the responsible officers of any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that taken together (as of the latest consolidated financial statements of the Issuer made available to the Holders) would constitute a Significant Subsidiary), in the case of a Significant Subsidiary, as the case may be, denies in writing that it has any further liability under its Guarantee or gives written notice to such effect, other than by reason of the termination of this Indenture or as expressly permitted by this Indenture, including as the result of a release of any such Guarantee in accordance with this Indenture.

SECTION 6.02. Acceleration. If any Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (6) or (7) of Section 6.01 with respect to either Issuer) occurs and is continuing under this Indenture, the Trustee by written notice to the Issuers or the Holders of at least 30.00% in principal amount of the then total outstanding Notes by written notice to the Issuers and the Trustee may declare the principal, premium, if any, interest and any other monetary obligations on all the then outstanding Notes to be due and payable immediately. Upon the effectiveness of such declaration, such principal of and premium, if any, and interest will be due and payable immediately. The Trustee may withhold from the Holders notice of any continuing Default, except a Default relating to the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if it determines that withholding notice is in their interest. The Trustee will have no obligation to accelerate the Notes.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event of Default arising under clause (6) or (7) of Section 6.01 hereof with respect to either of the Issuers, all outstanding Notes shall be due and payable immediately without further action or notice.

The Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes, by written notice to the Trustee, may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default and its consequences hereunder (except a continuing Default with respect to non-payment of interest on, premium, if any, or the principal of any Note held by a non-consenting Holder) and rescind any acceleration with respect to the Notes and its consequences if such rescission would not conflict with any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

In the event of any Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(4) hereof, such Event of Default and all consequences thereof (excluding any resulting payment default, other than as a result of acceleration of the Notes) will be annulled, waived and rescinded, automatically and without any action by the Trustee or the Holders, if:

 

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(1) the Indebtedness or guarantee that is the basis for such Event of Default has been discharged;

(2) the requisite holders thereof have rescinded or waived the acceleration, notice or action (as the case may be) giving rise to such Event of Default; or

(3) the default that is the basis for such Event of Default has been cured, waived or is no longer continuing.

SECTION 6.03. Other Remedies. If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Notes or this Indenture.

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of a Note in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.

SECTION 6.04. Waiver of Past Defaults. Subject to Section 6.02 hereof, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes, by written notice to the Trustee, may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default and its consequences hereunder (except a continuing Default in the payment of interest on, premium, if any, or the principal of any Note held by a non-consenting Holder) (including in connection with an Asset Sale Offer or a Change of Control Offer). Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 6.05. Control by Majority. Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then total outstanding Notes may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture or that the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other Holder or that would involve the Trustee in personal liability.

SECTION 6.06. Limitation on Suits. Subject to Section 6.07 hereof, no Holder of a Note may pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Notes unless:

(1) such Holder has previously given the Trustee written notice that an Event of Default is continuing;

(2) Holders of at least 30.00% in principal amount of the total outstanding Notes have requested in writing the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

(3) Holders of the Notes have offered (and if requested, provided) the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

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(5) Holders of a majority in principal amount of the total outstanding Notes have not given the Trustee a direction inconsistent with such written request within such 60-day period.

A Holder of a Note may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of a Note or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder of a Note (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders).

SECTION 6.07. Rights of Holders to Receive Payment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Note to bring suit for the enforcement of any payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Note (including in connection with an Asset Sale Offer or a Change of Control Offer), shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

SECTION 6.08. Collection Suit by Trustee. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(1) or (2) hereof occurs and is continuing, the Trustee is authorized to recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Issuers for the whole amount of principal of, premium, if any, and interest remaining unpaid on the Notes and interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful, interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

SECTION 6.09. Restoration of Rights and Remedies. If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceedings, the Issuers, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding has been instituted.

SECTION 6.10. Rights and Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes in Section 2.07 hereof, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders 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.

SECTION 6.11. Delay or Omission Not Waiver. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Note to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

SECTION 6.12. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. The Trustee is authorized to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders allowed in

 

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any judicial proceedings relative to the Issuers (or any other obligor upon the Notes including the Guarantors), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to participate as a member in any official committee of creditors appointed in such matter and to collect, receive and distribute any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee on behalf of such Holder, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof. To the extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a Lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that the Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to 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, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

SECTION 6.13. Priorities. If the Trustee or any Agent collects any money or property pursuant to this Article VI, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:

(i) to the Trustee, such Agent, their agents and attorneys for amounts due under Section 7.07 hereof, including payment of all compensation, expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee or such Agent and the costs and expenses of collection;

(ii) to Holders for amounts due and unpaid on the Notes for principal, premium, if any, and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for principal, premium, if any, and interest, respectively; and

(iii) to the Issuers or to such party as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct including a Guarantor, if applicable.

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section 6.13.

SECTION 6.14. Undertaking for Costs. 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 or omitted by it as a Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.14 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder of a Note pursuant to Section 6.07 hereof, or a suit by Holders of more than 10.0% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes.

 

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ARTICLE VII

TRUSTEE

SECTION 7.01. Duties of Trustee.

(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture on behalf of the Holders, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(i) the duties of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture and the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(ii) in the absence of willful misconduct or bad faith, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liabilities for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, except that:

(i) this paragraph (c) does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.01;

(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved in a court of competent jurisdiction that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and

(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.02, 6.04 or 6.05 hereof.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 7.01 and Section 7.01(f).

(e) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless the Holders have offered (and if requested, provide) to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

 

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(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Issuers. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

SECTION 7.02. Rights of Trustee.

(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely upon and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Issuers, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Issuers and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in reliance on such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in reliance thereon.

(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent or attorney appointed with due care.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good fatih that it believes to be authorized or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture, any demand, request, direction or notice from the Issuers shall be sufficient if signed by an Officer thereof.

(f) None of the provisions of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise to incur any liability, financial or otherwise, in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or indemnity satisfactory to it against such risk or liability is not assured to it.

(g) 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 or Event of Default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Notes and this Indenture.

(h) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive 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.

 

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(i) 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.

(j) [Reserved].

(k) Delivery of 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 Issuers’ compliance with any of their covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates).

(l) The permissive rights of the Trustee to take certain actions under this Indenture shall not be construed as a duty unless so specified herein.

(m) 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, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Issuers, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Issuers, and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.

(n) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder.

(o) The Trustee may request that the Issuers deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.

(p) For certain payments made pursuant to this Indenture, the Trustee may be required to make a “reportable payment” or “withholdable payment” and in such cases the Trustee shall have the duty to act as a payor or withholding agent, respectively, that is responsible for any tax withholding and reporting required under Chapters 3, 4, and 61 the Code. The Trustee shall have the sole right to make the determination as to which payments are “reportable payments” or “withholdable payments.” All parties to this Indenture shall provide an executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or appropriate Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 (or, in each case, any successor form) to the Trustee prior to closing, and shall promptly update any such form to the extent such form becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect. The Trustee shall have the right to request from any party to this Indenture, or any other Person entitled to payment hereunder, any additional forms, documentation or other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Trustee to satisfy its reporting and withholding obligations under the Code. To the extent any such forms to be delivered under this Section 7.02(p) are not provided prior to or by the time the related payment is required to be made or are determined by the Trustee to be incomplete and/or inaccurate in any respect, the Trustee shall be entitled to withhold on any such payments hereunder to the extent withholding is required under Chapters 3, 4, or 61 of the Code, and shall have no obligation to gross up any such payment.

 

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SECTION 7.03. Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Issuers or any of their Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. However, in the event that the Trustee acquires any conflicting interest it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days or resign. Any Agent may do the same with like rights and duties. The Trustee is also subject to Section 7.11 hereof.

SECTION 7.04. Trustees Disclaimer. The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes, it shall not be accountable for the Issuers’ use of the proceeds from the Notes or any money paid to the Issuers or upon the Issuers’ direction under any provision of this Indenture, it shall not be responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee, and it shall not be responsible for any statement or recital herein or any statement in the Notes or any other document in connection with the sale of the Notes or pursuant to this Indenture other than its certificate of authentication.

SECTION 7.05. Notice of Defaults. If a Default occurs and is continuing and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall deliver to Holders a notice of the Default within 90 days after it occurs. Except in the case of a Default relating to the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on any Note, the Trustee may withhold from the Holders notice of any continuing Default if and so long as it in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Holders.

SECTION 7.06. [Reserved].

SECTION 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity. The Issuers shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder as the parties shall agree in writing from time to time. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Issuers shall reimburse the Trustee promptly upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket disbursements, advances and expenses incurred or made by it in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

The Issuers and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, shall indemnify the Trustee for, and hold the Trustee harmless against, any and all loss, damage, claims, liability or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by it in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust and the performance of its duties hereunder (including the reasonable costs and expenses of enforcing this Indenture against the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any of the Guarantors (including this Section 7.07) or defending itself against any claim whether asserted by any Holder, the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor, or any other Person or liability in connection with the acceptance, exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder) (but excluding taxes imposed on such persons in connection with compensation for such administration or performance). The Trustee shall notify the Issuers promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Issuers shall not relieve the Issuers of their obligations hereunder. The Issuers shall defend the claim and the Trustee may have separate counsel and the Issuers shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. Neither the Issuers nor any Guarantor need reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, liability or expense incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s own willful misconduct or negligence, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision.

 

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Neither the Issuers nor any Guarantor need pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

The obligations of the Issuers under this Section 7.07 and the immunities of the Trustee contained in Article VII shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee.

To secure the payment obligations of the Issuers and the Guarantors in this Section 7.07, the Trustee shall have a Lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except for money or property held in trust to pay principal and interest on particular Notes. Such Lien shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(6) or (7) hereof occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services (including the reasonable fees and expenses of its agents and counsel) are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

SECTION 7.08. Replacement of Trustee. A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section 7.08. The Trustee may resign in writing at any time and be discharged from the trust hereby created by so notifying the Issuers. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Issuers in writing not less than 30 days prior to the effective date of such removal. The Issuers may remove the Trustee if:

(A) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.11 hereof;

(B) the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(C) a custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(D) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Issuers shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Issuers.

If a successor Trustee does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Issuers or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee All fees, costs, and expenses (including attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred in connection with such petition to be paid by the Issuer.

If the Trustee, after written request by any Holder who has been a Holder for at least six months, fails to comply with Section 7.11 hereof, such Holder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Issuers. Thereupon, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to Holders. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee; provided that all sums owing to the Trustee hereunder have been paid and subject to the Lien provided for in Section 7.07 hereof. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.08, the Issuers’ obligations under Section 7.07 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

The resigning Trustee shall have no responsibility or liability for any action or inaction of a successor Trustee.

SECTION 7.09. Successor Trustee by Merger, etc. If the Trustee consolidates, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further action required (including the providing of notice) shall be the successor Trustee.

SECTION 7.10. Appointment of Co-Indenture Trustee or Separate Indenture Trustee.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, at any time, the Trustee shall have the power and may execute and deliver all instruments necessary to appoint one or more Persons to act as a co-trustee or co-trustees, or separate trustee or separate trustees, of all or any part of such trust, and to vest in such Person or Persons, in such capacity and for the benefit of the Holders, such title to the trust, or any part hereof, and subject to the other provisions of this Section, such powers, duties, obligations, rights and trusts as the Trustee may consider necessary or desirable. No co-trustee or separate trustee hereunder shall be required to meet the terms of eligibility as a successor trustee under Section 7.11 and no notice to Holders of the appointment of any co-trustee or separate trustee shall be required under Section 7.08 hereof.

(b) Every separate trustee and co-trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, be appointed and act subject to the following provisions and conditions:

(1) all rights, powers, duties and obligations conferred or imposed upon the Trustee shall be conferred or imposed upon and exercised or performed by the Trustee and such separate trustee or co-trustee jointly (it being understood that such separate trustee or co-trustee is not authorized to act separately without the Trustee joining in such act), except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in which any particular act or acts are to be performed the Trustee shall be incompetent or unqualified to perform such act or acts, in which event such rights, powers, duties and obligations (including the holding of title to the trust created by this Indenture or any portion thereof in any such jurisdiction) shall be exercised and performed singly by such separate trustee or co-trustee, but solely at the direction of the Trustee;

(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any act or omission of any separate trustee or co-trustee; and

(3) the Trustee may at any time accept the resignation of or remove any separate trustee or co-trustee.

 

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(c) Any notice, request or other writing given to the Trustee shall be deemed to have been given to each of the then separate trustees and co-trustees, as effectively as if given to each of them. Every instrument appointing any separate trustee or co-trustee shall refer to this Indenture and the conditions of this Article. Each separate trustee and co-trustee, upon its acceptance of the trusts conferred, shall be vested with the estates or property specified in its instrument of appointment, either jointly with the Trustee or separately, as may be provided therein, subject to all the provisions of this Indenture, specifically including every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct of, affecting the liability of, or affording protection or rights (including the rights to compensation, reimbursement and indemnification hereunder) to, the Trustee. Every such instrument shall be filed with the Trustee.

(d) Any separate trustee or co-trustee may at any time constitute the Trustee its agent or attorney-in-fact with full power and authority, to the extent not prohibited by law, to do any lawful act under or in respect of this Indenture on its behalf and in its name. If any separate trustee or co-trustee shall die, become incapable of acting, resign or be removed, all of its estates, properties, rights, remedies and trusts shall vest in and be exercised by the Trustee, to the extent permitted by law, without the appointment of a new or successor trustee.

SECTION 7.11. Eligibility; Disqualification. There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder that is a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any state thereof that is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trustee power, that is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities and that has, together with its parent, a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.

ARTICLE VIII

LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

SECTION 8.01. Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance. The Issuers may, at their option and at any time, elect to have either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof applied to all outstanding Notes and all obligations of the Guarantors with respect to the Guarantees upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article VIII.

SECTION 8.02. Legal Defeasance and Discharge. Upon the Issuers’ exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.02, the Issuers and the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be deemed to have been discharged from their obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes and Guarantees on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (“Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Issuer and the Guarantors shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding Notes, which shall thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 8.05 hereof, to have cured all then existing Events of Default and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Notes and this Indenture including that of the Guarantors (and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the Issuers, shall execute such instruments requested by the Issuers acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:

(A) the rights of Holders to receive payments in respect of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes when such payments are due solely out of the trust created pursuant to this Indenture referred to in Section 8.04 hereof;

 

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(B) the Issuers’ obligations with respect to Notes concerning issuing temporary Notes, registration of such Notes, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes and the maintenance of an office or agency for payment and money for security payments held in trust;

(C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee, and the Issuers’ obligations in connection therewith; and

(D) this Section 8.02.

Subject to compliance with this Article VIII, the Issuers may exercise their option under this Section 8.02 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 8.03 hereof.

SECTION 8.03. Covenant Defeasance. Upon the Issuers’ exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03, the Issuers and the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be released from their obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.14, 4.15 4.17 and 4.18 hereof and Sections 5.01(a)(1)(d) and (e), and Section 5.01(b) hereof with respect to the outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof are satisfied (“Covenant Defeasance”), and the Notes will thereafter be deemed not “outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Notes shall not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes and the Guarantees, the Issuers and the Guarantors may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document, and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.01 hereof, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes and the Guarantees shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Issuers’ exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03 hereof, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, Sections 6.01(3) (solely with respect to the covenants that are released upon a Covenant Defeasance), 6.01(4), 6.01(5), 6.01(6) (solely with respect to the Restricted Subsidiaries), 6.01(7) (solely with respect to the Restricted Subsidiaries) and 6.01(8) hereof shall not constitute Events of Default.

SECTION 8.04. Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance. In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance with respect to the Notes:

(1) the Issuers must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders, cash in U.S. dollars, U.S. dollar-denominated Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of an Independent Financial Advisor to the extent such amounts consist of U.S. dollar-denominated Government Securities, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest due on the Notes on the stated maturity date or on the applicable Redemption Date, as the case may be, and the Issuers must specify whether such Notes are being defeased to

 

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maturity or to a particular Redemption Date; provided that upon any redemption that requires the payment of the Applicable Premium, the amount deposited will be sufficient for purposes of this Indenture to the extent that an amount is deposited with the Trustee equal to the Applicable Premium calculated as of the date of the notice of redemption, with any deficit as of the date of redemption (any such amount, the “Applicable Premium Deficit”) only required to be deposited with the Trustee on or prior to the date of redemption; provided, however, that the Trustee shall have no liability whatsoever in the event that such deposit is not made after the Trustee has discharged this Indenture. Any Applicable Premium Deficit will be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee simultaneously with the deposit of such Applicable Premium Deficit that confirms that such Applicable Premium Deficit will be applied toward such redemption;

(2) in the case of Legal Defeasance, the Issuers will have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel confirming that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions:

(A) the Issuers have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or

(B) since the issuance of the Notes, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law,

in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel will confirm that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions, the beneficial owners of the Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as applicable, as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;

(3) in the case of Covenant Defeasance, the Issuers will have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel confirming that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions, the beneficial owners of the Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to such 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;

(4) no Default (other than that resulting from borrowing funds to be applied to make such deposit and any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other Indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of Liens and the consummation of other transactions in connection therewith) shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;

(5) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under the Senior Credit Facilities or any other material agreement, instrument or documents (other than this Indenture) to which, the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor is a party or by which the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor is bound (other than that resulting from any borrowing of funds to be applied to make the deposit required to effect such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance and any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other Indebtedness to be redeemed, and, in each case, the granting of Liens and the consummation of other transactions in connection therewith);

 

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(6) the Issuers will have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Issuers with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor or others; and

(7) the Issuers will have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel (which Opinion of Counsel may be subject to customary assumptions and exclusions) each stating that all conditions precedent provided for or relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance, as the case may be, have been complied with.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Opinion of Counsel required by clause (2) of the immediately preceding paragraph with respect to Legal Defeasance need not be delivered if all of the Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (i) have become due and payable or (ii) will 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 by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Issuers.

SECTION 8.05. Deposited Money and Government Securities to Be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.

Subject to Section 8.06 hereof, all money and Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 8.05, the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof in respect of the outstanding Notes shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Issuer, the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Notes of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

The Issuers shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes.

Anything in this Article VIII to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Issuers from time to time upon the request of the Issuers any money or Government Securities held by it as provided in Section 8.04 hereof which, in the opinion of an Independent Financial Advisor expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee to the extent such requested amount consists of Government Securities (which may be the opinion delivered under Section 8.04(a) hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

SECTION 8.06. Repayment to Issuers. Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Issuers, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, and premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Issuers on their request or (if then held by the Issuers) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note shall thereafter look only to the Issuers for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Issuers as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease.

 

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SECTION 8.07. Reinstatement. If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any United States dollars or Government Securities in accordance with Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof, as the case may be, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Issuers’ and the Guarantors’ obligations under this Indenture and the Notes and the Guarantees shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof, as the case may be; provided that, if the Issuers make any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Issuers shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

SECTION 9.01. Without Consent of Holders. Notwithstanding Section 9.02 hereof, the Issuer, the Co-Issuer, any Guarantor (with respect to a Guarantee to which it is a party) and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture and any Guarantee or Notes without the consent of any Holder:

(1) to cure any ambiguity, omission, mistake, defect or inconsistency;

(2) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes;

(3) to comply with Section 5.01 hereof;

(4) to provide for the assumption of the Issuers’ or any Guarantor’s obligations to the Holders;

(5) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders or that does not materially adversely affect (as determined in good faith by the Issuer) the legal rights under this Indenture of any such Holder;

(6) to add covenants for the benefit of the Holders or to surrender any right or power conferred upon the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor;

(7) at the Issuer’s election, to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act, if applicable (it being agreed that this Indenture need not qualify under the Trust Indenture Act);

(8) to evidence and provide for the acceptance and appointment under this Indenture of a successor Trustee hereunder pursuant to the requirements hereof;

(9) to add a Guarantor or co-obligor under this Indenture or to release a Guarantor in accordance with the terms of this Indenture;

 

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(10) to conform the text of this Indenture, Guarantees or the Notes to any provision of the “Description of Notes” section of the Offering Memorandum to the extent that such provision in such “Description of Notes” section was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of this Indenture, Guarantee or Notes, as provided to the Trustee in an Officer’s Certificate;

(11) to make any amendment to the provisions of this Indenture relating to the transfer and legending of Notes as permitted by this Indenture, including, to facilitate the issuance and administration of the Notes; provided that (a) compliance with this Indenture as so amended would not result in Notes being transferred in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable securities law and (b) such amendment does not materially and adversely affect the rights of Holders to transfer Notes;

(12) to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; or

(13) to secure the Notes and/or the related Guarantees.

Upon the request of the Issuer accompanied by a resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 7.02 hereof (to the extent requested by the Trustee), the Trustee shall join with the Issuer, the Co-Issuer and the Guarantors (solely with respect to the Guarantee to which it is a party) in the execution of any amended or supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall have the right, but not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Opinion of Counsel shall be required in connection with the addition of a Guarantor under this Indenture upon execution and delivery by such Guarantor and the Trustee of a supplemental indenture to this Indenture, the form of which is attached as Exhibit D hereto.

SECTION 9.02. With Consent of Holders. Except as provided below in this Section 9.02, the Issuer, the Co-Issuer, the Guarantors (solely with respect to the Guarantee to which it is a party) and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Notes (including Additional Notes, if any) then outstanding voting as a single class (including consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, tender offer or exchange offer for, the Notes), and, subject to Sections 6.04 and 6.07 hereof, any existing Default or Event of Default (other than a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes, except a payment default resulting from an acceleration that has been rescinded) or compliance with any provision of this Indenture, the Guarantees or the Notes may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes (including Additional Notes, if any), other than Notes beneficially owned by the Issuer or its Affiliates, voting as a single class (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer or offer to purchase with respect to the Notes); provided that (x) if any such amendment or waiver will only affect one series of Notes (or less than all series of Notes) then outstanding hereunder, then only the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes of such series then outstanding (including, in each case, consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer or offer to purchase with respect to the Notes) shall be required and (y) if any such amendment or waiver by its terms will affect a series of Notes in a manner different and materially adverse relative to the manner such amendment or

 

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waiver affects other series of Notes, then the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes of such adversely affected series then outstanding (including, in each case, consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer or offer to purchase with respect to the Notes) shall be required. Section 2.08 hereof and Section 2.09 hereof shall determine which Notes are considered to be “outstanding” for the purposes of this Section 9.02.

Upon the request of the Issuer accompanied by a resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 7.02 hereof (to the extent requested by the Trustee), the Trustee shall join with the Issuer, the Co-Issuer and the Guarantors (solely with respect to the Guarantee to which it is a party) in the execution of any amended or supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall have the right, but not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.

After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02 becomes effective, the Issuers shall deliver to the Holders affected thereby (with a copy to the Trustee) a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure of the Issuers to deliver such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amended or supplemental indenture or waiver.

Without the consent of each affected Holder (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Notes held by Affiliates), an amendment or waiver under this Section 9.02 may not, with respect to any Notes held by a non-consenting Holder:

(1) reduce the principal amount of such Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

(2) reduce the principal of or change the fixed final maturity of any such Note or reduce the premium payable upon the redemption of such Notes on any date (other than the provisions relating to Section 3.09, Section 4.10 and Section 4.14); provided that any amendment to the notice requirements may be made with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of then outstanding Notes;

(3) reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest on any Note;

(4) waive a Default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Notes, except a rescission of acceleration of the Notes by the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration, or in respect of a covenant or provision contained in this Indenture or any Guarantee which cannot be amended or modified without the consent of all affected Holders;

(5) make any Note payable in money other than that stated therein;

 

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(6) make any change in the provisions of this Indenture relating to waivers of past Defaults;

(7) make any change in this Article IX that is materially adverse to the Holders;

(8) modify the contractual right hereunder of any Holder to institute suit for the payment of principal, interest or premium (if any) on or with respect to such Holder’s Notes on or after the respective due dates;

(9) make any change to or modify the ranking of the Notes that would adversely affect the Holders; or

(10) except as expressly permitted by this Indenture, modify the Guarantees of any Significant Subsidiary, in any manner materially adverse to the Holders.

SECTION 9.03. [Reserved].

SECTION 9.04. Revocation and Effect of Consents. Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Note is a continuing consent by the Holder of a Note and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Note, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Note. However, any such Holder of a Note or subsequent Holder of a Note may revoke the consent as to its Note if the Trustee receives written notice of revocation before the date the amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every Holder.

The Issuers may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement, or waiver. If a record date is fixed, then, notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to consent to such amendment, supplement, or waiver or to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such record date unless the consent of the requisite number of Holders has been obtained.

SECTION 9.05. Notation on or Exchange of Notes. The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment, supplement or waiver on any Note thereafter authenticated. The Issuers in exchange for all Notes may issue and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, authenticate new Notes that reflect the amendment, supplement or waiver.

Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.

SECTION 9.06. Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc. The Trustee shall sign any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article IX if the amendment, supplement or waiver does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. The Issuer or the Co-Issuer may not sign an amendment, supplement or waiver until the Board of Directors of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer, as applicable, approves it. In executing any amendment, supplement or waiver, the Trustee shall receive, and shall be fully protected in

 

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relying conclusively upon, in addition to the documents required by Section 12.04 hereof, an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such amendment, supplement or waiver is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Issuers and any Guarantors party thereto, enforceable against them in accordance with its terms, subject to customary exceptions, and complies with the provisions hereof.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Opinion of Counsel will be required for the Trustee to execute any amendment or supplement in the form of Exhibit D attached hereto adding a new Guarantor under this Indenture.

ARTICLE X

GUARANTEES

SECTION 10.01. Guarantee. Subject to this Article X, each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees, on an unsecured basis, to each Holder of a Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this Indenture, the Notes or the Obligations of the Issuers hereunder or thereunder, that (a) the principal of and interest and premium, if any, on the Notes shall be promptly paid in full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, if lawful, and all other obligations of the Issuers to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder, including for expenses, indemnification or otherwise, shall be promptly paid in full, all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and (b) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other Obligations, that same shall be promptly paid in full when due in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise. Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed for whatever reason, the Guarantors shall be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same promptly. Each Guarantor agrees that this is a guarantee of payment and not a guarantee of collection.

The Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder shall be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Issuers, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor (other than payment in full of all of the Obligations of the Issuers hereunder and under the Notes).

Each Guarantor hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Issuer, any right to require a proceeding first against the Issuers, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenants that this Guarantee shall not be discharged except by full payment of the obligations contained in the Notes and this Indenture or by release in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.

Each Guarantor also agrees to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the Trustee or any Holder in enforcing any rights under this Section 10.01.

 

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If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Issuer, the Guarantors or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to any of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or the Guarantors, then any amount paid either to the Trustee or such Holder, then this Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in full force and effect.

Each Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article VI hereof for the purposes of this Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article VI hereof, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for the purpose of this Guarantee. The Guarantors shall have the right to seek contribution from any nonpaying Guarantor so long as the exercise of such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Guarantees.

Each Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be effective should any petition be filed by or against the Issuers for liquidation, reorganization, should any of the Issuers become insolvent or make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or should a receiver or trustee be appointed for all or any significant part of the Issuers’ assets, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment of the Notes are, pursuant to applicable law, rescinded or reduced in amount, or must otherwise be restored or returned by any obligee on the Notes or Guarantees, whether as a “voidable preference,” “fraudulent transfer” or otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made. In the event that any payment or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, restored or returned, the Notes shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be reinstated and deemed reduced only by such amount paid and not so rescinded, reduced, restored or returned.

In case any provision of any Guarantee shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

The Guarantee issued by any Guarantor shall be a general unsecured senior obligation of such Guarantor and shall be pari passu in right of payment with all existing and future Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor, if any.

Each payment to be made by a Guarantor in respect of its Guarantee shall be made without setoff, counter-claim, reduction or diminution of any kind or nature.

SECTION 10.02. Limitation on Guarantor Liability. Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance of the Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Guarantee of such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and the Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of each Guarantor shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor that are relevant under such laws and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under this Article X, result in the obligations of such

 

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Guarantor under its Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law. Each Guarantor that makes a payment under its Guarantee shall be entitled upon payment in full of all guaranteed obligations under this Indenture to a contribution from each other Guarantor in an amount equal to such other Guarantor’s pro rata portion of such payment based on the respective net assets of all the Guarantors at the time of such payment determined in accordance with GAAP.

SECTION 10.03. Execution and Delivery. To evidence its Guarantee set forth in Section 10.01 hereof, each Guarantor that becomes a party hereto after the date hereof shall cause a supplemental indenture in the form of Exhibit D) to be executed on behalf of such Guarantor by one of its authorized Officers.

Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Guarantee set forth in Section 10.01 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the absence of the endorsement of any notation of such Guarantee on the Notes.

If an Officer whose signature is on this Indenture no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Note, the Guarantee of such Guarantor 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 Guarantors.

If required by Section 4.15 hereof, the Issuer shall cause any newly created or acquired Restricted Subsidiary to comply with Section 4.15 and this Article X, to the extent applicable.

SECTION 10.04. Subrogation. Until its Guarantee is terminated in accordance with Section 12.06, each Guarantor agrees that it shall not be entitled to exercise any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby; provided that, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, no Guarantor shall be entitled to enforce or receive any payments arising out of, or based upon, such right of subrogation until all amounts then due and payable by the Issuer under this Indenture or the Notes shall have been paid in full.

SECTION 10.05. Benefits Acknowledged. Each Guarantor acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the financing arrangements contemplated by this Indenture and that the guarantee and waivers made by it pursuant to its Guarantee are knowingly made in contemplation of such benefits.

SECTION 10.06. Release of Guarantees. (a) Each Guarantee by a Subsidiary Guarantor will provide by its terms that it shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged and shall thereupon terminate and be of no further force and effect, and no further action by such Guarantor, the Issuers or the Trustee is required for the release of such Guarantor’s Guarantee, upon:

(1) any sale, exchange, issuance, disposition or transfer (by merger, amalgamation, consolidation or otherwise) of (a) the Capital Stock of such Guarantor, after which the applicable Guarantor is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary, or (b) all or substantially all of the assets of such Guarantor (including to any of the Issuers or another Guarantor), in each case if such sale, exchange, issuance, disposition or transfer is made in compliance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture;

 

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(2) (a) the release or discharge of the guarantee by, or direct obligation of, such Guarantor of Indebtedness under the Senior Credit Facilities or Capital Markets Indebtedness of any of the Issuers or any Guarantor, or (b) the release or discharge of such other guarantee that resulted in the creation of such Guarantee, except, in each case, a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such guarantee or direct obligation (it being understood that, in each case, a release subject to a contingent reinstatement is still a release);

(3) (a) the designation of any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in compliance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture or (b) such Guarantor otherwise becoming an Excluded Subsidiary (other than pursuant to clause (1) of the definition thereof);

(4) (a) the exercise by the Issuers of their Legal Defeasance option or Covenant Defeasance option in accordance with Article VIII hereof or (b) the discharge of the Issuers’ obligations under this Indenture in accordance with Article XI hereof;

(5) the merger, amalgamation or consolidation of any Guarantor with and into the Issuer, the Co-Issuer or Guarantor (other than the Parent Guarantor) that is the surviving Person in such merger, amalgamation or consolidation, or upon the liquidation of a Guarantor following the transfer of all or substantially all of its assets, in each case in a transaction that complies with the applicable provisions hereof; or

(6) as described under Article IX.

(b) The Note Guarantee of the Parent Guarantor will terminate upon:

(1) the exercise by the Issuers of their legal defeasance option or covenant defeasance option as described under Article VIII hereof; or

(2) the discharge of the Issuers’ obligations under this Indenture in accordance with Article XI hereof.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any guarantee by a Parent Company (other than the Parent Guarantor) may be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged for any reason.

(d) The Issuer will have the right, upon delivery of an Officer’s Certificate to the Trustee, to cause any Guarantor that has not guaranteed any Indebtedness under the Senior Credit Facilities or any Capital Markets Indebtedness of any of the Issuers or any Guarantor, and is not otherwise required by the applicable terms of this Indenture to provide a Guarantee, to be unconditionally released and discharged from all obligations under its Guarantee, and such Guarantee will thereupon automatically and unconditionally terminate and be discharged and of no further force or effect.

 

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ARTICLE XI

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

SECTION 11.01. Satisfaction and Discharge. This Indenture shall be discharged and shall cease to be of further effect as to all Notes, when either:

(1) all Notes theretofore authenticated and delivered, except lost, stolen or destroyed Notes that have been replaced or paid and Notes for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust, have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(2) (A) all Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the making of one or more notices of redemption or otherwise, will become due and payable within one year or may be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Issuers, and the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders, cash in U.S. dollars, U.S. dollar-denominated Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient (without consideration of any reinvestment of interest), in the opinion of an Independent Financial Advisor to the extent such amounts consist of U.S. dollar-denominated Government Securities, to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption; provided that (i) upon any redemption that requires the payment of the Applicable Premium, the amount deposited will be sufficient for purposes of this Indenture to the extent that an amount is deposited with the Trustee equal to the Applicable Premium calculated as of the date of the notice of redemption, with any Applicable Premium Deficit only required to be deposited with the Trustee on or prior to the date of redemption and (ii) any Applicable Premium Deficit will be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee simultaneously with the deposit of such Applicable Premium Deficit that confirms that such Applicable Premium Deficit will be applied toward such redemption;

(B) the Issuers have paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture; and

(C) the Issuers have delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Notes at maturity or the Redemption Date, as the case may be.

In addition, the Issuers must deliver an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied. Such Opinion of Counsel may rely on such Officer’s Certificate as to matters of fact, including clauses (2)(A), (B) and (C) above.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, Section 7.07 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (A) of clause (2) of this Section 11.01, Section 11.02 and Section 8.06 hereof shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.

SECTION 11.02. Application of Trust Money. Subject to Section 8.06, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 11.01 hereof shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or a Guarantor acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

 

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If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Securities in accordance with Section 11.01 hereof by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Issuers’ and any Guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 11.01 hereof; provided that if the Issuers have made any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Issuers shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money or Government Securities held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

ARTICLE XII

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 12.01. [Reserved].

SECTION 12.02. Notices. Any notice or communication by the Issuer, the Co-Issuer, any Guarantor or the Trustee to the others is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), facsimile, electronically (in “.pdf” or other format) or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the others’ address:

If to the Issuer, the Co-Issuer and/or any Guarantor on or after the Issue Date:

Chobani, LLC

200 Lafayette Street, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10012

Attention: Mick Beekhuizen, Chief Financial Officer

E-mail: ***@***

   with a copy to: Kathy Leo, General Counsel

   E-mail: ***@***

in each case, with a copy to:

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP

200 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10166-0193

Attention: Andrew Fabens

E-mail: ***@***

If to the Trustee:

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee

150 East 42nd Street, 40th Floor

New York, New York 10017, U.S.A.

Attention: Corporate Trust Services, Administrator for Chobani, LLC

Facsimile No.: 917 ###-###-####

Email: ***@***

 

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The Issuers, any Guarantor or the Trustee, by notice to the others, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

All notices and communications (other than those sent to Holders) shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; 5 calendar days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed by first-class mail; on the first date on which publication is made or electronic delivery made; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery; provided that any notice or communication delivered to the Trustee shall be deemed effective upon actual receipt thereof.

Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be electronically delivered, 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 Note Register kept by the Registrar.

Failure to deliver a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Note, where this Indenture or any Note provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption or purchase) to a Holder of a Global Note (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary pursuant to the standing instructions from the Depositary.

If a notice or communication is mailed or otherwise delivered in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, such notice or communication shall be deemed duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

If the Issuers deliver or mail a notice or communication to Holders, they shall deliver or mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

SECTION 12.03. Communication with Holders of a Global Note. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Note, where this Indenture or any Note provides for notice of any event or any other communication (including any notice of redemption or repurchase) to a holder of a Global Note (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from the Depositary or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices at the Depositary.

SECTION 12.04. Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Issuers or any of the Guarantors to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture (other than as set forth in the last sentence of Section 9.06 and with respect to clause (B) below, in connection with the initial issuance of Notes on the Issue Date), the Issuers or such Guarantor, as the case may be, shall furnish to the Trustee:

(A) An Officer’s Certificate in form satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been satisfied; and

 

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(B) An Opinion of Counsel in form satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent and covenants have been satisfied.

SECTION 12.05. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion 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 or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with (and, in the case of an Opinion of Counsel, may be limited to reliance on an Officer’s Certificate as to matters of fact); and

(D) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with; provided, however, that with respect to matters of fact, an Opinion of Counsel may rely on an Officer’s Certificate or certificates of public officials.

SECTION 12.06. Rules by Trustee and Agents. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

SECTION 12.07. No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders. No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, member, partner or equity holder of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer, any Guarantor or any Parent Company will have any liability for any obligations of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or the Guarantors under the Notes, the Guarantees, this Indenture or any supplemental indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting Notes waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

SECTION 12.08. Governing Law. THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND ANY GUARANTEE WILL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 12.09. Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE ISSUER, THE CO-ISSUER, THE GUARANTORS, AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY, AND EACH HOLDER OF A NOTE BY ITS ACCEPTANCE THEREBY, 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 TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

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SECTION 12.10. Force Majeure. In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Indenture arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its reasonable 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 or hardware) services.

SECTION 12.11. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. This Indenture may not be used to interpret any other indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuers or the Restricted Subsidiaries or of any other Person. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

SECTION 12.12. Successors. All agreements of the Issuers in this Indenture and the Notes shall bind their successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors. All agreements of each Guarantor in this Indenture shall bind its successors, except as otherwise provided in Section 10.06 hereof.

SECTION 12.13. Severability. In case any provision or any part of any provision in this Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

SECTION 12.14. Counterpart Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. This Indenture may be executed in multiple counterparts, which, when taken together, shall constitute one instrument. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic transmissions (in ‘.pdf’ or other format) shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronically (in ‘.pdf’ or other format) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

SECTION 12.15. Table of Contents, Headings, etc. The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part of this Indenture and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

SECTION 12.16. USA PATRIOT Act. The parties hereto acknowledge that in order to help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, pursuant to federal regulations that became effective on October 1, 2003, Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person establishing a relationship or opening an account with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. The parties hereto agree that they will provide the Trustee with name, address, tax identification number, if applicable, and other information that will allow the Trustee to identify the individual or entity who is establishing the relationship, and will further provide the Trustee with formation documents such as articles of incorporation or other identifying documents.

[Signatures on following page]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

CHOBANI, LLC,
as Issuer
By:   /s/ Mick Beekhuizen
  Name: Mick Beekhuizen
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

CHOBANI FINANCE CORPORATION, INC., as Co-Issuer
By:   /s/ Mick Beekhuizen
  Name: Mick Beekhuizen
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page to Indenture]


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CHOBANI GLOBAL HOLDINGS, LLC,
as Parent Guarantor
By:   /s/ Mick Beekhuizen
  Name: Mick Beekhuizen
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
ARGO-FARMA LL, LLC,
as Guarantor
By:   /s/ Mick Beekhuizen
  Name: Mick Beekhuizen
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
CHOBANI CAFÉ, LLC,
as Guarantor
By:   /s/ Mick Beekhuizen
  Name: Mick Beekhuizen
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
CHOBANI IDAHO, LLC,
as Guarantor
By:   /s/ Mick Beekhuizen
  Name: Mick Beekhuizen
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page to Indenture]


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WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
By:   /s/ Stefan Victory
  Name: Stefan Victory
 

Title: Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Indenture]


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EXHIBIT A

[Face of Note]

[Insert the Global Note Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

[Insert the Private Placement Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

[Insert the Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

[Insert the OID Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

 

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CUSIP [        ]

ISIN [        ]

[RULE 144A][REGULATION S] GLOBAL NOTE

7.500% Senior Notes due 2025

 

No. [    ]    [Up to] $[      ]

CHOBANI, LLC

CHOBANI FINANCE CORPORATION, INC.

jointly and severally promise to pay to                 or registered assigns,

[the principal sum set forth on the Schedule of Exchange of Interests in the Global Note attached hereto] [the principal sum of                  DOLLARS] on April 15, 2025.

Interest Payment Dates: April 15 and October 15, beginning October 15, 2017

Record Dates: April 1 and October 1

 

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IN WITNESS HEREOF, the Issuers have caused this instrument to be duly executed.

 

CHOBANI, LLC

By:

   
 

Name:

 

Title:

CHOBANI FINANCE CORPORATION, INC.

By:

   
 

Name:

 

Title:

 

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This is one of the Notes referred to

in the within-mentioned Indenture:

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
By:    
  Authorized Signatory

Dated:

 

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[Back of Note]

7.500% Senior Note due 2025

Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.

1. INTEREST. Chobani, LLC (the “Issuer”) and Chobani Finance Corporation, Inc. (the “Co-Issuer” and together with the Issuer, the “Issuers”) jointly and severally promise to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at a rate per annum of 7.500% from April 13, 2017 until maturity. The Issuers will pay interest on this Note semi-annually in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year, beginning October 15, 2017 or, if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day (each, an “Interest Payment Date”). The Issuers will make each interest payment to the Holder of record of this Note on the immediately preceding April 1 and October 1 (each, a “Record Date”). Interest on this Note will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from the date of issuance; provided that the first Interest Payment Date shall be October 15, 2017. The Issuers will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium, if any, from time to time on demand at the rate borne by this Note; they 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 on demand at the rate borne by this Note. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360- day year comprising twelve 30-day months.

2. METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Issuers will pay interest on this Note to the Person who is the registered Holder of this Note at the close of business on the Record Date (whether or not a Business Day) next preceding the Interest Payment Date, even if this Note is 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. Payments of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes will be payable at the office or agency of the Issuers maintained pursuant to Section 4.02 of the Indenture or, at the option of the Issuers, may be made by wire transfer to a U.S. dollar account maintained by the payee with a bank in the United States if such Holder elects payment by wire transfer by giving written notice to the Trustee or the Paying Agent to such effect designating such account no later than 30 days immediately preceding the relevant due date for payment (or such other date as the Trustee may accept in its discretion), provided that (a) all payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest on, Notes represented by Global Notes registered in the name of or held by DTC or its nominee will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Holder or Holders thereof and (b) if no notice of wire transfer election is received for such Holder, all payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest with respect to certificated Notes will be made by check mailed to the Holders at their addresses set forth in the Note Register. 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. If a payment date is on a Legal Holiday, payment will be made on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

3. PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR. Initially, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, the Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Issuers may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without prior notice to any Holder. The Issuers or any of their Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.

 

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4. INDENTURE. The Issuers issued the Notes under an Indenture, dated as of April 13, 2017 (the “Indenture”), among (a) Chobani, LLC, as Issuer, (b) Chobani Finance Corporation, Inc., as Co-Issuer, (c) Chobani Global Holdings, LLC, as Parent Guarantor, (d) the Subsidiary Guarantors named therein, and (e) the Trustee. The Issuers shall be entitled to issue Additional Notes pursuant to Section 2.01 and to the extent permitted by Section 4.09 of the Indenture. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture 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) At any time prior to April 15, 2020, the Issuers may at their option on one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Notes, upon notice as described under Section 3.03 of the Indenture, at a redemption price (as calculated by the Issuer) equal to the sum of (i) 100.00% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed, plus (ii) the Applicable Premium, plus (iii) accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date. Any notice of redemption made in connection with a related transaction or event (including an Equity Offering, contribution, Change of Control, Asset Sale or other transaction) may, at the Issuers’ discretion, be given prior to the completion or the occurrence thereof, and any such redemption or notice may, at the Issuers’ discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent, including, but not limited to, the completion or occurrence of the related transaction or event, as the case may be.

(b) At any time prior to April 15, 2020, the Issuers may, at their option and on one or more occasions, redeem up to 40.00% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes and Additional Notes issued under the Indenture at a redemption price (as calculated by the Issuers) equal to the sum of (i) 107.500% of the aggregate principal amount thereof, with an amount equal to or less than the net cash proceeds from one or more Equity Offerings to the extent such net cash proceeds are received by or contributed to the Issuer, plus (ii) accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date; provided that (a) at least 50.00% of the sum of the aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued under the Indenture on the Issue Date and any Additional Notes issued under the Indenture after the Issue Date remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of each such redemption and (b) each such redemption occurs within 180 days of the date of closing of the applicable Equity Offering or contribution.

(c) In connection with any Change of Control Offer or other tender offer to purchase all of the Notes, if Holders of not less than 90.00% of the aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes validly tender and do not validly withdraw such Notes in such Change of Control Offer or other tender offer and the Issuers purchase, or any third party making such Change of Control Offer or other tender offer in lieu of the Issuers purchases, all of the Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn by such Holders, the Issuers or such third party will have the right upon notice, given not more than 60 days following such purchase date, to redeem all Notes that remain outstanding following such purchase at a price equal to the price offered to each other Holder in such Change of Control Offer or other tender offer, plus, to the extent not included in the Change of Control Offer or other tender offer payment, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date (subject to the right of the Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on an Interest Payment Date that is on or prior to the Redemption Date).

 

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(d) Except pursuant to clause (a), (b) or (c) of Section 3.07 of the Indenture, the Notes will not be redeemable at the Issuers’ option prior to April 15, 2020.

(e) On and after April 15, 2020, the Issuers may at their option redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, on one or more occasions, upon notice in accordance with Section 3.03 of the Indenture, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date, if redeemed during the twelve month period beginning on April 15 in each of the years indicated below:

 

Year

   Percentage  

2020

     105.625

2021

     103.750

2022

     101.875

2023 and thereafter

     100.000

(e) Any redemption pursuant to Section 3.07 of the Indenture shall be made pursuant to Sections 3.01 through 3.06 of the Indenture.

6. MANDATORY REDEMPTION; OFFERS TO PURCHASE AND OPEN MARKET PURCHASES. The Issuers will not be required to make any mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes. However, under certain circumstances, the Issuers may be required to offer to purchase Notes as described under Sections 3.09, 4.10 and 4.14 of the Indenture.

7. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Subject to Section 3.03 of the Indenture, the Issuers shall deliver electronically, mail or cause to be mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid, notices of redemption at least 10 but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date to each Holder of the Notes to be redeemed at such Holder’s registered address or otherwise in accordance with Applicable Procedures, except that redemption notices may be delivered or mailed more than 60 days prior to a Redemption Date if the notice is issued in connection with Section 3.03(i), Article VIII or Article XI of the Indenture.

8. OFFERS TO REPURCHASE. Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, the Issuers shall make a Change of Control Offer in accordance with Section 4.14 of the Indenture. In connection with certain Asset Sales, the Issuers shall make an Asset Sale Offer as and when provided in accordance with Sections 3.09 and 4.10 of the Indenture.

9. DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER, EXCHANGE. The Notes are in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess of $2,000. The transfer of Notes shall be registered and Notes may only be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar, Transfer Agent and the Trustee may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and the Issuers may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Issuers need not issue, 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 Issuers need not issue, exchange or register the transfer of any Notes during the period of 15 days before the mailing of a notice of redemption of Notes to be redeemed or between a Record Date with respect to such Note and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date with respect to such Note.

 

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10. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. The registered Holder shall be treated as its owner for all purposes. Only registered Holders shall have rights hereunder.

11. AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER. The Indenture, the Guarantees or the Notes may be amended or supplemented as provided in the Indenture.

12. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES. The Events of Default relating to the Notes are defined in Section 6.01 of the Indenture. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 30.00% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes by written notice to the Issuers may declare the principal, premium, if any, interest and any other monetary obligations on all the then outstanding Notes to be due and payable immediately. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the Issuers, all outstanding Notes will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice. Holders may not enforce the Indenture, the Notes or the Guarantees except as provided in the Indenture. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power. The Trustee may withhold from Holders notice of any continuing Default (except a Default relating to the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest) if it determines that withholding notice is in their interest. The Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes, by written notice to the Trustee, may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default or and its consequences under the Indenture (except a continuing Default in payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Notes held by a nonconsenting Holder). The Issuer is required to, on an annual basis, deliver to the Trustee a statement regarding compliance with the Indenture, and the Issuer is required within thirty (30) days after becoming aware of any Default, to deliver to the Trustee a statement specifying such Default, its status and what actions the Issuers are taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

13. AUTHENTICATION. This Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee.

14. GOVERNING LAW. THE INDENTURE, THIS NOTE AND ANY GUARANTEE WILL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

15. CUSIP AND ISIN NUMBERS. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Issuers have caused CUSIP and ISIN numbers to be printed on the Notes and the Trustee may use CUSIP and ISIN numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

 

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The Issuer will furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture. Requests may be made to the Issuer at the following address:

Chobani, LLC

200 Lafayette Street, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10012

Attention: Mick Beekhuizen, Chief Financial Officer

E-mail: ***@***

 with a copy to: Kathy Leo, General Counsel

 E-mail: ***@***

 

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ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Note, fill in the form below:

 

(I) or (we) assign and transfer this Note to:

    
  

(Insert assignee’s legal name)

 

 

(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)

 
 
 
 
(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint                                                                                                                                                                         to transfer this Note on the books of the Issuers. 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*:                             

 

*

Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

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OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Issuers pursuant to Section 4.10 or 4.14 of the Indenture, check the appropriate box below:

[     ] Section 4.10 [    ] Section 4.14

If you want to elect to have only part of this Note purchased by the Issuers pursuant to Section 4.10 or Section 4.14 of the Indenture, state the amount you elect to have purchased:

$

Date:          
      Your Signature:    
        (Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)
     

Tax Identification No.:

   

Signature Guarantee*:                             

 

*

Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

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SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE*

The initial outstanding principal amount of this Global Note is $ . 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 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
Custodian

 

*

This schedule should be included only if the Note is issued in global form.

 

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EXHIBIT B

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER

Chobani, LLC

200 Lafayette Street, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10012

Attention: Mick Beekhuizen, Chief Financial Officer

E-mail: ***@***

with a copy to: Kathy Leo, General Counsel

E-mail: ***@***

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association– DAPS REORG, N9300-070

600 South 4th Street, 7th Floor

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Attention: Corporate Trust Services

Phone No.: (800) 344-5128

Facsimile No.: (866) 969-1290

Email: ***@***

Re: 7.500% Senior Notes due 2025

Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of April 13, 2017 (the “Indenture”), among (a) Chobani, LLC, as Issuer, (b) Chobani Finance Corporation, Inc., as Co-Issuer, (c) Chobani Global Holdings, LLC, as Parent Guarantor, (d) the Subsidiary Guarantors named therein, and (e) the Trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Indenture.

                         (the “Transferor”) owns and proposes to transfer the Note[s] or interest in such Note[s] specified in Annex A hereto, in the principal amount of $                  in such Note[s] or interests (the “Transfer”),             to              (the “Transferee”), as further specified in Annex A hereto. In connection with the Transfer, the Transferor hereby certifies that:

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

1. [    ] CHECK IF TRANSFEREE WILL TAKE DELIVERY OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN THE RELEVANT 144A GLOBAL NOTE OR RELEVANT DEFINITIVE NOTE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A. The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144A under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and, accordingly, the Transferor hereby further certifies that the beneficial interest or Definitive Note is being transferred to a Person that the Transferor reasonably believes is purchasing the beneficial interest or Definitive Note for its own account, or for one or more accounts with respect to which such Person exercises sole investment discretion, and such Person and each such account is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of Rule 144A in a transaction meeting the requirements of Rule 144A, and such Transfer is in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

 

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2. [    ] CHECK IF TRANSFEREE WILL TAKE DELIVERY OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN THE RELEVANT REGULATION S GLOBAL NOTE OR RELEVANT DEFINITIVE NOTE PURSUANT TO REGULATION S. The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act and, accordingly, the Transferor hereby further certifies that (i) the Transfer is not being made to a person in the United States and (x) at the time the buy order was originated, the Transferee was outside the United States or such Transferor and any Person acting on its behalf reasonably believed and believes that the Transferee was outside the United States or (y) the transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated offshore securities market and neither such Transferor nor any Person acting on its behalf knows that the transaction was prearranged with a buyer in the United States, (ii) no directed selling efforts have been made in contravention of the requirements of Rule 903(b) or Rule 904(b) of Regulation S under the Securities Act, (iii) the transaction is not part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration requirements of the Securities Act and (iv) if the proposed transfer is being made prior to the expiration of the applicable Restricted Period, the transfer is not being made to a U.S. Person or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person (other than an Initial Purchaser). Upon consummation of the proposed transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will be subject to the restrictions on Transfer enumerated in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

3. [    ] CHECK AND COMPLETE IF TRANSFEREE WILL TAKE DELIVERY OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN THE RELEVANT DEFINITIVE NOTE PURSUANT TO ANY PROVISION OF THE SECURITIES ACT OTHER THAN RULE 144A OR REGULATION S. The Transfer is being effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to beneficial interests in Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States, and accordingly the Transferor hereby further certifies that (check one):

(a) [    ] such Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act; or

(b) [    ] such Transfer is being effected to the Issuer or a Subsidiary thereof.

4. [    ] CHECK IF TRANSFEREE WILL TAKE DELIVERY OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN AN UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE OR OF AN UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE.

(a) [    ] CHECK IF TRANSFER IS PURSUANT TO RULE 144. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will no longer be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes, on Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

(b) [    ] CHECK IF TRANSFER IS PURSUANT TO REGULATION S. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement

 

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Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will no longer be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes, on Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

(c) [    ] CHECK IF TRANSFER IS PURSUANT TO OTHER EXEMPTION. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in compliance with an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 144, Rule 903 or Rule 904 and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any State of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will not be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes or Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

 

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This certificate and the statements contained herein are made for your benefit and the benefit of the Issuers.

 

[Insert Name of Transferor]

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

Dated:                                     

 

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ANNEX A TO CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER

 

1.    The

Transferor owns and proposes to transfer the following:

[CHECK ONE OF (a) OR (b)]

 

  (a)

[    ] a beneficial interest in the:

 

  (i)    [    ]

144A Global Note ([CUSIP: ]), or

 

  (ii)    [    ]

Regulation S Global Note ([CUSIP: ]), or

 

  (b)

[    ] a Restricted Definitive Note.

 

2.    After

the Transfer the Transferee will hold:

[CHECK ONE]

 

  (a)

[    ] a beneficial interest in the:

 

  (i)    [        ]

144A Global Note ([CUSIP: ]), or

 

  (ii)    [        ]

Regulation S Global Note ([CUSIP: ]), or

 

  (iii)    [        ]

Unrestricted Global Note ([    ] [ ]), or

 

  (b)

[    ] a Restricted Definitive Note; or

 

  (c)

[    ] an Unrestricted Definitive Note, in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.

 

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EXHIBIT C

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE

Chobani, LLC

200 Lafayette Street, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10012

Attention: Mick Beekhuizen, Chief Financial Officer

E-mail: ***@***

with a copy to: Kathy Leo, General Counsel

E-mail: ***@***

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association– DAPS REORG, N9300-070

600 South 4th Street, 7th Floor

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Attention: Corporate Trust Services

Phone No.: (800) 344-5128

Facsimile No.: (866) 969-1290

Email: ***@***

Re: 7.500% Senior Notes due 2025

Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of April 13, 2017 (the “Indenture”), among (a) Chobani, LLC, as Issuer, (b) Chobani Finance Corporation, Inc., as Co-Issuer, (c) Chobani Global Holdings, LLC, as Parent Guarantor, (d) the Subsidiary Guarantors named therein, and (e) the Trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Indenture.

                          (the “Owner”) owns and proposes to exchange the Note[s] or interest in such Note[s] specified herein, in the principal amount of $         in such Note[s] or interests (the “Exchange”). In connection with the Exchange, the Owner hereby certifies that:

1) EXCHANGE OF RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES OR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN A RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE FOR UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES OR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN AN UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE OF THE SAME SERIES

a) [    ] CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN A RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE TO BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN AN UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE OF THE SAME SERIES. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note of the same series in an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

 

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b) [    ] CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN A RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE TO UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE OF THE SAME SERIES. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for an Unrestricted Definitive Note of the same series, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Restricted Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the Definitive Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

c) [    ] CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE TO BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN AN UNRESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE OF THE SAME SERIES. In connection with the Owner’s Exchange of a Restricted Definitive Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note of the same series, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the beneficial interest is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

d) [    ] CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE TO UNRESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE OF THE SAME SERIES. In connection with the Owner’s Exchange of a Restricted Definitive Note for an Unrestricted Definitive Note of the same series, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the Unrestricted Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the Unrestricted Definitive Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

2) EXCHANGE OF RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES OR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES FOR RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES OF THE SAME SERIES OR BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES OF THE SAME SERIES

a) [    ] CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN A RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE TO RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE OF THE SAME SERIES. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for a Restricted Definitive Note of the same series with an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies that the Restricted Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer. Upon consummation of the proposed Exchange in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the Restricted Definitive Note issued will continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Definitive Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

 

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b)     [    ] CHECK IF EXCHANGE IS FROM RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTE TO BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN A RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTE OF THE SAME SERIES. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s Restricted Definitive Note for a beneficial interest in the [CHECK ONE]:

[    ] 144A Global Note, or

[    ] Regulation S Global Note

in each case of the same series, with an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer and (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Restricted Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, and in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States. Upon consummation of the proposed Exchange in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the beneficial interest issued will be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the relevant Restricted Global Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

This certificate and the statements contained herein are made for your benefit and the benefit of the Issuers and are dated

 

[Insert Name of Transferor]

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

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EXHIBIT D

FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

TO BE DELIVERED BY SUBSEQUENT GUARANTORS

[                         ] Supplemental Indenture (this “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of [                     ], among [                ] (the “Guaranteeing Subsidiary”), a subsidiary of Chobani, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Issuer”), and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association, as trustee (the “Trustee”).

W I T N E S S E T H

WHEREAS, the Issuer and Chobani Finance Corporation, Inc. have heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an Indenture (as amended, supplemented or modified from time to time, the “Indenture”), dated as of April 13, 2017, providing for the issuance of an unlimited aggregate principal amount of 7.500% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “Notes”);

WHEREAS, the Indenture provides that under certain circumstances the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall unconditionally guarantee all of the Issuers’ Obligations under the Notes and the Indenture on the terms and conditions set forth herein and under the Indenture (the “Guarantee”); and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders as follows:

(1) Capitalized Terms. Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

(2) Agreement to Guarantee. The Guaranteeing Subsidiary acknowledges that it has received and reviewed a copy of the Indenture and all other documents it deems necessary to review in order to enter into this Supplemental Indenture and (i) hereby joins and becomes a party to the Indenture as indicated by its signature below as a Guarantor and (ii) acknowledges and agrees to (x) be bound by the Indenture as a Guarantor and (y) perform all obligations and duties required of a Guarantor pursuant to the Indenture.

(3) No Recourse Against Others. No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, member, partner or equity holder of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or any Guarantor or any Parent Company will have any liability for any obligations of the Issuer or the Co-Issuer or the Guarantors under the Notes, the Guarantees, the Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting Notes waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

(4) Governing Law. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WILL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

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(5) Counterparts. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in multiple counterparts, which, when taken together, shall constitute one instrument. The exchange of copies of this Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic (by ‘.pdf’ or other format) transmissions shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronically (by ‘.pdf’ or other format) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

(6) Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

(7) The Trustee. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture or for or in respect of the recitals contained herein, all of which recitals are made solely by the Guaranteeing Subsidiary.

(8) Benefits Acknowledged. Upon execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture the Guaranteeing Subsidiary will be subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Indenture. The Guaranteeing Subsidiary acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the financing arrangements contemplated by the Indenture and this Supplemental Indenture and that its obligations as a result of this Supplemental Indenture are knowingly made in contemplation of such benefits.

(9)Successors. All agreements of the Guaranteeing Subsidiary in this Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successors, except as otherwise provided in this Supplemental Indenture. All agreements of the Trustee in this Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successors.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the date first above written.

 

[GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY]

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

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