Trust Deed for U.S.$5,000,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note Programme among Countrywide Financial Corporation, Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., and Deutsche Trustee Company Limited (15 August 2005)
This agreement is a trust deed between Countrywide Financial Corporation (the issuer), Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (the guarantor), and Deutsche Trustee Company Limited (the trustee). It establishes a $5 billion Euro Medium Term Note Programme, under which Countrywide may issue notes guaranteed by Countrywide Home Loans. The trustee acts on behalf of noteholders, ensuring compliance and managing payments. The deed outlines the rights and obligations of all parties, including guarantees, payment procedures, and the trustee’s powers. The agreement is governed by English law and includes provisions for appointing new trustees and handling defaults.

U.S.$5,000,000,000
Euro Medium Term Note Programme
Clause | Page | |||||
1. | Definitions | 1 | ||||
2. | Amount and Issue of the Notes | 9 | ||||
3. | Forms of the Notes | 11 | ||||
4. | Fees, Duties and Taxes | 13 | ||||
5. | Covenant of Compliance | 13 | ||||
6. | Cancellation of Notes and Records | 13 | ||||
7. | Guarantee | 15 | ||||
8. | Non-Payment | 16 | ||||
9. | Proceedings, Action and Indemnification | 16 | ||||
10. | Application of Moneys | 17 | ||||
11. | Notice of Payments | 17 | ||||
12. | Investment by Trustee | 17 | ||||
13. | Partial Payments | 18 | ||||
14. | Covenants by the Issuer and the Guarantor | 18 | ||||
15. | Remuneration and Indemnification of Trustee | 23 | ||||
16. | Supplement to Trustee Acts | 24 | ||||
17. | Trustees Liability | 29 | ||||
18. | Trustee Contracting with the Issuer and the Guarantor | 29 | ||||
19. | Waiver, Authorisation and Determination | 30 | ||||
Modification | 30 | |||||
Breach | 30 | |||||
Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Transfer | 30 | |||||
20. | Holder of Definitive Note assumed to be Receiptholder and Couponholder | 32 | ||||
21. | Currency Indemnity | 32 | ||||
22. | New Trustee | 32 | ||||
23. | Trustees Retirement and Removal | 33 | ||||
24. | Trustees Powers to be Additional | 33 | ||||
25. | Notices | 34 | ||||
26. | Governing Law | 34 | ||||
27. | Submission to Jurisdiction | 34 | ||||
28. | Counterparts | 35 | ||||
29. | Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 | 35 | ||||
Schedule | ||||||
1. | Terms and Conditions of the Notes | 36 | ||||
2. | Forms of Global and Definitive Notes, Receipt, Coupon, Talon and Certificate | 62 | ||||
Part 1 Form of Temporary Global Note | 62 | |||||
Part 2 Form of Permanent Global Note | 70 | |||||
Part 3 Form of Definitive Note | 78 | |||||
Part 4 Form of Receipt | 82 | |||||
Part 5 Form of Coupon | 83 | |||||
Part 6 Form of Talon | 84 | |||||
Part 7 Form of Certificate to be Presented by Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg | 86 | |||||
3. | Provisions for Meetings of Noteholders | 90 | ||||
Signatories | 98 |
(1) | COUNTRYWIDE FINANCIAL CORPORATION, a company incorporated with limited liability in the State of Delaware, whose principal office is at 4500 Park Granada, Calabasas, California 91302, United States of America the Issuer); | |
(2) | COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, INC., a company incorporated with limited liability in the State of New York, whose principal office is at 4500 Park Granada aforesaid the Guarantor); and | |
(3) | DEUTSCHE TRUSTEE COMPANY LIMITED, a company incorporated with limited liability in England and Wales, whose registered office is at Winchester House, 1 Great Winchester Street, London EC2N 2DB, England (the Trustee, which expression shall, wherever the context so admits, include such company and all other persons or companies for the time being the trustee or trustees of these presents) as trustee for the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders (each as defined below). |
(1) | By resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Issuer passed on 19-20 August 2005, the Issuer has resolved to establish a Euro Medium Term Note Programme unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by the Guarantor (the Programme) pursuant to which the Issuer may from time to time issue Notes as set out herein. Notes up to a maximum nominal amount (calculated in accordance with Clause 3(5) of the Programme Agreement (as defined below)) from time to time outstanding of U.S.$5,000,000,000 (subject to increase as provided in the Programme Agreement) (the Programme Limit) may be issued by the Issuer pursuant to the said Programme. | |
(2) | By resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Guarantor passed on 14 April 2005, the Guarantor has resolved to guarantee all Notes issued under the said Programme and to enter into certain covenants as set out in this Trust Deed. | |
(3) | The Trustee has agreed to act as trustee of these presents for the benefit of the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders upon and subject to the terms and conditions of these presents. |
1. | DEFINITIONS |
(A) | In these presents, unless there is anything in the subject or context inconsistent therewith, the following expressions shall have the following meanings: | |
Agency Agreement means the agreement dated 15 August 2005, as amended and/or supplemented and/or restated from time to time, pursuant to which the Issuer and the Guarantor have appointed the Agent and the other Paying Agents in relation to all or any Series of the Notes and any other agreement for the time being in force appointing another Agent or further or other Paying Agents in relation to all or any Series of the Notes, or in connection with their duties, the terms of which have previously been approved in writing by the Trustee, together with any agreement for the time being in force amending or modifying with the prior written approval of the Trustee any of the aforesaid agreements; | ||
Agent means, in relation to all or any Series of the Notes, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch a corporation domiciled in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, operating in the United Kingdom under branch number HR000005, acting through its London branch at Winchester House, 1 Great |
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Winchester Street, London EC2N 2DB and hereinafter referred to as Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, or, if applicable, any Successor agent in relation thereto which shall become such pursuant to the provisions of the Agency Agreement; | ||
Appointee means any attorney, manager, agent, delegate or other person appointed by the Trustee under these presents; | ||
Auditors means the auditors for the time being of the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor or, in the event of their being unable or unwilling promptly to carry out any action requested of them pursuant to the provisions of these presents, such other firm of accountants as may be nominated or approved by the Trustee for the purposes of these presents; | ||
Calculation Agent means, in relation to all or any Series of the Notes, the person appointed as such from time to time pursuant to the provisions of the Agency Agreement or, if applicable, any Successor calculation agent in relation thereto which shall become such pursuant to the provisions of the Agency Agreement; | ||
Clearstream, Luxembourg means Clearstream Banking, société anonyme; | ||
Conditions means, in relation to the Notes of any Series, the terms and conditions endorsed on or incorporated by reference into the Note or Notes constituting such Series, such terms and conditions being in or substantially in the form set out in Schedule 1 or in such other form, having regard to the terms of issue of the Notes of the relevant Series, as may be agreed between the Issuer, the Agent, the Trustee and the relevant Dealer(s) as modified and supplemented by the Final Terms applicable to the Notes of the relevant Series, in each case as from time to time modified in accordance with the provisions of these presents; | ||
Couponholders means the several persons who are for the time being holders of the Coupons and includes, where applicable, the Talonholders; | ||
Coupon means an interest coupon appertaining to a Definitive Note (other than a Zero Coupon Note), such coupon being: |
(i) | if appertaining to a Fixed Rate Note, in the form or substantially in the form set out in Part 5 A of Schedule 2 or in such other form, having regard to the terms of issue of the Notes of the relevant Series, as may be agreed between the Issuer, the Agent, the Trustee and the relevant Dealer(s); or | ||
(ii) | if appertaining to a Floating Rate Note or an Indexed Interest Note, in the form or substantially in the form set out in Part 5 B of Schedule 2 or in such other form, having regard to the terms of issue of the Notes of the relevant Series, as may be agreed between the Issuer, the Agent, the Trustee and the relevant Dealer(s); or | ||
(iii) | if appertaining to a Definitive Note which is neither a Fixed Rate Note nor a Floating Rate Note nor an Indexed Interest Note, in such form as may be agreed between the Issuer, the Agent, the Trustee and the relevant Dealer(s), |
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(i) | the date which falls the number of months or other period specified as the Specified Period in the applicable Final Terms after the preceding Interest Payment Date or the Interest Commencement Date (in the case of the first Interest Payment Date); or | ||
(ii) | such date or dates as are indicated in the applicable Final Terms; |
(i) | has such maturity as may be agreed between the Issuer and the relevant Dealer(s), subject to such minimum or maximum maturity as may be allowed or required from time to time by the relevant central bank (or equivalent body) or any laws or regulations applicable to the Issuer or the relevant currency; and | ||
(ii) | has such denomination as may be agreed between the Issuer and the relevant Dealer(s), subject to such minimum denomination as may be allowed or required from time to time by the relevant central bank (or equivalent body) or any laws or regulations applicable to the relevant currency, |
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(a) | those Notes which have been redeemed pursuant to these presents; | ||
(b) | those Notes in respect of which the date for redemption in accordance with the Conditions has occurred and the redemption moneys (including all interest payable thereon) have been duly paid to the Trustee or to the Agent in the manner provided in the Agency Agreement (and where appropriate notice to that effect has been given to the relative Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13) and remain available for payment against presentation of the relevant Notes and/or Receipts and/or Coupons; | ||
(c) | those Notes which have been purchased and cancelled in accordance with Conditions 6(h) and 6(i); | ||
(d) | those Notes which have become void under Condition 8; | ||
(e) | those mutilated or defaced Notes which have been surrendered and cancelled and in respect of which replacements have been issued pursuant to Condition 10; | ||
(f) | (for the purpose only of ascertaining the nominal amount of the Notes outstanding and without prejudice to the status for any other purpose of the relevant Notes) those Notes which are alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed and in respect of which replacements have been issued pursuant to Condition 10; and | ||
(g) | any Temporary Global Note to the extent that it shall have been exchanged for Definitive Notes or a Permanent Global Note and any Permanent Global Note to the extent that it shall |
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have been exchanged for Definitive Notes in each case pursuant to its provisions, the provisions of these presents and the Agency Agreement; |
(i) | the right to attend and vote at any meeting of the holders of the Notes of any Series; | ||
(ii) | the determination of how many and which Notes of any Series are for the time being outstanding for the purposes of Clause 9(A), Conditions 9 and 14 and paragraphs 2, 5, 6 and 9 of Schedule 3; | ||
(iii) | any discretion, power or authority (whether contained in these presents or vested by operation of law) which the Trustee is required, expressly or impliedly, to exercise in or by reference to the interests of the holders of the Notes of any Series; and | ||
(iv) | the determination by the Trustee whether any event, circumstance, matter or thing is, in its opinion, materially prejudicial to the interests of the holders of the Notes of any Series, |
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(B) | (i) | All references in these presents to principal and/or principal amount and/or interest in respect of the Notes or to any moneys payable by the Issuer and/or the Guarantor under these presents shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed in accordance with Condition 5(d). |
(ii) | All references in these presents to any statute or any provision of any statute shall be deemed also to refer to any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof or any statutory instrument, order or regulation made thereunder or under any such modification or re-enactment. | ||
(iii) | All references in these presents to guarantees or to an obligation being guaranteed shall be deemed to include respectively references to indemnities or to an indemnity being given in respect thereof. | ||
(vi) | All references in these presents to any action, remedy or method of proceeding for the enforcement of the rights of creditors shall be deemed to include, in respect of any jurisdiction other than England, references to such action, remedy or method of proceeding for the enforcement of the rights of creditors available or appropriate in such jurisdiction as shall most nearly approximate to such action, remedy or method of proceeding described or referred to in these presents. | ||
(v) | All references in these presents to Euroclear and/or Clearstream, Luxembourg shall, whenever the context so permits, be deemed to include references to any additional or alternative clearing system as is approved by the Issuer, the Agent and the Trustee. | ||
(vi) | Unless the context otherwise requires words or expressions used in these presents shall bear the same meanings as in the Companies Act 1985 of Great Britain. | ||
(vii) | In this Trust Deed references to Schedules, Clauses, subclauses, paragraphs and subparagraphs shall be construed as references to the Schedules to this Trust Deed and to the Clauses, subclauses, paragraphs and subparagraphs of this Trust Deed respectively. | ||
(viii) | In these presents tables of contents and Clause headings are included for ease of reference and shall not affect the construction of these presents. |
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(C) | Words and expressions defined in these presents or the Agency Agreement or used in the applicable Final Terms shall have the same meanings where used herein unless the context otherwise requires or unless otherwise stated and provided that, in the event of inconsistency between the Agency Agreement and these presents, these presents shall prevail and, in the event of inconsistency between the Agency Agreement or these presents and the applicable Final Terms, the applicable Final Terms shall prevail. | |
(D) | All references in these presents to the relevant currency shall be construed as references to the currency in which payments in respect of the Notes and/or Receipts and/or Coupons of the relevant Series are to be made as indicated in the applicable Final Terms. | |
(E) | All references in these presents to listing and listed shall include references to quotation and quoted respectively. |
2. | AMOUNT AND ISSUE OF THE NOTES |
(A) | Amount of the Notes, Final Terms and Legal Opinions: | |
The Notes will be issued in Series in an aggregate nominal amount from time to time outstanding not exceeding the Programme Limit from time to time and for the purpose of determining such aggregate nominal amount Clause 3(5) of the Programme Agreement shall apply. | ||
By not later than 3.00 p.m. (London time) on the London Business Day preceding each proposed Issue Date, the Issuer shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee a copy of the applicable Final Terms and shall notify the Trustee in writing without delay of the relevant Issue Date and the nominal amount of the Notes to be issued. Upon the issue of the relevant Notes, such Notes shall become constituted by these presents without further formality. | ||
Before the first issue of Notes occurring after each anniversary of this Trust Deed and on such other occasions as the Trustee so requests (on the basis that the Trustee considers it necessary in view of a change (or proposed change) in applicable law affecting the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor, these presents, the Programme Agreement or the Agency Agreement, or the Trustee has other grounds), the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor will procure that (a) further legal opinion(s) (relating, if applicable, to any such change or proposed change) in such form and with such content as the Trustee may require from the legal advisers specified in the Programme Agreement or such other legal advisers as the Trustee may require is/are delivered to the Trustee. Whenever such a request is made with respect to any Notes to be issued, the receipt of such opinion in a form satisfactory to the Trustee shall be a further condition precedent to the issue of those Notes. |
(B) | Covenant to repay principal and to pay interest: | |
The Issuer covenants with the Trustee that it will, as and when the Notes of any Series or any of them or any instalment of principal in respect thereof becomes due to be redeemed in accordance with the Conditions, unconditionally pay or procure to be paid to or to the order of the Trustee in the relevant currency in immediately available funds the principal amount in respect of the Notes of such Series or the amount of such instalment becoming due for redemption on that date and (except in the case of Zero Coupon Notes) shall (subject to the provisions of the Conditions) in the meantime and until redemption in full of the Notes of such Series (both before and after any judgment or other order of a court of competent jurisdiction) unconditionally pay or procure to be paid to or to the order of the Trustee as aforesaid interest (which shall accrue from day to day) on the nominal amount of the Notes outstanding of such Series at rates and/or in amounts calculated from time to time in accordance with, or specified in, and on the dates provided for in, the Conditions (subject to Clause 2(D)) PROVIDED THAT: |
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(i) | every payment of principal or interest or other sum due in respect of the Notes made to or to the order of the Agent in the manner provided in the Agency Agreement shall be in satisfaction pro tanto of the relative covenant by the Issuer in this Clause contained in relation to the Notes of such Series, except to the extent that there is a default in the subsequent payment thereof in accordance with the Conditions to the relevant Noteholders, Receiptholders or Couponholders (as the case may be); | ||
(ii) | in the case of any payment of principal made to the Trustee or the Agent after the due date or on or after accelerated maturity following an Event of Default, interest shall (subject, where applicable, as provided in the Conditions) continue to accrue on the nominal amount of the relevant Notes (except in the case of Zero Coupon Notes to which the provisions of Condition 6(j) shall apply) (both before and after any judgment or other order of a court of competent jurisdiction) at the rates aforesaid (or, if higher, the rate of interest on judgment debts for the time being provided by English law) up to and including the date which the Trustee determines to be the date on and after which payment is to be made in respect thereof, as stated in a notice given to the holders of such Notes (such date to be not later than seven days after the day on which the whole of such principal amount, together with an amount equal to the interest which has accrued and is to accrue pursuant to this proviso up to and including that date, has been received by the Trustee or the Agent); and | ||
(iii) | in any case where payment of the whole or any part of the principal amount of any Note is improperly withheld or refused upon due presentation thereof (other than in circumstances contemplated by (ii) above) interest shall accrue on the nominal amount of such Note (except in the case of Zero Coupon Notes to which the provisions of Condition 6(j) shall apply) payment of which has been so withheld or refused (both before and after any judgment or other order of a court of competent jurisdiction) at the rates aforesaid (or, if higher, the rate of interest on judgment debts for the time being provided by English law) from the date of such withholding or refusal until the date on which, upon further presentation of the relevant Note, payment of the full amount (including interest as aforesaid) in the relevant currency payable in respect of such Note is made or (if earlier) the seventh day after notice is given to the relevant Noteholder(s) (whether individually or in accordance with Condition 13) that the full amount (including interest as aforesaid) in the relevant currency in respect of such Note is available for payment, provided that, upon further presentation thereof being duly made, such payment is made. |
(C) | Trustees requirements regarding Paying Agents: | |
At any time after an Event of Default or a Potential Event of Default shall have occurred or the Notes of all or any Series shall otherwise have become due and repayable or the Trustee shall have received any money which it proposes to pay under Clause 10 to the relevant Noteholders, Receiptholders and/or Couponholders, the Trustee may: |
(i) | by notice in writing to the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Agent and the other Paying Agents require the Agent and the other Paying Agents pursuant to the Agency Agreement: |
(a) | to act thereafter as Agent and other Paying Agents respectively of the Trustee in relation to payments to be made by or on behalf of the Trustee under the terms of these presents mutatis mutandis on the terms provided in the Agency Agreement (save that the Trustees liability under any provisions thereof for the indemnification, remuneration and payment of out-of-pocket expenses of the Agent and the other Paying Agents shall be limited to the amounts for the time being held by the Trustee |
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on the trusts of these presents relating to the Notes of the relevant Series and available for such purpose) and thereafter to hold all Notes, Receipts and Coupons and all sums, documents and records held by them in respect of Notes, Receipts and Coupons on behalf of the Trustee; or |
(b) | to deliver up all Notes, Receipts and Coupons and all sums, documents and records held by them in respect of Notes, Receipts and Coupons to the Trustee or as the Trustee shall direct in such notice provided that such notice shall be deemed not to apply to any documents or records which the Agent or the relevant other Paying Agent is obliged not to release by any law or regulation; and |
(ii) | by notice in writing to the Issuer and the Guarantor require them to make all subsequent payments in respect of the Notes, Receipts and Coupons to or to the order of the Trustee and not to the Agent and with effect from the issue of any such notice to the Issuer and the Guarantor and until such notice is withdrawn proviso (i) to subclause (B) of this Clause relating to the Notes shall cease to have effect. |
(D) | If the Floating Rate Notes or Indexed Interest Notes of any Series become immediately due and repayable under Condition 9, the rate and/or amount of interest payable in respect of them will be calculated at the same intervals as if such Notes had not become due and repayable, the first of which will commence on the expiry of the Interest Period during which the Notes of the relevant Series become so due and repayable mutatis mutandis in accordance with the provisions of Condition 4(b) except that the rates of interest need not be published. |
(E) | Currency of payments: | |
All payments in respect of, under and in connection with these presents and the Notes of any Series to the relevant Noteholders, Receiptholders and Couponholders shall be made in the relevant currency. |
(F) | Further Notes: | |
The Issuer shall be at liberty from time to time (but subject always to the provisions of these presents) without the consent of the Noteholders, Receiptholders or Couponholders to create and issue further Notes ranking pari passu in all respects (or in all respects save for the date from which interest thereon accrues and the amount of the first payment of interest on such further Notes) and so that the same shall be consolidated and form a single series with the outstanding Notes of a particular Series. |
(G) | Separate Series: | |
The Notes of each Series shall form a separate Series of Notes and accordingly, unless for any purpose the Trustee in its absolute discretion shall otherwise determine, the provisions of this Clause and of Clauses 3 to 21 (both inclusive), 22(B) and Schedule 3 shall apply mutatis mutandis separately and independently to the Notes of each Series and in such Clauses and Schedule the expressions Notes, Noteholders, Receipts, Receiptholders, Coupons, Couponholders, Talons and Talonholders shall be construed accordingly. |
3. | FORMS OF THE NOTES |
(A) | Global Notes: |
(i) | The Notes of each Tranche will initially be represented by a Temporary Global Note which shall be exchangeable for either Definitive Notes together with, where applicable, Receipts |
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and (except in the case of Zero Coupon Notes) Coupons and, where applicable, Talons attached or a Permanent Global Note, in each case in accordance with the provisions of such Temporary Global Note. Each Permanent Global Note shall be exchangeable for Definitive Notes together with, where applicable, Receipts and (except in the case of Zero Coupon Notes) Coupons and, where applicable, Talons attached, in accordance with the provisions of such Permanent Global Note. | |||
All Global Notes shall be prepared, completed and delivered to a common depositary for Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg in accordance with the provisions of the Programme Agreement or to another appropriate depositary in accordance with any other agreement between the Issuer and the relevant Dealer(s) and, in each case, the Agency Agreement and these presents. |
(ii) | Each Temporary Global Note shall be printed or typed in the form or substantially in the form set out in Part 1 of Schedule 2 and may be a facsimile. Each Temporary Global Note shall have annexed thereto a copy of the applicable Final Terms and shall be signed manually or in facsimile by two persons duly authorised by the Issuer on behalf of the Issuer and shall be authenticated by or on behalf of the Agent. Each Temporary Global Note so executed and authenticated shall be a binding and valid obligation of the Issuer and title thereto shall pass by delivery. | ||
(iii) | Each Permanent Global Note shall be printed or typed in the form or substantially in the form set out in Part 2 of Schedule 2 and may be a facsimile. Each Permanent Global Note shall have annexed thereto a copy of the applicable Final Terms and shall be signed manually or in facsimile by two persons duly authorised by the Issuer on behalf of the Issuer and shall be authenticated by or on behalf of the Agent. Each Permanent Global Note so executed and authenticated shall be a binding and valid obligation of the Issuer and title thereto shall pass by delivery. |
(B) | Definitive Notes: |
(i) | The Definitive Notes, the Receipts, the Coupons and the Talons shall be to bearer in the respective forms or substantially in the respective forms set out in Parts 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively, of Schedule 2. The Definitive Notes, the Receipts, the Coupons and the Talons shall be serially numbered and, if listed or quoted, shall be security printed in accordance with the requirements (if any) from time to time of the relevant Stock Exchange and the relevant Conditions shall be incorporated by reference (where applicable to these presents) into such Definitive Notes if permitted by the relevant Stock Exchange (if any), or, if not so permitted, the Definitive Notes shall be endorsed with or have attached thereto the relevant Conditions, and, in either such case, the Definitive Notes shall have endorsed thereon or attached thereto a copy of the applicable Final Terms (or the relevant provisions thereof). Title to the Definitive Notes, the Receipts, the Coupons and the Talons shall pass by delivery. |
(ii) | The Definitive Notes shall be signed manually or in facsimile by two persons duly authorised by the Issuer on behalf of the Issuer and shall be authenticated by or on behalf of the Agent. The Definitive Notes so executed and authenticated, and the Receipts, the Coupons and Talons, upon execution and authentication of the relevant Definitive Notes, shall be binding and valid obligations of the Issuer. The Receipts, the Coupons and the Talons shall not be signed. No Definitive Note and none of the Receipts, Coupons or Talons appertaining to such Definitive Note shall be binding or valid until such Definitive Note shall have been executed and authenticated as aforesaid. |
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(C) | Facsimile Signatures: | |
The Issuer may use the facsimile signature of any person who at the date such signature is affixed to a Note is duly authorised by the Issuer notwithstanding that at the time of issue of any of the Notes, he may have ceased for any reason to be so authorised. |
(D) | Persons to be treated as Noteholders: | |
Except as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction or as required by law, the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee, the Agent and the other Paying Agents (notwithstanding any notice to the contrary and whether or not it is overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or writing thereon or notice of any previous loss or theft thereof) may (i) for the purpose of making payment thereon or on account thereof, deem and treat the bearer of any Global Note, Definitive Note, Receipt, Coupon or Talon and of all rights thereunder as the absolute owner thereof free from all encumbrances, and shall not be required to obtain proof of such ownership or as to the identity of the bearer and (ii) for all other purposes deem and treat: |
(a) | the bearer of any Definitive Note, Receipt, Coupon or Talon; and | ||
(b) | each person for the time being shown in the records of Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg or such other additional or alternative clearing system approved by the Issuer, the Agent and the Trustee, as having a particular nominal amount of Notes credited to his securities account, |
4. | FEES, DUTIES AND TAXES | |
The Issuer will pay any stamp, issue, registration, documentary and other fees, duties and taxes, including interest and penalties, payable on or in connection with (i) the execution and delivery of these presents (ii) the constitution and original issue of the Notes, the Receipts and the Coupons and (iii) any action taken by or on behalf of the Trustee or (where permitted under these presents so to do) any Noteholder, Receiptholder or Couponholder to enforce, or to resolve any doubt concerning, or for any other purpose in relation to, these presents. |
5. | COVENANT OF COMPLIANCE | |
Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor covenants with the Trustee that it will comply with and perform and observe all the provisions of these presents which are expressed to be binding on it. The Conditions shall be binding on the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders. The Trustee shall be entitled to enforce the obligations of the Issuer and the Guarantor under the Notes, the Receipts and the Coupons as if the same were set out and contained in this Trust Deed, which shall be read and construed as one document with the Notes, the Receipts and the Coupons. The Trustee shall hold the benefit of this covenant upon trust for itself and the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders according to its and their respective interests. |
6. | CANCELLATION OF NOTES AND RECORDS |
(A) | The Issuer shall use all reasonable endeavours to procure that all Notes (i) redeemed or (ii) purchased for cancellation by or on behalf of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other Subsidiary of the Issuer or (iii) which, being mutilated or defaced, have been surrendered and replaced pursuant to |
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Condition 10 (together in each case, in the case of Definitive Notes, with all unmatured Receipts and Coupons attached thereto or delivered therewith) and, in the case of Definitive Notes all relative Receipts and Coupons paid in accordance with the relevant Conditions or which, being mutilated or defaced, have been surrendered and replaced pursuant to Condition 10 shall forthwith be cancelled by or on behalf of the Issuer and a certificate stating: |
(a) | the aggregate nominal amount of Notes which have been redeemed and the amounts paid in respect thereof and the aggregate amounts in respect of Receipts and Coupons which have been paid; | ||
(b) | the serial numbers of such Notes in definitive form and Receipts; | ||
(c) | the total numbers (where applicable, of each denomination) by maturity date of such Receipts and Coupons; | ||
(d) | the aggregate amount of interest paid (and the due dates of such payments) on Global Notes; | ||
(e) | the aggregate nominal amount of Notes (if any) which have been purchased by or on behalf of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other Subsidiary of the Issuer and cancelled and the serial numbers of such Notes in definitive form and, in the case of Definitive Notes, the total number (where applicable, of each denomination) by maturity date of the Receipts, Coupons and Talons attached thereto or surrendered therewith; | ||
(f) | the aggregate nominal amounts of Notes and Receipts and the aggregate amounts in respect of Coupons which have been so exchanged or surrendered and replaced and the serial numbers of such Notes in definitive form and the total number (where applicable, of each denomination) by maturity date of such Coupons and Talons; | ||
(g) | the total number (where applicable, of each denomination) by maturity date of the unmatured Coupons missing from Definitive Notes bearing interest at a fixed rate which have been redeemed or exchanged or surrendered and replaced and the serial numbers of the Definitive Notes to which such missing unmatured Coupons appertained; and | ||
(h) | the total number (where applicable, of each denomination) by maturity date of Talons which have been exchanged for further Coupons |
(B) | The Issuer shall use all reasonable endeavours to procure (i) that the Agent shall keep a full and complete record of all Notes, Receipts, Coupons and Talons issued by it (other than serial numbers of Receipts and Coupons) and of their redemption, purchase by or on behalf of the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other Subsidiary of the Issuer and of all replacement notes, receipts, coupons or talons issued in substitution for lost, stolen, mutilated, defaced or destroyed Notes, Receipts, Coupons or Talons and (ii) that such records shall be made available to the Trustee at all reasonable times. |
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7. | GUARANTEE |
(A) | The Guarantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees to the Trustee the due and punctual payment in accordance with these presents of the principal of and interest on the Notes and of all other amounts payable by the Issuer under these presents. | |
(B) | If the Issuer fails, for any reason whatsoever, punctually to pay any such principal, interest or other amount, the Guarantor shall cause each and every such payment to be made as if the Guarantor instead of the Issuer were expressed to be the primary obligor of the relevant Note, Receipt or Coupon and not merely as surety (but without affecting the Issuers obligations) to the intent that the holder thereof shall receive the same amounts in respect of principal, interest or such other amount as would have been receivable had such payments been made by the Issuer. | |
(C) | If any payment received by the Trustee or any Noteholder, Receiptholder or Couponholder pursuant to the provisions of these presents in relation to the Notes, the Receipts or the Coupons shall (whether on the subsequent bankruptcy, insolvency or corporate reorganisation of the Issuer or, without limitation, on any other event) be avoided or set aside for any reason, such payment shall not be considered as discharging or diminishing the liability of the Guarantor and this guarantee shall continue to apply as if such payment had at all times remained owing by the Issuer and the Guarantor shall indemnify the Trustee and the Noteholders and/or Receiptholders and/or Couponholders (as the case may be) in respect thereof PROVIDED THAT the obligations of the Issuer and/or the Guarantor under this subclause shall, as regards each payment made to the Trustee or any Noteholder, Receiptholder or Couponholder which is avoided or set aside, be contingent upon such payment being reimbursed to the Issuer or other persons entitled through the Issuer. | |
(D) | The Guarantor hereby agrees that its obligations hereunder shall be unconditional and that the Guarantor shall be fully liable irrespective of the validity, regularity, legality or enforceability against the Issuer of, or of any defence or counter-claim whatsoever available to the Issuer in relation to, its obligations under these presents, whether or not any action has been taken to enforce the same or any judgment obtained against the Issuer, whether or not any of the other provisions of these presents have been modified, whether or not any time, indulgence, waiver, authorisation or consent has been granted to the Issuer by or on behalf of the Noteholders or the Receiptholders or Couponholders or the Trustee, whether or not any determination has been made by the Trustee pursuant to Clause 19(A), whether or not there have been any dealings or transactions between the Issuer, any of the Noteholders, Receiptholders or Couponholders or the Trustee, whether or not the Issuer has been dissolved, liquidated, merged, consolidated, bankrupted or has changed its status, functions, control or ownership, whether or not the Issuer has been prevented from making payment by foreign exchange provisions applicable at its place of registration or incorporation and whether or not any other circumstances have occurred which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge of or defence to a guarantor. Accordingly, the validity of this guarantee shall not be affected by reason of any invalidity, irregularity, illegality or unenforceability of all or any of the obligations of the Issuer under these presents and this guarantee shall not be discharged nor shall the liability of the Guarantor under these presents be affected by any act, thing or omission or means whatever whereby its liability would not have been discharged if it had been the principal debtor. | |
(E) | Without prejudice to the provisions of Clause 9(A), the Trustee may determine from time to time whether or not it will enforce this guarantee which it may do without making any demand of or taking any proceedings against the Issuer (as appropriate) and may from time to time make any arrangement or compromise with the Guarantor in relation to this guarantee which the Trustee may consider expedient in the interests of the Noteholders, Receiptholders or Couponholders. | |
(F) | The Guarantor hereby waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of dissolution, liquidation, merger or bankruptcy of the Issuer, any right to require a proceeding first against the Issuer, protest or notice with respect to the Notes, Receipts or Coupons |
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(G) | If any moneys shall become payable by the Guarantor under this guarantee the Guarantor shall not, so long as the same remain unpaid, without the prior written consent of the Trustee: |
(i) | in respect of any amounts paid by it under this guarantee, exercise any rights of subrogation or contribution or, without limitation, any other right or remedy which may accrue to it in respect of or as a result of any such payment; or | ||
(ii) | in respect of any other moneys for the time being due to the Guarantor by the Issuer, claim payment thereof or exercise any other right or remedy; |
(H) | The obligations of the Guarantor under these presents constitute direct, unconditional, unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the Guarantor and (save for certain obligations required to be preferred by law) rank and will rank pari passu with all other unsecured obligations (other than subordinated obligations, if any) of the Guarantor, from time to time outstanding. |
8. | NON-PAYMENT |
(A) | Proof that as regards any specified Note, Receipt or Coupon the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor has made default in paying any amount due in respect of such Note, Receipt or Coupon shall (unless the contrary be proved) be sufficient evidence that the same default has been made as regards all other Notes, Receipts or Coupons (as the case may be) in respect of which the relevant amount is due and payable. | |
(B) | References in provisos (ii) and (iii) to Clause 2(B) and the provisions of any trust deed supplemental to this Trust Deed corresponding to provisos (ii) and (iii) to Clause 2(B) to the rates aforesaid shall, in the event of the Notes having become due and repayable, with effect from the expiry of the interest period during which such Notes become due and repayable, be construed as references to rates of interest calculated mutatis mutandis in accordance with the Conditions except that no notices need be published in respect thereof. |
9. | PROCEEDINGS, ACTION AND INDEMNIFICATION |
(A) | The Trustee shall not be bound to take any proceedings mentioned in Condition 9 or any other action in relation to these presents unless respectively directed or requested to do so (i) by an Extraordinary Resolution or (ii) in writing by the holders of at least one-quarter in nominal amount of the Notes |
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then outstanding and in either case then only if it shall be indemnified and/or secured to its satisfaction against all Liabilities to which it may thereby render itself liable or which it may incur by so doing. |
(B) | Only the Trustee may enforce the provisions of these presents. No Noteholder, Receiptholder or Couponholder shall be entitled to proceed directly against the Issuer or the Guarantor to enforce the performance of any of the provisions of these presents unless the Trustee having become bound as aforesaid to take proceedings fails to do so within a reasonable period and such failure is continuing. |
10. | APPLICATION OF MONEYS | |
All moneys received by the Trustee under these presents from the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor (including any moneys which represent principal or interest in respect of Notes, Receipts or Coupons which have become void under Condition 8) shall, unless and to the extent attributable, in the opinion of the Trustee, to a particular Series of the Notes, be apportioned pari passu and rateably between each Series of the Notes, and all moneys received by the Trustee under these presents from the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor to the extent attributable in the opinion of the Trustee to a particular Series of the Notes or which are apportioned to such Series as aforesaid, be held by the Trustee upon trust to apply them (subject to Clause 12): | ||
FIRST in payment or satisfaction of all amounts then due and unpaid under Clauses 15 and/or 16(J) to the Trustee and/or any Appointee; | ||
SECONDLY in or towards payment pari passu and rateably of all principal and interest then due and unpaid in respect of the Notes of that Series; | ||
THIRDLY in or towards payment pari passu and rateably of all principal and interest then due and unpaid in respect of the Notes of each other Series; and | ||
FOURTHLY in payment of the balance (if any) to the Issuer (without prejudice to, or liability in respect of, any question as to how such payment to the Issuer shall be dealt with as between the Issuer and any other person). | ||
Without prejudice to this Clause 10, if the Trustee holds any moneys which represent principal or interest in respect of Notes which have become void or in respect of which claims have been prescribed under Condition 8, the Trustee will hold such moneys on the above trusts. |
11. | NOTICE OF PAYMENTS | |
The Trustee shall give notice to the relevant Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13 of the day fixed for any payment to them under Clause 10. Such payment may be made in accordance with Condition 5 and any payment so made shall be a good discharge to the Trustee. |
12. | INVESTMENT BY TRUSTEE |
(A) | The Trustee may at its discretion and pending payment invest moneys at any time available for the payment of principal and interest on the Notes in some or one of the investments hereinafter authorised for such periods as it may consider expedient with power from time to time at the like discretion to vary such investments and to accumulate such investments and the resulting interest and other income derived therefrom. The accumulated investments shall be applied under Clause 10. All interest and other income deriving from such investments shall be applied first in payment or satisfaction of all amounts then due and unpaid under Clause 15 to the Trustee and/or any Appointee and otherwise held for the benefit of and paid to the Noteholders or the holders of the related Coupons, as the case may be. |
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(B) | Any moneys which under the trusts of these presents ought to or may be invested by the Trustee may be invested in the name or under the control of the Trustee in any investments or other assets in any part of the world, whether or not they produce income or by placing the same on deposit in the name or under the control of the Trustee at such bank or other financial institution and in such currency as the Trustee may think fit. If that bank or institution is the Trustee or a Subsidiary, holding or associated company of the Trustee, it need only account for an amount of interest equal to the amount of interest which would, at then current rates, be payable by it on such a deposit to an independent customer. The Trustee may at any time vary any such investments for or into other investments or convert any moneys so deposited into any other currency and shall not be responsible for any loss resulting from any such investments or deposits, whether due to depreciation in value, fluctuations in exchange rates or otherwise. |
13. | PARTIAL PAYMENTS | |
Upon any payment under Clause 10 (other than payment in full against surrender of a Note, Receipt or Coupon) the Note, Receipt or Coupon in respect of which such payment is made shall be produced to the Trustee or the Paying Agent by or through whom such payment is made and the Trustee shall or shall cause such Paying Agent to enface thereon a memorandum of the amount and the date of payment but the Trustee may, in any particular case, dispense with such production and enfacement upon such indemnity being given as it shall think sufficient. |
14. | COVENANTS BY THE ISSUER AND THE GUARANTOR |
(A) | The Issuer covenants with the Trustee that, so long as any of the Notes remains outstanding (or, in the case of paragraphs (viii), (ix), (xiii), (xiv), (xvi) and (xviii), so long as any of such Notes or the relative Receipts or Coupons remains liable to prescription or, in the case of subparagraph (xv), until the expiry of a period of 30 days after the Relevant Date) it shall: |
(i) | at all times carry on and conduct its affairs and procure its Subsidiaries to carry on and conduct their respective affairs in a proper and efficient manner; | ||
(ii) | give or procure to be given to the Trustee such opinions, certificates and information as it shall require and in such form as it shall require (including without limitation the procurement of all such certificates called for by the Trustee pursuant to Clause 16(C)) for the purpose of the discharge or exercise of the duties, trusts, powers, authorities and discretions vested in it under these presents or by operation of law; | ||
(iii) | cause to be prepared and certified by its Auditors in respect of each annual financial accounting period accounts in such form as will comply with all relevant legal and accounting requirements and all requirements for the time being of the relevant Stock Exchange; | ||
(iv) | at all times keep proper books of account and allow the Trustee and any person appointed by the Trustee to whom the Issuer shall have no reasonable objection free access to such books of account at all reasonable times during normal business hours; | ||
(v) | send to the Trustee (in addition to any copies to which it may be entitled as a holder of any securities of the Issuer) two copies in English of every balance sheet, profit and loss account, report, circular and notice of general meeting and every other document issued or sent to its shareholders together with any of the foregoing, and every document issued or sent to holders of securities other than its shareholders (including the Noteholders) as soon as practicable after the issue or publication thereof; |
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(vi) | forthwith give notice in writing to the Trustee of the occurrence of any Event of Default or Potential Event of Default; | ||
(vii) | give to the Trustee (a) within seven days after demand by the Trustee therefor and (b) (without the necessity for any such demand) promptly after the publication of its audited accounts in respect of each financial year commencing with the financial year ending 28 February 2006 and in any event not later than 180 days after the end of each such financial year, a certificate signed by two of its Directors, to the effect that as at a date not more than seven days before delivering such certificate (the relevant certification date) there did not exist and had not existed since the relevant certification date of the previous certificate (or in the case of the first such certificate the date hereof) any Event of Default or any Potential Event of Default (or if such exists or existed, specifying the same) and that during the period from and including the relevant certification date of the last such certificate (or in the case of the first such certificate the date hereof) to and including the relevant certification date of such certificate the Issuer has complied with all its obligations contained in these presents or (if such is not the case) specifying the respects in which it has not complied; | ||
(viii) | at all times execute and do all such further documents, acts and things as may be necessary at any time or times in the opinion of the Trustee for the purpose of discharging its functions under, or giving effect to, these presents; | ||
(ix) | at all times maintain an Agent, other Paying Agents, a Calculation Agent and Reference Banks in accordance with the Conditions; | ||
(x) | procure the Agent to notify the Trustee forthwith in the event that it does not, on or before the due date for any payment in respect of the Notes or any of them or any of the relative Receipts or Coupons, receive unconditionally pursuant to the Agency Agreement payment of the full amount in the relevant currency of the moneys payable on such due date on all such Notes, Receipts or Coupons as the case may be; | ||
(xi) | in the event of the unconditional payment to the Agent or the Trustee of any sum due in respect of the Notes or any of them or any of the relative Receipts or Coupons being made after the due date for payment thereof forthwith give or procure to be given notice to the relevant Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13 that such payment has been made; | ||
(xii) | use all reasonable endeavours to maintain the quotation or listing on the relevant Stock Exchange of those of the Notes which are quoted or listed on the relevant Stock Exchange or, if it is unable to do so having used such all reasonable endeavours, use all reasonable endeavours to obtain and maintain a quotation or listing of such Notes issued by it on such other stock exchange or exchanges or securities market or markets as the Issuer may (with the prior written approval of the Trustee) decide and shall also upon obtaining a quotation or listing of such Notes issued by it on such other stock exchange or exchanges or securities market or markets enter into a trust deed supplemental to this Trust Deed to effect such consequential amendments to these presents as the Trustee may require or as shall be requisite to comply with the requirements of any such stock exchange or securities market provided that the Issuer shall not be obliged to maintain any listing of the Notes on a regulated market in the European Economic Area in circumstances where: |
(a) | a listing or admission to trading of such Notes on such regulated market in the European Economic Area would require the Issuer (1) to prepare financial statements in accordance with auditing standards other than U.S. GAAP or (2) to provide additional information and/or a report from its auditors as a result of differences between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards; or |
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(b) | the EU Financial Services Action Plan is implemented in a manner that, in the reasonable opinion of the Issuer, is unduly burdensome (as certified by the Issuer to the Trustee in a certificate signed by two Directors of the Issuer), |
(xiii) | give notice to the Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13 of any appointment, resignation or removal of any Agent, Calculation Agent, Reference Bank or other Paying Agent (other than the appointment of the initial Agent, Calculation Agent, Reference Banks and other Paying Agents) after having obtained the prior written approval of the Trustee thereto or any change of any Paying Agents or Reference Banks specified office and (except as provided by the Agency Agreement or the Conditions) at least 30 days prior to such event taking effect; PROVIDED ALWAYS THAT so long as any of the Notes, Receipts or Coupons remains liable to prescription in the case of the termination of the appointment of the Agent or the Calculation Agent no such termination shall take effect until a new Agent or Calculation Agent (as the case may be) has been appointed on terms previously approved in writing by the Trustee; | ||
(xiv) | obtain the prior written approval of the Trustee to, and promptly give to the Trustee two copies of, the form of every notice given to the holders of any Notes issued by it in accordance with Condition 13 (such approval, unless so expressed, not to constitute approval for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the FSMA) of a communication within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA); | ||
(xv) | if payments of principal or interest in respect of the Notes or relative Receipts or Coupons by the Issuer shall become subject generally to the taxing jurisdiction of any territory or any political sub-division or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax other than or in addition to the United States of America or any political sub-division or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax, immediately upon becoming aware thereof, notify the Trustee in writing of such event and (unless the Trustee otherwise agrees) enter forthwith into a trust deed supplemental to this Trust Deed, giving to the Trustee an undertaking or covenant in form and manner satisfactory to the Trustee in terms corresponding to the terms of Condition 7 with the substitution for (or, as the case may be, the addition to) the references therein to the United States of America or any political sub-division thereof or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax of references to that other or additional territory or any political sub-division thereof or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax to whose taxing jurisdiction such payments shall have become subject as aforesaid such trust deed also (where applicable) to modify Condition 6(b) so that such Condition shall make reference to the other or additional territory, any political sub-division thereof and any authority therein or thereof having power to tax; | ||
(xvi) | comply with and perform all its obligations under the Agency Agreement and use all reasonable endeavours to procure that the Agent and the other Paying Agents comply with and perform all their respective obligations thereunder and any notice given by the Trustee pursuant to Clause 2(C)(i) and that the Calculation Agent complies with and performs all its obligations under the relative calculation agency agreement and not make any amendment or modification to such Agreement without the prior written approval of the Trustee; | ||
(xvii) | in order to enable the Trustee to ascertain the nominal amount of the Notes of each Series for the time being outstanding for any of the purposes referred to in the proviso to the definition of outstanding in Clause 1, deliver to the Trustee as soon as practicable upon being so requested in writing by the Trustee, a certificate in writing signed by two of its Directors, |
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setting out the total number and aggregate nominal amount of the Notes of each Series issued which: |
(a) | up to and including the date of such certificate have been purchased by the Issuer or any Subsidiary of the Issuer and cancelled; and | ||
(b) | are at the date of such certificate held by, for the benefit of, or on behalf of, the Issuer or any Subsidiary of the Issuer; |
(xviii) | procure its Subsidiaries to comply with all applicable provisions of Condition 6(h); | ||
(xix) | use all reasonable endeavours to procure that each of the Paying Agents makes available for inspection by Noteholders, Receiptholders and Couponholders at its specified office copies of these presents, the Agency Agreement and the then latest audited balance sheet and profit and loss account (consolidated if applicable) of the Issuer and the Guarantor; | ||
(xx) | if, in accordance with the provisions of the Conditions, interest in respect of the Notes becomes payable at the specified office of any Paying Agent in the United States of America promptly give notice thereof to the relative Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13; | ||
(xxi) | use all reasonable endeavours to procure that Euroclear and/or Clearstream, Luxembourg (as the case may be) issue(s) any document requested by the Trustee under Clause 16(U) as soon as practicable after such request; | ||
(xxii) | give prior written notice to the Trustee of any proposed redemption pursuant to Condition 6(b) or 6(c) and, if it shall have given notice to the Noteholders of its intention to redeem any Notes pursuant to Condition 6(c), duly proceed to draw (if appropriate) and redeem the relevant Notes accordingly; and | ||
(xxiii) | promptly provide the Trustee with copies of all supplements and/or amendments and/or restatements of the Programme Agreement. |
(B) | The Guarantor covenants with the Trustee that, so long as any of the Notes remains outstanding (or, in the case of paragraphs (viii) and (xvi), so long as any of such Notes or the relative Receipts or Coupons remains liable to prescription or, in the case of subparagraph (xv), until the expiry of a period of 30 days after the Relevant Date) it shall: |
(i) | at all times carry on and conduct its affairs and procure its Subsidiaries to carry on and conduct their respective affairs in a proper and efficient manner; | ||
(ii) | give or procure to be given to the Trustee such opinions, certificates and information as it shall require and in such form as it shall require (including without limitation the procurement of all such certificates called for by the Trustee pursuant to Clause 16(C)) for the purpose of the discharge or exercise of the duties, trusts, powers, authorities and discretions vested in it under these presents or by operation of law; | ||
(iii) | cause to be prepared and certified by its Auditors in respect of each annual financial accounting period accounts in such form as will comply with all relevant legal and accounting requirements and all requirements for the time being of the relevant Stock Exchange; | ||
(iv) | at all times keep proper books of account and allow the Trustee and any person appointed by the Trustee to whom the Guarantor shall have no reasonable objection free access to such books of account at all reasonable times during normal business hours; |
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(v) | send to the Trustee (in addition to any copies to which it may be entitled as a holder of any securities of the Guarantor) two copies in English of every balance sheet, profit and loss account, report, circular and notice of general meeting and every other document issued or sent to its shareholders together with any of the foregoing, and every document issued or sent to holders of securities other than its shareholders (including the Noteholders) as soon as practicable after the issue or publication thereof; | ||
(vi) | forthwith give notice in writing to the Trustee of the occurrence of any Event of Default or Potential Event of Default; | ||
(vii) | give to the Trustee (a) within seven days after demand by the Trustee therefor and (b) (without the necessity for any such demand) promptly after the publication of its audited accounts in respect of each financial year commencing with the financial year ending 28 February 2006 and in any event not later than 180 days after the end of each such financial year, a certificate signed by two of its Directors, to the effect that as at a date not more than seven days before delivering such certificate (the relevant certification date) there did not exist and had not existed since the relevant certification date of the previous certificate (or in the case of the first such certificate the date hereof) any Event of Default or any Potential Event of Default (or if such exists or existed, specifying the same) and that during the period from and including the relevant certification date of the last such certificate (or in the case of the first such certificate the date hereof) to and including the relevant certification date of such certificate the Guarantor has complied with all its obligations contained in these presents or (if such is not the case) specifying the respects in which it has not complied; | ||
(viii) | at all times execute and do all such further documents, acts and things as may be necessary at any time or times in the opinion of the Trustee for the purpose of discharging its functions under, or giving effect to, these presents; |
(ix) | if payments of principal or interest in respect of the Notes or relative Receipts or Coupons by the Guarantor shall become subject generally to the taxing jurisdiction of any territory or any political sub-division or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax, other than or in addition to the United States of America or any political sub-division or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax, immediately upon becoming aware thereof, notify the Trustee in writing of such event and (unless the Trustee otherwise agrees) enter forthwith into a trust deed supplemental to this Trust Deed, giving to the Trustee an undertaking or covenant in form and manner satisfactory to the Trustee in terms corresponding to the terms of Condition 7 with the substitution for (or, as the case may be, the addition to) the references therein to the United States of America or any political sub-division thereof or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax of references to that other or additional territory or any political sub-division thereof or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax to whose taxing jurisdiction such payments shall have become subject as aforesaid such trust deed also (where applicable) to modify Condition 6(b) so that such Condition shall make reference to the other or additional territory, any political sub-division thereof and any authority therein or thereof having power to tax; | ||
(x) | comply with and perform all its obligations under the Agency Agreement; | ||
(xi) | in order to enable the Trustee to ascertain the nominal amount of the Notes of each Series for the time being outstanding for any of the purposes referred to in the proviso to the definition of outstanding in Clause 1, deliver to the Trustee as soon as practicable upon being so requested in writing by the Trustee, a certificate in writing signed by two of its Directors, setting out the total number and aggregate nominal amount of the Notes of each Series issued which: |
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(a) | up to and including the date of such certificate have been purchased by the Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Guarantor and cancelled; and | ||
(b) | are at the date of such certificate held by, for the benefit of, or on behalf of, the Guarantor or any Subsidiary of the Guarantor; and |
(xii) | procure its Subsidiaries to comply with all applicable provisions of Condition 6(h). |
15. | REMUNERATION AND INDEMNIFICATION OF TRUSTEE |
(A) | The Issuer shall pay to the Trustee remuneration for its services as trustee of these presents such amount as shall be agreed from time to time by exchange of letters between the Issuer and the Trustee. Such remuneration shall accrue from day to day and be payable (in priority to payments to Noteholders, Receiptholders and Couponholders) up to and including the date when, all the Notes having become due for redemption, the redemption moneys and interest thereon to the date of redemption have been paid to the Agent or the Trustee PROVIDED THAT if upon due presentation of any Note, Receipt or Coupon or any cheque payment of the moneys due in respect thereof is improperly withheld or refused, remuneration will commence again to accrue until payment to such Noteholder, Receiptholder or Couponholder is duly made. | |
(B) | In the event of the occurrence of an Event of Default or a Potential Event of Default or the Trustee considering it expedient or necessary or being requested by the Issuer to undertake duties which the Trustee and the Issuer agree to be of an exceptional nature or otherwise outside the scope of the normal duties of the Trustee under these presents the Issuer shall pay to the Trustee such additional remuneration as shall be agreed between them. | |
(C) | The Issuer shall in addition pay to the Trustee an amount equal to the amount of any value added tax or similar tax chargeable in respect of its remuneration under these presents. | |
(D) | In the event of the Trustee and the Issuer failing to agree: |
(1) | (in a case to which subclause (A) above applies) upon the amount of the remuneration; or |
(2) | (in a case to which subclause (B) above applies) upon whether such duties shall be of an exceptional nature or otherwise outside the scope of the normal duties of the Trustee under these presents, or upon such additional remuneration, |
(E) | The Issuer shall also pay or discharge all Liabilities incurred by the Trustee in relation to the preparation and execution of, the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under, and in any other manner in relation to, these presents, including but not limited to, travelling expenses and any stamp, issue, registration, documentary and other taxes or duties paid or payable by the Trustee in connection with any action taken by or on behalf of the Trustee for enforcing, or resolving any doubt concerning, or for any other purpose in relation to, these presents. | |
(F) | The Issuer hereby further undertakes to the Trustee that all monies payable by the Issuer to the Trustee under this clause shall be made without set-off, counterclaim, deduction or withholding unless required by law in which event the Issuer will pay such additional amounts as will result in |
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the receipt by the Trustee of the amounts which would otherwise have been payable by the Issuer to the Trustee under this clause in the absence of any such set-off, counterclaim, deduction or withholding. |
(G) | All amounts payable pursuant to subclause (E) above and/or Clause 16(J) shall be payable by the Issuer on the date specified in a demand by the Trustee and in the case of payments actually made by the Trustee prior to such demand shall (if not paid within seven days after such demand and the Trustee so requires) carry interest at the rate of two per cent. per annum above the Base Rate from time to time of National Westminster Bank Plc from the date specified in such demand, and in all other cases shall (if not paid on the date specified in such demand or, if later, within seven days after such demand and, in either case, the Trustee so requires) carry interest at such rate from the date specified in such demand. All remuneration payable to the Trustee shall carry interest at such rate from the due date therefor. | |
(H) | Unless otherwise specifically stated in any discharge of these presents the provisions of this Clause and Clause 16(J) shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding such discharge. | |
(I) | The Trustee shall be entitled in its absolute discretion to determine in respect of which Series of Notes any Liabilities incurred under these presents have been incurred or to allocate any such Liabilities between the Notes of any Series. |
16. | SUPPLEMENT TO TRUSTEE ACTS | |
Section 1 of the Trustee Act 2000 shall not apply to the duties of the Trustee in relation to the trusts constituted by these presents. Where there are any inconsistencies between the Trustee Acts and the provisions of these presents, the provisions of these presents shall, to the extent allowed by law, prevail and, in the case of any such inconsistency with the Trustee Act 2000, the provisions of these presents shall constitute a restriction or exclusion for the purposes of that Act. The Trustee shall have all the powers conferred upon trustees by the Trustee Acts and by way of supplement thereto it is expressly declared as follows: |
(A) | The Trustee may in relation to these presents act on the advice or opinion of or any information obtained from any lawyer, valuer, accountant, surveyor, banker, broker, auctioneer or other expert whether obtained by the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee or otherwise and shall not be responsible for any Liability occasioned by so acting. | ||
(B) | Any such advice, opinion or information may be sent or obtained by letter, telex, telegram, facsimile transmission, cable or electronic mail and the Trustee shall not be liable for acting on any advice, opinion or information purporting to be conveyed by any such letter, telex, telegram, facsimile transmission or cable although the same shall contain some error or shall not be authentic. | ||
(C) | The Trustee may call for and shall be at liberty to accept as sufficient evidence of any fact or matter or the expediency of any transaction or thing, a certificate signed by any two Directors of the Issuer or by any two Directors of the Guarantor, and the Trustee shall not be bound in any such case to call for further evidence or be responsible for any Liability that may be occasioned by it or any other person acting on such certificate. | ||
(D) | The Trustee shall be at liberty to hold these presents and any other documents relating thereto or to deposit them in any part of the world with any banker or banking company or company whose business includes undertaking the safe custody of documents or lawyer or firm of lawyers considered by the Trustee to be of good repute and the Trustee shall not be responsible for or required to insure against any Liability incurred in connection with any |
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such holding or deposit and may pay all sums required to be paid on account of or in respect of any such deposit. |
(E) | The Trustee shall not be responsible for the receipt or application of the proceeds of the issue of any of the Notes by the Issuer, the exchange of any Global Note for another Global Note or Definitive Notes or the delivery of any Global Note or Definitive Notes to the person(s) entitled to it or them. | ||
(F) | The Trustee shall not be bound to give notice to any person of the execution of any documents comprised or referred to in these presents or to take any steps to ascertain whether any Event of Default or any Potential Event of Default has occurred and, until it shall have actual knowledge or express notice pursuant to these presents to the contrary, the Trustee shall be entitled to assume that no Event of Default or Potential Event of Default has occurred and that each of the Issuer and the Guarantor is observing and performing all its obligations under these presents. | ||
(G) | Save as expressly otherwise provided in these presents, the Trustee shall have absolute and uncontrolled discretion as to the exercise or non-exercise of its trusts, powers, authorities and discretions under these presents (the exercise or non-exercise of which as between the Trustee and the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and Couponholders shall be conclusive and binding on the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and Couponholders) and shall not be responsible for any Liability which may result from their exercise or non-exercise and in particular the Trustee shall not be bound to act at the request or direction of the Noteholders or otherwise under any provision of these presents or to take at such request or direction or otherwise any other action under any provision of these presents, without prejudice to the generality of subclause 9(A), unless it shall first be indemnified or secured to its satisfaction against all Liabilities to which it may render itself liable or which it may incur by so doing. | ||
(H) | The Trustee shall not be liable to any person by reason of having acted upon any Extraordinary Resolution in writing or any Extraordinary Resolution or other resolution purporting to have been passed at any meeting of the holders of Notes of all or any Series in respect whereof minutes have been made and signed or any direction or request of Noteholders even though subsequent to its acting it may be found that there was some defect in the constitution of the meeting or the passing of the resolution or (in the case of an Extraordinary Resolution in writing) that not all such holders had signed the Extraordinary Resolution or (in the case of direction or request) it was not signed by the requisite number of Noteholders or that for any reason the resolution was not valid or binding upon such holders and the relative Receiptholders and Couponholders. |
(I) | The Trustee shall not be liable to any person by reason of having accepted as valid or not having rejected any Note, Receipt or Coupon purporting to be such and subsequently found to be forged or not authentic. | ||
(J) | Without prejudice to the right of indemnity by law given to trustees, each of the Issuer and the Guarantor shall indemnify the Trustee and every Appointee and keep it or him indemnified against all Liabilities to which it or he may be or become subject or which may be incurred by it or him in the execution or purported execution of any of its or his trusts, powers, authorities and discretions under these presents or its or his functions under any such appointment or in respect of any other matter or thing done or omitted in any way relating to these presents or any such appointment. | ||
(K) | Any consent or approval given by the Trustee for the purposes of these presents may be given on such terms and subject to such conditions (if any), as the Trustee thinks fit and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these presents, may be given retrospectively. |
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The Trustee may give any consent or approval, exercise any power, authority or discretion or take any similar action (whether or not such consent, approval, power, authority, discretion or action is specifically referred to in these presents) if it is satisfied that the interests of the Noteholders will not be materially prejudiced thereby. For the avoidance of doubt, the Trustee shall not have any duty to the Noteholders in relation to such matters other than that which is contained in the preceding sentence. |
(L) | The Trustee shall not (unless and to the extent ordered so to do by a court of competent jurisdiction) be required to disclose to any Noteholder, Receiptholder or Couponholder any information (including, without limitation, information of a confidential, financial or price sensitive nature) made available to the Trustee by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other person in connection with these presents and no Holder, Receiptholder or Couponholder shall be entitled to take any action to obtain from the Trustee any such information. | ||
(M) | Where it is necessary or desirable for any purpose in connection with these presents to convert any sum from one currency to another it shall (unless otherwise provided by these presents or required by law) be converted at such rate or rates, in accordance with such method and as at such date for the determination of such rate of exchange, as may be agreed by the Trustee in consultation with the Issuer and any rate, method and date so agreed shall be binding on the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders. | ||
(N) | The Trustee as between itself and the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders may determine all questions and doubts arising in relation to any of the provisions of these presents. Every such determination, whether or not relating in whole or in part to the acts or proceedings of the Trustee, shall be conclusive and shall bind the Trustee and the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders. | ||
(O) | In connection with the exercise by it of any of its trusts, powers, authorities or discretions under these presents (including, without limitation, any modification, waiver, authorisation or determination), the Trustee shall have regard to the general interests of the Noteholders as a class but shall not have regard to any interests arising from circumstances particular to individual Noteholders, Receiptholders or Couponholders (whatever their number) and, in particular but without limitation, shall not have regard to the consequences of such exercise for individual Noteholders, Receiptholders or Couponholders (whatever their number) resulting from their being, for any purpose, domiciled or resident in, or otherwise connected with, or subject to the jurisdiction of, any particular territory or any political sub-division thereof and the Trustee shall not be entitled to require, nor shall any Noteholder, Receiptholder or Couponholder be entitled to claim, from the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee or any other person any indemnification or payment in respect of any tax consequence of any such exercise upon individual Noteholders, the Receiptholders or Couponholders except to the extent already provided for in Condition 7 and/or any undertaking given in addition thereto or in substitution therefor under these presents. | ||
(P) | Any trustee of these presents being a lawyer, accountant, broker or other person engaged in any profession or business shall be entitled to charge and be paid all usual professional and other charges properly incurred for business transacted and acts done by him or his firm in connection with the trusts of these presents and also his reasonable charges in addition to disbursements for all other work and business done and all time spent by him or his firm in connection with matters arising in connection with these presents. |
(Q) | The Trustee may whenever it thinks fit, subject to the consent of the Issuer (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) except following the occurrence of an Event of Default or a Potential Event of Default or if the Trustee has reasonable grounds to believe that an Event |
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of Default or a Potential Event of Default has occurred or is about to occur or if the Trustee has been advised by its legal advisers that such delegation is necessary in order to avoid a conflict of interest or a possible conflict of interest, in each of which cases no such consent of the Issuer as aforesaid shall be required, delegate by power of attorney or otherwise to any person or persons or fluctuating body of persons (whether being a joint trustee of these presents or not) all or any of its trusts, powers, authorities and discretions under these presents. Such delegation may be made upon such terms (including power to sub-delegate) and subject to such conditions and regulations as the Trustee may in the interests of the Noteholders think fit. Provided that the Trustee shall have exercised reasonable care in the selection of such delegate the Trustee shall not be under any obligation to supervise the proceedings or acts of any such delegate or sub-delegate or be in any way responsible for any Liability incurred by reason of any misconduct or default on the part of any such delegate or sub-delegate. The Trustee shall within a reasonable time after any such delegation or any renewal, extension or termination thereof give notice thereof to the Issuer. |
(R) | The Trustee may, after consultation with the Issuer and the Guarantor, unless, in the opinion of the Trustee, such consultation would be materially prejudicial to the interests of the Noteholders in the conduct of the trusts of these presents instead of acting personally employ and pay an agent (whether being a lawyer or other professional person) to transact or conduct, or concur in transacting or conducting, any business and to do, or concur in doing, all acts required to be done in connection with these presents (including the receipt and payment of money). Provided that the Trustee shall have exercised reasonable care in the selection of such agent the Trustee shall not be in any way responsible for any Liability incurred by reason of any misconduct or default on the part of any such agent or be bound to supervise the proceedings or acts of any such agent. The Trustee shall within a reasonable time after appointing such an agent or after any renewal, extension or termination of such an appointment give notice thereof to the Issuer and the Guarantor. | ||
(S) | The Trustee may, after consultation with the Issuer and the Guarantor, unless, in the opinion of the Trustee, such consultation would be materially prejudicial to the interests of the Noteholders, appoint and pay any person to act as a custodian or nominee on any terms in relation to such assets of the trusts constituted by these presents as the Trustee may determine, including for the purpose of depositing with a custodian these presents or any document relating to the trusts constituted by these presents and provided that the Trustee shall have exercised reasonable care in the selection of such custodian or nominee the Trustee shall not be responsible for any Liability incurred by reason of the misconduct, omission or default on the part of any person appointed by it hereunder or be bound to supervise the proceedings or acts of such person; the Trustee is not obliged to appoint a custodian if the Trustee invests in securities payable to bearer. The Trustee shall within a reasonable time after appointing such a custodian or nominee or after any renewal, extension or termination of such an appointment give notice thereof to the Issuer and the Guarantor. | ||
(T) | The Trustee shall not be responsible for the execution, delivery, legality, effectiveness, adequacy, genuineness, validity, performance (other than its own), enforceability or admissibility in evidence of these presents or any other document relating or expressed to be supplemental thereto and shall not be liable for any failure to obtain any licence, consent or other authority for the execution, delivery, legality, effectiveness, adequacy, genuineness, validity, performance (other than its own), enforceability or admissibility in evidence of these presents or any other document relating or expressed to be supplemental thereto. | ||
(U) | The Trustee may call for any certificate or other document and/or evidence and/or information and/or certification to be issued or given by Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg as to the nominal amount of Notes represented by a Global Note standing to the account of any person. Any such certificate or other document shall be conclusive and |
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binding for all purposes. Any such certificate or other document may comprise any form of statement or print out of electronic records provided by the relevant clearing system (including Euroclears EUCLID or Clearstream, Luxembourgs Cedcom system) in accordance with its usual procedures and in which the holder of a particular principal amount of Notes is clearly identified together with the amount of such holding. The Trustee shall not be liable to any person by reason of having accepted as valid or not having rejected any certificate or other document and/or evidence and/or information and/or certification to such effect purporting to be issued or given by Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg and subsequently found to be forged or not authentic. |
(V) | Any certificate or report of the Auditors of the Issuer or any other person called for by or provided to the Trustee (whether or not addressed to the Trustee) in accordance with or for the purposes of these presents may be relied upon by the Trustee as sufficient evidence of the facts stated therein notwithstanding that such certificate or report and/or any engagement letter or other document entered into by the Trustee in connection therewith contains a monetary or other limit on the liability of the Auditors of the Issuer or such other person in respect thereof and notwithstanding that the scope and/or basis of such certificate or report may be limited by any engagement or similar letter or by the terms of the certificate or report itself. | ||
(W) | The Trustee shall not be responsible to any person for failing to request, require or receive any legal opinion relating to the Notes or for checking or commenting upon the content of any such legal opinion and shall not be responsible for any Liability incurred thereby. | ||
(X) | Subject to the requirements, if any, of the Stock Exchange, any corporation into which the Trustee shall be merged or with which it shall be consolidated or any company resulting from any such merger or consolidation shall be a party hereto and shall be the Trustee under these presents without executing or filing any paper or document or any further act on the part of the parties hereto. |
(Y) | The Trustee shall not be bound to take any action in connection with these presents or any obligations arising pursuant thereto, including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, forming any opinion or employing any financial adviser, where it is not reasonably satisfied that it will be indemnified (by or on behalf of the Noteholders or, as the case may be, each person or persons requesting it to take such action or form such opinion) against all Liabilities which may be incurred in connection with such action and may demand prior to taking any such action that there be paid to it in advance such sums as it reasonably considers (without prejudice to any further demand) shall be sufficient so to indemnify it. | ||
(Z) | No provision of these presents shall require the Trustee to do anything which may (i) be illegal or contrary to applicable law or regulation; or (ii) cause it to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any Liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights, powers or discretions, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or Liability (whether by the Noteholders or by or on behalf of any other person or persons) is not assured to it. | ||
(AA) | Unless notified to the contrary, the Trustee shall be entitled to assume without enquiry (other than requesting a certificate pursuant to subclause 14(xvii)) that no Notes are held by, for the benefit of, or on behalf of, the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other Subsidiary of the Issuer. |
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(BB) | The Trustee shall have no responsibility whatsoever to the Issuer, the Guarantor, any Noteholder or Couponholder or any other person for the maintenance of or failure to maintain any rating of any of the Notes by any rating agency. |
(CC) | The Trustee shall not be responsible for, or for investigating any matter which is the subject of, any recital, statement, representation, warranty or covenant of any person contained in these presents, or any other agreement or document relating to the transactions contemplated in these presents or under such other agreement or document. |
17. | TRUSTEES LIABILITY | |
Nothing in these presents shall in any case in which the Trustee has failed to show the degree of care and diligence required of it as trustee having regard to the provisions of these presents conferring on it any trusts, powers, authorities or discretions exempt the Trustee from or indemnify it against any Liability for gross negligence, wilful default, fraud or breach of trust of which it may be guilty in relation to its duties under these presents. |
18. | TRUSTEE CONTRACTING WITH THE ISSUER AND THE GUARANTOR | |
Neither the Trustee nor any director or officer or holding company, Subsidiary or associated company of a corporation acting as a trustee under these presents shall, by reason of its or his fiduciary position, be in any way precluded from: |
(i) | entering into or being interested in any contract or financial or other transaction or arrangement with the Issuer or the Guarantor or any person or body corporate associated with the Issuer or the Guarantor (including without limitation any contract, transaction or arrangement of a banking or insurance nature or any contract, transaction or arrangement in relation to the making of loans or the provision of financial facilities or financial advice to, or the purchase, placing or underwriting of or the subscribing or procuring subscriptions for or otherwise acquiring, holding or dealing with, or acting as paying agent in respect of, the Notes or any other notes, bonds, stocks, shares, debenture stock, debentures or other securities of, any Issuer or any person or body corporate associated as aforesaid); or |
(ii) | accepting or holding the trusteeship of any other trust deed constituting or securing any other securities issued by or relating to the Issuer or the Guarantor or any such person or body corporate so associated or any other office of profit under the Issuer or the Guarantor or any such person or body corporate so associated, |
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19. | WAIVER, AUTHORISATION AND DETERMINATION | |
(A) | The Trustee may, without the consent or sanction of the Noteholders, the Receiptholders or the Couponholders and without prejudice to its rights in respect of any subsequent breach, Event of Default or Potential Event of Default from time to time and at any time but only if and in so far as in its opinion the interests of the Noteholders shall not be materially prejudiced thereby, waive or authorise any breach or proposed breach by the Issuer or the Guarantor of any of the covenants or provisions contained in these presents or determine that any Event of Default or Potential Event of Default shall not be treated as such for the purposes of these presents PROVIDED ALWAYS THAT the Trustee shall not exercise any powers conferred on it by this Clause in contravention of any express direction given by Extraordinary Resolution or by a request under Condition 9 but so that no such direction or request shall affect any waiver, authorisation or determination previously given or made. Any such waiver, authorisation or determination may be given or made on such terms and subject to such conditions (if any) as the Trustee may determine, shall be binding on the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders and, if, but only if, the Trustee shall so require, shall be notified by the Issuer to the Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13 as soon as practicable thereafter. |
(B) | The Trustee may, without the consent or sanction of the Noteholders, the Receiptholders or the Couponholders, at any time and from time to time, concur with the Issuer in making any modification (i) to these presents which in the opinion of the Trustee it may be proper to make, PROVIDED THAT the Trustee is of the opinion that such modification will not be materially prejudicial to the interests of the Noteholders or (ii) to these presents, if in the opinion of the Trustee, such modification is of a formal, minor or technical nature or to correct a manifest error or an error which is, in the opinion of the Trustee, proven. Any such modification may be made on such terms and subject to such conditions (if any) as the Trustee may determine, shall be binding upon the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders and, unless the Trustee agrees otherwise, shall be notified by the Issuer to the Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13 as soon as practicable thereafter. |
(C) | Any breach of or failure to comply with any such terms and conditions as are referred to in subclauses (A) and (B) of this Clause shall constitute a default by the Issuer or the Guarantor in the performance or observance of a covenant or provision binding on it under or pursuant to these presents. |
(D) | (1 | ) | The Issuer shall not consolidate with or merge into any other corporation or convey or transfer its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, unless: |
(a) | the corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Issuer is merged or the person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, the properties and assets of the Issuer substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation organised and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any political subdivision thereof or any State thereof and shall expressly assume, by a trust deed supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest on all the Notes and the performance of every covenant of these presents on the part of the Issuer to be performed or observed; |
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(b) | immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default or Potential Event of Default shall have occurred; | ||
(c) | the Issuer has delivered to the Trustee a certificate signed by two of its Directors and an opinion of counsel acceptable to the Trustee, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer and such supplemental trust deed comply with this paragraph (1) and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with; and | ||
(d) | the Guarantor has delivered to the Trustee a certificate signed by two of its Directors and an opinion of counsel acceptable to the Trustee, each stating that the Guarantors obligations under these presents shall remain in full force and effect thereafter. |
(2) | Upon any consolidation with or merger into any other corporation, or any conveyance or transfer of the properties and assets of the Issuer substantially as an entirety, in each case in accordance with paragraph (1) above, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Issuer is merged or the successor person to which such conveyance or transfer is made, shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Issuer under these presents with the same effect as if such successor had been named as the Issuer herein, and thereafter the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under these presents. | ||
(3) | The Guarantor shall not consolidate with or merge into any other corporation or convey or transfer its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, unless: |
(a) | the corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Guarantor is merged or the person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, the properties and assets of the Guarantor substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation organised and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any political subdivision thereof or any State thereof and shall expressly assume, by a trust deed supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the obligations of the Guarantor contained in Clause 7 and the performance of every covenant contained in these presents on the part of the Guarantor to be performed or observed; | ||
(b) | immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default or Potential Event of Default shall have occurred; and | ||
(c) | the Guarantor has delivered to the Trustee a certificate signed by two of its Directors and an opinion of counsel acceptable to the Trustee, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer and such supplemental trust deed comply with this paragraph (3) and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with. |
(4) | Upon any consolidation with or merger into any other corporation, or any conveyance or transfer of the properties and assets of the Guarantor substantially as an entirety, in each case in accordance with paragraph (3) above, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Guarantor is merged or the successor person to which such conveyance or transfer is made, shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Guarantor under these presents with the same effect as if such successor had been named as the Guarantor herein, and thereafter the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under these presents. |
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20. | HOLDER OF DEFINITIVE NOTE ASSUMED TO BE RECEIPTHOLDER AND COUPONHOLDER | |
(A) | Wherever in these presents the Trustee is required or entitled to exercise a power, trust, authority or discretion under these presents, except as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction or as required by applicable law, the Trustee shall, notwithstanding that it may have express notice to the contrary, assume that each Noteholder is the holder of all Receipts and Coupons appertaining to each Definitive Note of which he is the holder. |
(B) | Neither the Trustee nor the Issuer shall be required to give any notice to the Receiptholders or Couponholders for any purpose under these presents and the Receiptholders or Couponholders shall be deemed for all purposes to have notice of the contents of any notice given to the holders of Bearer Notes in accordance with Condition 13. | |
21. | CURRENCY INDEMNITY | |
Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor shall severally indemnify the Trustee, every Appointee, the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders and keep them indemnified against: |
(a) | any Liability incurred by any of them arising from the non-payment by the Issuer or the Guarantor of any amount due to the Trustee or the holders of the Notes issued by the Issuer or the Guarantor and the relative Receiptholders or Couponholders under these presents, by reason of any variation in the rates of exchange between those used for the purposes of calculating the amount due under a judgment or order in respect thereof and those prevailing at the date of actual payment by the Issuer or the Guarantor; and | ||
(b) | any deficiency arising or resulting from any variation in rates of exchange between (i) the date as of which the local currency equivalent of the amounts due or contingently due under these presents (other than this Clause) is calculated for the purposes of any bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation of the Issuer or the Guarantor and (ii) the final date for ascertaining the amount of claims in such bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation. The amount of such deficiency shall be deemed not to be reduced by any variation in rates of exchange occurring between the said final date and the date of any distribution of assets in connection with any such bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation. |
22. | NEW TRUSTEE | |
(A) | The power to appoint a new trustee of these presents shall be vested in the Issuer but no person shall be appointed who shall not previously have been approved by an Extraordinary Resolution. One or more persons may hold office as trustee or trustees of these presents but such trustee or trustees shall be or include a Trust Corporation. Whenever there shall be more than two trustees of these presents, the majority of such trustees shall be competent to execute and exercise all the duties, powers, trusts, |
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authorities and discretions vested in the Trustee by these presents, provided that a Trust Corporation shall be included in such majority. Any appointment of a new trustee of these presents shall as soon as practicable thereafter be notified by the Issuer to the Agent and the Noteholders. |
(B) | Notwithstanding the provisions of subclause (A) above, the Trustee may, upon giving prior notice to the Issuer (but without the consent of the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Noteholders, the Receiptholders or the Couponholders), appoint any person established or resident in any jurisdiction (whether a Trust Corporation or not) to act either as a separate trustee or as a co-trustee jointly with the Trustee: |
(i) | if the Trustee considers such appointment to be in the interests of the Noteholders; | ||
(ii) | for the purposes of conforming to any legal requirements, restrictions or conditions in any jurisdiction in which any particular act or acts is or are to be performed; or | ||
(iii) | for the purposes of obtaining a judgment in any jurisdiction or the enforcement in any jurisdiction of either a judgment already obtained or any of the provisions of these presents against the Issuer or the Guarantor. |
23. | TRUSTEES RETIREMENT AND REMOVAL |
24. | TRUSTEES POWERS TO BE ADDITIONAL |
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25. | NOTICES | |
Any notice or demand to the Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee to be given, made or served for any purposes under these presents shall be given, made or served by sending the same by pre-paid post (first class if inland, first class airmail if overseas) or facsimile transmission or by delivering it by hand as follows: |
to the Issuer | 4500 Park Granada Calabasas California 91302 U.S.A. | |||||
(Attention: | Jennifer Sandefur | |||||
Senior Managing Director and | ||||||
Treasurer) | ||||||
Facsimile No. | 001 ###-###-#### | |||||
to the Guarantor: | 4500 Park Granada | |||||
Calabasas | ||||||
California 91302 | ||||||
U.S.A. | ||||||
(Attention: | Jennifer Sandefur | |||||
Senior Managing Director | ||||||
and Treasurer) | ||||||
Facsimile No. | 001 ###-###-#### | |||||
to the Trustee: | Winchester House | |||||
1 Great Winchester Street | ||||||
London EC2N 2DB | ||||||
(Attention: | the Managing Director) | |||||
Facsimile No. | + ###-###-#### |
26. | GOVERNING LAW | |
These presents are governed by, and shall be construed in accordance with, English law. |
27. | SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION | |
(A) | Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor irrevocably agrees for the benefit of the Trustee, the Noteholders, the Receiptholders and the Couponholders that the courts of England are to have jurisdiction to settle any disputes which may arise out of or in connection with these presents and that accordingly any suit, action or proceedings arising out of or in connection with these presents (together referred to as Proceedings), may be brought in the courts of England. Each of the Issuer |
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and the Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to raise any objection which it may have now or subsequently to the laying of the venue of any Proceedings in the courts of England and any claim that any Proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum and further irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that a judgment in any Proceedings brought in the courts of England shall be conclusive and binding upon it and may be enforced in the courts of any other jurisdiction. Nothing in this Clause shall limit any right to take Proceedings against the Issuer or the Guarantor in any other court of competent jurisdiction, nor shall the taking of Proceedings in one or more jurisdictions preclude the taking of Proceedings in any other jurisdiction, whether concurrently or not. |
(B) | Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally appoints GLN Representatives Limited at its registered office for the time being (being at the date hereof at 20th Floor, City Point, 1 Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9HT) and in the event of its ceasing so to act, will appoint such other person as the Trustee may approve and as the Issuer or the Guarantor may nominate in writing to the Trustee for the purpose of accepting service of process on its behalf in England in respect of any Proceedings. Each of the Issuer and the Guarantor: |
(i) | agrees to procure that, so long as any of the Notes issued by it remains liable to prescription, there shall be in force an appointment of such a person approved by the Trustee with an office in London with authority to accept service as aforesaid; | ||
(ii) | agrees that failure by any such person to give notice of such service of process to the Issuer or the Guarantor shall not impair the validity of such service or of any judgment based thereon; and | ||
(iii) | agrees that nothing in these presents shall affect the right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. |
28. | COUNTERPARTS | |
This Trust Deed and any trust deed supplemental hereto may be executed and delivered in any number of counterparts, all of which, taken together, shall constitute one and the same deed and any party to this Trust Deed or any trust deed supplemental hereto may enter into the same by executing and delivering a counterpart. | ||
29. | CONTRACTS (RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES) ACT 1999 | |
A person which is not a party to this Trust Deed or any trust deed supplemental hereto has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this Trust Deed or any trust deed supplemental hereto, but this does not affect any right or remedy of a third party which exists or is available apart from that Act. |
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(i) | in relation to any Notes represented by a global Note, units of the lowest Specified Denomination in the Specified Currency; | ||
(ii) | definitive Notes issued in exchange for a global Note; and | ||
(iii) | any global Note. |
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1. | Form, Denomination and Title |
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(i) | if Actual/Actual (ISMA) is specified in the applicable Final Terms: |
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(a) | in the case of Notes where the number of days in the relevant period from (and including) the most recent Interest Payment Date (or, if none, the Interest Commencement Date) to (but excluding) the relevant payment date (the Accrual Period) is equal to or shorter than the Determination Period during which the Accrual Period ends, the number of days in such Accrual Period divided by the product of (1) the number of days in such Determination Period and (2) the number of Determination Dates (as specified in the applicable Final Terms) that would occur in one calendar year; or | ||
(b) | in the case of Notes where the Accrual Period is longer than the Determination Period during which the Accrual Period ends, the sum of: |
(1) | the number of days in such Accrual Period falling in the Determination Period in which the Accrual Period begins divided by the product of (x) the number of days in such Determination Period and (y) the number of Determination Dates (as specified in the applicable Final Terms) that would occur in one calendar year; and | ||
(2) | the number of days in such Accrual Period falling in the next Determination Period divided by the product of (x) the number of days in such Determination Period and (y) the number of Determination Dates that would occur in one calendar year; and |
(ii) | if 30/360 is specified in the applicable Final Terms, the number of days in the period from and including the most recent Interest Payment Date (or, if none, the Interest Commencement Date) to but excluding the relevant payment date (such number of days being calculated on the basis of a year of 360 days with 12 30-day months) divided by 360. |
(A) | the Specified Interest Payment Date(s) (each an Interest Payment Date) in each year specified in the applicable Final Terms; or | ||
(B) | if no Specified Interest Payment Date(s) is/are specified in the applicable Final Terms, each date (each an Interest Payment Date) which falls the number of months or other |
39
(1) | in any case where Specified Periods are specified in accordance with Condition 4(b)(i)(B) above, the Floating Rate Convention, such Interest Payment Date (i) in the case of (x) above, shall be the last day that is a Business Day in the relevant month and the provisions of (B) below shall apply mutatis mutandis or (ii) in the case of (y) above, shall be postponed to the next day which is a Business Day unless it would thereby fall into the next calendar month, in which event (A) such Interest Payment Date shall be brought forward to the immediately preceding Business Day and (B) each subsequent Interest Payment Date shall be the last Business Day in the month which falls in the Specified Period after the preceding applicable Interest Payment Date; or | ||
(2) | the Following Business Day Convention, such Interest Payment Date shall be postponed to the next day which is a Business Day; or | ||
(3) | the Modified Following Business Day Convention, such Interest Payment Date shall be postponed to the next day which is a Business Day, unless it would thereby fall into the next calendar month, in which event such Interest Payment Date shall be brought forward to the immediately preceding Business Day; or | ||
(4) | the Preceding Business Day Convention, such Interest Payment Date shall be brought forward to the immediately preceding Business Day. |
(A) | a day on which commercial banks and foreign exchange markets settle payments and are open for general business (including dealing in foreign exchange and foreign currency deposits) in London and any Additional Business Centre specified in the applicable Final Terms; and | ||
(B) | either (1) in relation to any sum payable in a Specified Currency other than euro, a day on which commercial banks and foreign exchange markets settle payments and are open for general business (including dealing in foreign exchange and foreign currency deposits) in the principal financial centre of the country of the relevant Specified Currency (if other than London and any Additional Business Centre and which, if the Specified Currency is Australian dollars or New Zealand dollars, shall be Melbourne and Wellington, respectively) or (2) in relation to any sum payable in euro, a day on which the Trans-European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement Express Transfer (TARGET) System (the TARGET System) is open. |
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(1) | the Floating Rate Option is as specified in the applicable Final Terms; | ||
(2) | the Designated Maturity is a period specified in the applicable Final Terms; and | ||
(3) | the relevant Reset Date is either (i) if the applicable Floating Rate Option is based on the London inter-bank offered rate (LIBOR) or on the Euro-zone inter-bank offered rate (EURIBOR) the first day of that Interest Period or (ii) in any other case, as specified in the applicable Final Terms. |
(1) | the offered quotation; or | ||
(2) | the arithmetic mean (rounded if necessary to the fifth decimal place, with 0.000005 being rounded upwards) of the offered quotations, |
41
(i) | if Actual/365 or Actual/Actual (ISDA) is specified in the applicable Final Terms, the actual number of days in the Interest Period divided by 365 (or, if any portion of that Interest Period falls in a leap year, the sum of (A) the actual number of days in that portion of the Interest Period falling in a leap year divided by 366 and (B) the actual number of days in that portion of the Interest Period falling in a non-leap year divided by 365); | ||
(ii) | if Actual/365 (Fixed) is specified in the applicable Final Terms, the actual number of days in the Interest Period divided by 365; | ||
(iii) | if Actual/365 (Sterling) is specified in the applicable Final Terms, the actual number of days in the Interest Period divided by 365 or, in the case of an Interest Payment Date falling in a leap year, 366; | ||
(iv) | if Actual/360 is specified in the applicable Final Terms, the actual number of days in the Interest Period divided by 360; |
42
(v) | if 30/360, 360/360 or Bond Basis is specified in the applicable Final Terms, the number of days in the Interest Period divided by 360 (the number of days to be calculated on the basis of a year of 360 days with 12 30-day months (unless (a) the last day of the Interest Period is the 31st day of a month but the first day of the Interest Period is a day other than the 30th or 31st day of a month, in which case the month that includes that last day shall not be considered to be shortened to a 30-day month, or (b) the last day of the Interest Period is the last day of the month of February, in which case the month of February shall not be considered to be lengthened to a 30-day month)); and | ||
(vi) | if 30E/360 or Eurobond Basis is specified in the applicable Final Terms, the number of days in the Interest Period divided by 360 (the number of days to be calculated on the basis of a year of 360 days with 12 30-day months, without regard to the date of the first day or last day of the Interest Period unless, in the case of the final Interest Period, the Maturity Date is the last day of the month of February, in which case the month of February shall not be considered to be lengthened to a 30-day month). |
43
(i) | payments in a Specified Currency other than euro or U.S. dollars will be made by transfer to an account in the relevant Specified Currency (which, in the case of a payment in Japanese Yen to a non-resident of Japan, shall be a non-resident account) maintained by the payee with, or by a cheque in such Specified Currency drawn on, a bank in the principal financial centre of the country of such Specified Currency (which, if the Specified Currency is Australian dollars or New Zealand dollars, shall be Melbourne and Wellington, respectively); | ||
(ii) | payments in euro will be made by credit or transfer to a euro account (or any other account to which euro may be credited or transferred) specified by the payee or, at the option of the payee, by a euro cheque; and | ||
(iii) | payments in U.S. dollars will be made by transfer to a U.S. dollar account maintained by the payee with a bank outside the United States (which expression, as used in this Condition 5, means the United States of America, including the States and the District of Columbia, its territories, its possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction), or by cheque drawn on a United States bank. |
44
45
(i) | the Issuer has appointed Paying Agents with specified offices outside the United States with the reasonable expectation that such Paying Agents would be able to make payment in U.S. dollars at such specified offices outside the United States of the full amount of principal and interest on the Notes in the manner provided above when due; | ||
(ii) | payment of the full amount of such principal and interest at all such specified offices outside the United States is illegal or effectively precluded by exchange controls or other similar restrictions on the full payment or receipt of principal and interest in U.S. dollars; and | ||
(iii) | such payment is then permitted under United States law without involving, in the opinion of the Issuer and the Guarantor, adverse tax consequences to the Issuer or the Guarantor. |
(i) | a day on which commercial banks and foreign exchange markets settle payments and are open for general business (including dealing in foreign exchange and foreign currency deposits) in: |
(A) | the relevant place of presentation; | ||
(B) | London; and | ||
(C) | any Additional Financial Centre specified in the applicable Final Terms; and |
(ii) | either (1) in relation to any sum payable in a Specified Currency other than euro, a day on which commercial banks and foreign exchange markets settle payments and are open for general business (including dealing in foreign exchange and foreign currency deposits) in the principal financial centre of the country of the relevant Specified Currency (if other than the place of presentation, London and any Additional Financial Centre and which, if |
46
the Specified Currency is Australian dollars or New Zealand dollars, shall be Melbourne and Wellington, respectively or (2) in relation to any sum payable in euro, a day on which the TARGET System is open. |
(i) | any additional amounts which may be payable with respect to principal under Condition 7; | ||
(ii) | the Final Redemption Amount of the Notes; | ||
(iii) | the Early Redemption Amount of the Notes; | ||
(iv) | the Optional Redemption Amount(s) (if any) of the Notes; | ||
(v) | in relation to Notes redeemable in instalments, the Instalment Amounts; | ||
(vi) | in relation to Zero Coupon Notes, the Amortised Face Amount (as defined in Condition 6(e)); and | ||
(vii) | any premium and any other amounts (other than interest) which may be payable by the Issuer under or in respect of the Notes. |
(i) | on the occasion of the next payment due under the Notes, the Issuer has or will become obliged to pay additional amounts as provided or referred to in Condition 7 or the Guarantor would be unable for reasons outside its control to procure payment by the Issuer and in making payment itself would be required to pay such additional amounts in each case as a result of any change in, or amendment to, the laws or regulations of the United States of America or any political subdivision or any authority thereof or therein having power to tax, or any change in the application or official interpretation of such |
47
laws or regulations, which change or amendment becomes effective on or after the Issue Date of the first Tranche of the Notes; and | |||
(ii) | such obligation cannot be avoided by the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor taking reasonable measures available to it, |
48
(i) | not less than 30 nor more than 60 days notice to the Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13; and | ||
(ii) | not less than 30 days before the giving of the notice referred to in (i), notice to the Agent; |
49
(i) | in the case of Notes with a Final Redemption Amount equal to the Issue Price, at the Final Redemption Amount thereof; | ||
(ii) | in the case of Notes (other than Zero Coupon Notes but including Instalment Notes and Partly Paid Notes) with a Final Redemption Amount which is or may be less or greater than the Issue Price or which is payable in a Specified Currency other than that in which the Notes are denominated, at the amount specified in, or determined in the manner specified in, the applicable Final Terms or, if no such amount or manner is so specified in the Final Terms, at their nominal amount; or | ||
(iii) | in the case of Zero Coupon Notes, at an amount (the Amortised Face Amount) calculated in accordance with the following formula: | ||
Early Redemption Amount = RP 6 (1 + AY)y | |||
Where: | |||
RP means the Reference Price; | |||
AY means the Accrual Yield expressed as a decimal; and | |||
y is a fraction the numerator of which is equal to the number of days (calculated on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of 12 months of 30 days each) from (and including) the Issue Date of the first Tranche of the Notes of such Series to (but excluding) the date fixed for redemption of such Notes or (as the case may be) the date upon which such Notes become due and repayable, and the denominator of which is 360, |
50
(i) | the date on which all amounts due in respect of such Zero Coupon Note have been paid; and | ||
(ii) | five days after the date on which the full amount of the moneys payable has been received by the Agent or the Trustee and notice to that effect has been given to the Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13. |
(i) | any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld solely by reason of the holder of a Note, Receipt or Coupon (a Holder), or a fiduciary, settler, beneficiary, member or shareholder of such holder being considered as: |
(a) | being or having been present or engaged in a trade or business in the United States or having had a permanent establishment in the United States of America; | ||
(b) | having a current or former relationship with the United States of America, including a relationship as a citizen or resident thereof; |
51
(c) | being or having been a foreign or domestic personal holding company, a passive foreign investment company or a controlled foreign corporation with respect to the United States of America or a corporation that has accumulated earnings to avoid United States federal income tax; | ||
(d) | being or having been a 10-per cent. shareholder of all classes of stock of the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor as defined in section 871(h)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) or any successor provision; or | ||
(e) | being a bank receiving payments on an extension of credit made pursuant to a loan agreement entered into the ordinary course of its trade or business; |
(ii) | any Holder that is not the sole beneficial owner of a Note, Receipt or Coupon or that is a fiduciary or partnership, but only to the extent that a beneficiary or settler with respect to the fiduciary, a beneficial owner or a member of the partnership would not have been entitled to the payment of an additional amount had such beneficiary, settler, beneficial owner or member received directly its beneficial or distributive share of the payment; | ||
(iii) | any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld solely by reason of a failure of the Holder or any other person to comply with certification, identification or information reporting requirements concerning the nationality, residence, identity or connection with the United States of America of the Holder or beneficial owner of such Note, Receipt or Coupon, if compliance is required by statute, by regulation or the United States Treasury Department or by an applicable income tax treaty to which the United States of America is a party as a precondition to exemption from such tax, assessment or other governmental charge; | ||
(iv) | any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed other than by withholding from a Note, Receipt or Coupon; | ||
(v) | any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that would not have been so imposed but for the presentation or surrender by the Holder for payment on a date more than 30 days after the Relevant Date except to the extent that the Holder would have been entitled to an additional amount on presenting the same for payment on such thirtieth day; | ||
(vi) | any estate, inheritance, gift, sales, excise, transfer, wealth or personal property tax or similar tax assessment or other governmental charge; | ||
(vii) | any tax, assessment or other governmental charge required to be withheld by any paying agent from any payment of principal of or interest on any Note, Receipt or Coupon if such payment can be made without such withholding by any other paying agent; | ||
(viii) | any tax, duty, assessment or other governmental charge required to be made pursuant to European Council Directive 2003/48/EC or any law implementing or complying with, or introduced in order to conform to, such Directive; or | ||
(ix) | in the case of any combination of items (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii) and (viii). |
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(A) | If any one or more of the following events (each an Event of Default) shall occur and is continuing, the Trustee at its discretion may, and if so requested in writing by the holders of at least one quarter in nominal amount of the Notes then outstanding or if so directed by an Extraordinary Resolution (as defined in the Trust Deed) of the Noteholders shall (subject to being indemnified and/or secured to its satisfaction), give notice to the Issuer that the Notes are, and they shall thereupon immediately become, due and repayable at their Early Redemption Amount, together with accrued interest as provided in the Trust Deed: |
53
(a) | if default is made in the payment of any principal or interest due in respect of the Notes or any of them and the default continues for a period of 30 days in the case of interest; or | ||
(b) | if the Issuer or the Guarantor fails to perform or observe any of its other obligations under these Terms and Conditions or the Trust Deed and (except in any case where, in the opinion of the Trustee, the failure is incapable of remedy when no such continuation or notice as is hereinafter mentioned will be required) the failure continues for the period of 60 days next following the service by the Trustee on the Issuer or the Guarantor (as the case may be) of notice requiring the same to be remedied; or | ||
(c) | if any Indebtedness for Borrowed Money of the Issuer or the Guarantor becomes due and repayable prematurely by reason of an event of default (however described) or the Issuer or the Guarantor fails to make any payment in respect of any Indebtedness for Borrowed Money on the due date for payment or any security given by the Issuer or the Guarantor for any Indebtedness for Borrowed Money becomes enforceable or if default is made by the Issuer or the Guarantor in making any payment due under any guarantee and/or indemnity given by it in relation to any Indebtedness for Borrowed Money of any other person provided that no such event shall constitute an Event of Default unless the relative Indebtedness for Borrowed Money either alone or when aggregated with other Indebtedness for Borrowed Money relative to all (if any) other such events which shall have occurred shall amount to at least U.S.$100,000,000 (or its equivalent in any other currency); or | ||
(d) | the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Issuer or the Guarantor by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in an involuntary case under the Federal bankruptcy laws of the United States of America, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Issuer or the Guarantor or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days; or | ||
(e) | the commencement by the Issuer or the Guarantor of a voluntary case under the Federal bankruptcy laws of the United States of America, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or the consent by it to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law or to the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Issuer or the Guarantor or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of any corporate action in furtherance of any of the foregoing. |
(B) | (1) The Trustee may at any time, at its discretion and without notice, take such proceedings against the Issuer and/or the Guarantor as it may think fit to enforce the provisions of the Trust Deed, the Notes, the Receipts and the Coupons, but it shall not be bound to take any such proceedings or any other action in relation to the Trust Deed, the Notes, the Receipts or the Coupons unless (a) it shall have been so directed by an Extraordinary Resolution of the Noteholders or so requested in writing by the holders of at least one-quarter in nominal amount of the Notes then outstanding, and (b) it shall have been indemnified and/or secured to its satisfaction; |
54
(2) | No Noteholder, Receiptholder or Couponholder shall be entitled to proceed directly against the Issuer or the Guarantor unless the Trustee, having become bound so to proceed, fails so to do within a reasonable period and the failure shall be continuing. |
(i) | so long as the Notes are listed on any stock exchange or admitted to listing by any other relevant authority, there will at all times be a Paying Agent with a specified office in such place as may be required by the rules and regulations of the relevant stock exchange or other relevant authority; | ||
(ii) | there will at all times be a Paying Agent with a specified office in a city approved by the Trustee in continental Europe; | ||
(iii) | there will at all times be an Agent; and | ||
(iv) | the Issuer and the Guarantor undertake that they will ensure that they maintain a Paying Agent in a Member State of the European Union that is not obliged to withhold or deduct tax pursuant to European Council Directive 2003/48/EC or any law implementing or complying with, or introduced in order to conform to, such Directive. |
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15. | Further Issues |
16. | Consolidation, Merger and Transfer of Assets |
17. | Redenomination |
57
(i) | the Notes and the Receipts shall be deemed to be redenominated in euro in the denomination of euro 0.01 with a nominal amount for each Note and Receipt equal to the nominal amount of that Note or Receipt in the Specified Currency, converted into euro at the Established Rate, provided that, if the Issuer determines, with the agreement of the Agent and with the approval of the Trustee, that the then current market practice in respect of the redenomination in euro of internationally offered securities is different from the provisions specified above, such provisions shall be deemed to be amended so as to comply with such market practice and the Issuer shall promptly notify the Noteholders, the stock exchange (if any) on which the Notes may be listed, the Trustee and the Paying Agents of such deemed amendments; | ||
(ii) | if definitive Notes are required to be issued after the Redenomination Date, they shall be issued at the expense of the Issuer in the denominations of euro 1,000, euro 10,000, euro 100,000 and (but only to the extent of any remaining amounts less than euro 1,000 or such smaller denominations as the Agent and the Trustee may approve) euro 0.01 and such other denominations as the Agent and the Trustee shall determine and as shall be notified to the Noteholders, the London Stock Exchange, if the Notes are listed on such exchange, and the Trustee. If such definitive Notes are issued they will be obtainable at the specified office of the Replacement Agent; | ||
(iii) | save to the extent that an Exchange Notice has been given in accordance with paragraph (v) below, the amount of interest due in respect of the Notes will be calculated by reference to the aggregate nominal amount of Notes presented (or, as the case may be, in respect of which Coupons are presented) for payment by the relevant holder and the amount of such payment shall be rounded down to the nearest euro 0.01; | ||
(iv) | after the Redenomination Date, all payments in respect of the Notes, the Receipts and the Coupons other than payments of interest in respect of periods commencing before the Redenomination Date, will be made solely in euro as though references in the Notes to the Specified Currency were to euro. Payments will be made in euro by credit or transfer to a euro account (or any other account to which euro may be credited or transferred) specified by the payee or, at the option of the payee, by a euro cheque | ||
(v) | if issued prior to the Redenomination Date, all unmatured Coupons denominated in the Specified Currency (whether or not attached to the Notes) will become void with effect from the date on which the Issuer gives notice (the Exchange Notice) that replacement euro-denominated Notes, Receipts and Coupons are available for exchange (provided that such securities are so available) and no payments will be made in respect of them. The payment obligations contained in any Notes and Receipts so issued will also become void on that date although those Notes and Receipts will continue to constitute valid exchange obligations of the Issuer. New euro-denominated Notes, Receipts and Coupons will be issued in exchange for Notes, Receipts and Coupons denominated in the Specified Currency in such manner as the Agent may specify and as shall be notified to the Noteholders in the Exchange Notice and to the London Stock Exchange, if the Notes are listed on such exchange. If such new euro-denominated Notes are issued they will be obtainable at the specified office of the Replacement Agent. No Exchange Notice may be given less than 15 days prior to any date for payment of principal or interest on the Notes; |
58
(vi) | if the Notes are Fixed Rate Notes and interest for any period ending on or after the Redenomination Date is required to be calculated for a period ending other than on an Interest Payment Date, it will be calculated by applying the Rate of Interest to each Specified Denomination, multiplying such sum by the applicable Day Count Fraction, and rounding the resultant figure to the nearest sub-unit of the relevant Specified Currency, half of any such sub-unit being rounded upwards or otherwise in accordance with applicable market convention; | ||
(vii) | if the Notes are Floating Rate Notes the applicable Final Terms specifies any relevant changes to the provisions relating to interest; and | ||
(viii) | such other changes shall be made to these Terms and Conditions and/or the Trust Deed and/or the Agency Agreement as the Issuer may decide, after consultation with the Agent and with the prior written approval of the Trustee, and as may be specified in the notice, to conform them to conventions then applicable to instruments denominated in euro or to enable the Notes to be consolidated with one or more issues of other notes, whether or not originally denominated in the Specified Currency or euro. Any such other changes will not take effect until after they have been notified to the Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13. The Issuer will also notify the London Stock Exchange of any other such changes, if the Notes are listed on such exchange. |
(b) | Definitions |
18. | Indemnification of the Trustee and its contracting with the Issuer and the Guarantor |
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19. | Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 |
20. | Governing law and submission to jurisdiction |
60
Winchester House
1 Great Winchester Street
London EC2N 2DB
2 boulevard Konrad Adenauer
L-115 Luxembourg
61
(the Issuer)
(incorporated with limited liability in the State of Delaware)
COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, INC.
(incorporated with limited liability in the State of New York)
1 | To appear on Notes with a maturity of more than 183 days. | |
2 | To appear on Notes with a maturity of 183 days or less. |
62
63
By: | By | |||||||
Duly Authorised | Duly Authorised |
as Agent.
64
Confirmation of | ||||||||
payment by or on | ||||||||
Interest Payment | Total amount of | Amount of | behalf of the | |||||
Date made | Date | interest payable | interest paid | Issuer | ||||
65
Remaining nominal | ||||||||
amount of this | Confirmation of | |||||||
Total amount of | Amount of | Global Note | payment by or on | |||||
Instalment Amounts | Instalment Amounts | following such | behalf of the | |||||
Date made | payable | paid | payment* | Issuer | ||||
* See most recent entry in Part II, III or IV or Schedule Two in order to determine this amount. |
66
Remaining nominal | ||||||||
amount of this | Confirmation of | |||||||
Total amount | Global Note | redemption by or on | ||||||
of principal | Amount of | following such | behalf of the | |||||
Date made | payable | principal paid | redemption* | Issuer | ||||
* See most recent entry in Part II, III or IV or Schedule Two in order to determine this amount. |
67
Remaining nominal | ||||||
Part of nominal | amount of this | Confirmation of | ||||
amount of this | Global Note | purchase and | ||||
Global Note | following such | cancellation by or | ||||
purchased and | purchase and | on behalf of the | ||||
Date made | cancelled | cancellation* | Issuer | |||
* See most recent entry in Part II, III or IV or Schedule Two in order to determine this amount. |
68
Nominal amount of | ||||||
this Global Note | ||||||
exchanged for | Remaining nominal | |||||
Definitive Notes or | amount of this | |||||
a part of a | Global Note | Notation made by or | ||||
Permanent Global | following such | on behalf of the | ||||
Date made | Note | exchange* | Issuer | |||
* See most recent entry in Part II, III or IV or Schedule Two in order to determine this amount. |
69
(the Issuer)
(incorporated with limited liability in the State of Delaware)
COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, INC.
(incorporated with limited liability in the State of New York)
1 | To appear on Notes with a maturity of more than 183 days. | |
2 | To appear on Notes with a maturity of 183 days or less. |
70
(i) | upon not less than 60 days written notice being given to the Agent by Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V. as operator of the Euroclear System (Euroclear) and/or Clearstream Banking, société anonyme (Clearstream, Luxembourg) (acting on the instructions of any holder of an interest in this Global Note) or the Trustee; or |
(ii) | in the case of Notes with a maturity of 183 days or less only upon the occurrence of an Exchange Event. |
(1) | an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; | ||
(2) | the Issuer has been notified that both Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg have been closed for business for a continuous period of 14 days (other than by reason of holiday, statutory or otherwise) or have announced an intention permanently to cease business or have in fact done so and no alternative clearing system satisfactory to the Trustee is available; or | ||
(3) | the Issuer has or will become obliged to pay additional amounts as provided for or referred to in Condition 7 which would not be required were the Notes in definitive form. |
(i) | the Issuer will promptly give notice to Noteholders in accordance with Condition 13 upon the occurrence of such Exchange Event; and | ||
(ii) | Euroclear and/or Clearstream, Luxembourg (acting on the instructions of any holder of an interest in this Global Note) or the Trustee may give notice to the Agent requesting exchange and, in the event of the occurrence of an Exchange Event as described in (3) above, the |
71
By: | Duly Authorised | By: | Duly Authorised | |
Authenticated without recourse, warranty or liability by Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch as Agent. | ||||
By: | Authorised Officer |
72
Confirmation of | ||||||||
payment by or on | ||||||||
Interest Payment | Total amount of | Amount of interest | behalf of the | |||||
Date made | Date | interest payable | paid | Issuer | ||||
73
Remaining nominal | ||||||||
amount of this | Confirmation of | |||||||
Total amount | Amount of | Global Note | payment by or on | |||||
of Instalment | Instalment Amounts | following such | behalf of the | |||||
Date made | Amounts payable | paid | payment* | Issuer | ||||
* | See most recent entry in Part II, III or IV or Schedule Two in order to determine this amount. |
74
Remaining nominal | ||||||||
amount of this | Confirmation of | |||||||
Total amount | Global Note | redemption by or on | ||||||
of principal | Amount of | following such | behalf of the | |||||
Date made | payable | principal paid | redemption* | Issuer | ||||
* | See most recent entry in Part II, III or IV or Schedule Two in order to determine this amount. |
75
Remaining nominal | ||||||
Part of nominal | amount of this | Confirmation of | ||||
amount of this | Global Note | purchase and | ||||
Global Note | following such | cancellation by or | ||||
purchased and | purchase and | on behalf of the | ||||
Date made | cancelled | cancellation* | Issuer | |||
* See most recent entry in Part II, III or IV or Schedule Two in order to determine this amount. |
76
Increased nominal | ||||||
Nominal amount of | amount of this | |||||
Temporary Global | Global Note | Notation made by or | ||||
Note exchanged for | following such | on behalf of the | ||||
Date made | this Global Note | exchange* | Issuer | |||
* See most recent entry in Part II, III or IV of Schedule One or in this Schedule Two in order to determine this amount. |
77
(the Issuer)
(incorporated with limited liability in the State of Delaware)
COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, INC.
(incorporated with limited liability in the State of New York)
NOTES DUE
[Year of Maturity]
1 | To appear on all Notes with a maturity of more than 183 days. | |
2 | To appear on all Notes with a maturity of 183 days or less. |
78
By: | By: | |||||||
Duly Authorised | Duly Authorised |
as Agent.
By: | |||
Authorised Officer |
79
80
replacing or modifying the Conditions which appears in the
Final Terms relating to the Notes]
81
NOTES DUE
[Year of Maturity]
1 | To appear on all Receipts appertaining to Notes with a maturity of more than 183 days. | |
2 | To appear on all Receipts appertaining to Notes with a maturity of 183 days or less. |
82
NOTES DUE
[Year of Maturity]
This Coupon is payable to bearer, separately | Coupon for | |
negotiable and subject to the Terms and | [ ] | |
Conditions of the said Notes. | due on [ ], [ ]] |
1 | Delete where the Notes are all of the same denomination. | |
2 | To appear on all Coupons appertaining to Notes with a maturity of more than 183 days. | |
1 | To appear on all Coupons appertaining to Notes with a maturity of 183 days or less. |
83
NOTES DUE
[Year of Maturity]
1 | Delete where the Notes are all of the same denomination. | |
2 | Not required on last Coupon sheet. | |
3 | [To appear on all Talons appertaining to Notes with a maturity of more than 183 days.] | |
4 | [To appear on all Talons appertaining to Notes with a maturity of 183 days or less.] |
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Winchester House
1 Great Winchester Street
London EC2N 2DB
2, boulevard Konrad Adenauer
L-1115 Luxembourg
85
LUXEMBOURG
1 | To be dated no earlier than the date to which this certification relates, namely (a) the payment date or (b) the Exchange Date. |
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87
88
1. | To be dated no earlier than the fifteenth day prior to the date to which this certification relates, namely (a) the payment date or (b) the Exchange Date. |
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1. | (A) | As used in this Schedule the following expressions shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires: |
(i) | voting certificate shall mean an English language certificate issued by a Paying Agent and dated in which it is stated: |
(a) | that on the date thereof Notes (whether in definitive form or represented by a Global Note and not being Notes in respect of which a block voting instruction has been issued and is outstanding in respect of the meeting specified in such voting certificate or any adjourned such meeting) were deposited with such Paying Agent or (to the satisfaction of such Paying Agent) were held to its order or under its control or blocked in an account with a clearing system and that no such Notes will cease to be so deposited or held or blocked until the first to occur of: |
(1) | the conclusion of the meeting specified in such certificate or, if later, of any adjourned such meeting; and | ||
(2) | the surrender of the certificate to the Paying Agent who issued the same; and |
(b) | that the bearer thereof is entitled to attend and vote at such meeting and any adjourned such meeting in respect of the Notes represented by such certificate; |
(ii) | block voting instruction shall mean an English language document issued by a Paying Agent and dated in which: |
(a) | it is certified that Notes (whether in definitive form or represented by a Global Note and not being Notes in respect of which a voting certificate has been issued and is outstanding in respect of the meeting specified in such block voting instruction and any adjourned such meeting) have been deposited with such Paying Agent or (to the satisfaction of such Paying Agent) were held to its order or under its control or blocked in an account with a clearing system and that no such Notes will cease to be so deposited or held or blocked until the first to occur of: |
(1) | the conclusion of the meeting specified in such document or, if later, of any adjourned such meeting; and | ||
(2) | the surrender to the Paying Agent not less than 48 hours before the time for which such meeting or any adjourned such meeting is convened of the receipt issued by such Paying Agent in respect of each such deposited Note which is to be released or (as the case may require) the Note or Notes ceasing with the agreement of the Paying Agent to be held to its order or under its control or so blocked and the giving of notice by the Paying Agent to the Issuer in accordance with paragraph 17 hereof of the necessary amendment to the block voting instruction; |
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(b) | it is certified that each holder of such Notes has instructed such Paying Agent that the vote(s) attributable to the Note or Notes so deposited or held or blocked should be cast in a particular way in relation to the resolution or resolutions to be put to such meeting or any adjourned such meeting and that all such instructions are during the period commencing 48 hours prior to the time for which such meeting or any adjourned such meeting is convened and ending at the conclusion or adjournment thereof neither revocable nor capable of amendment; | ||
(c) | the aggregate principal amount of the Notes so deposited or held or blocked are listed distinguishing with regard to each such resolution between those in respect of which instructions have been given as aforesaid that the votes attributable thereto should be cast in favour of the resolution and those in respect of which instructions have been so given that the votes attributable thereto should be cast against the resolution; and | ||
(d) | one or more persons named in such document (each hereinafter called a proxy) is or are authorised and instructed by such Paying Agent to cast the votes attributable to the Notes so listed in accordance with the instructions referred to in (c) above as set out in such document; |
(iii) | 24 hours shall mean a period of 24 hours including all or part of a day upon which banks are open for business in both the place where the relevant meeting is to be held and in each of the places where the Paying Agents have their specified offices (disregarding for this purpose the day upon which such meeting is to be held) and such period shall be extended by one period or, to the extent necessary, more periods of 24 hours until there is included as aforesaid all or part of a day upon which banks are open for business in all of the places as aforesaid; and | ||
(iv) | 48 hours shall mean a period of 48 hours including all or part of two days upon which banks are open for business both in the place where the relevant meeting is to be held and in each of the places where the Paying Agents have their specified offices (disregarding for this purpose the day upon which such meeting is to be held) and such period shall be extended by one period or, to the extent necessary, more periods of 24 hours until there is included as aforesaid all or part of two days upon which banks are open for business in all of the places as aforesaid. |
(B) | A holder of a Note (whether in definitive form or represented by a Global Note) may obtain a voting certificate in respect of such Note from a Paying Agent or require a Paying Agent to issue a block voting instruction in respect of such Note by depositing such Note with such Paying Agent or (to the satisfaction of such Paying Agent) by such Note being held to its order or under its control or being blocked in an account with a clearing system, in each case not less than 48 hours before the time fixed for the relevant meeting and on the terms set out in subparagraph (A)(i)(a) or (A)(ii)(a) above (as the case may be), and (in the case of a block voting instruction) instructing such Paying Agent to the effect set out in subparagraph (A)(ii)(b) above. The holder of any voting certificate or the proxies named in any block voting instruction shall for all purposes in connection with the relevant meeting or adjourned meeting of Noteholders be deemed to be the holder of the Notes to which such voting certificate or block voting instruction relates and the Paying Agent with which such Notes have been deposited or the person holding the same to the order or under the control of such Paying Agent or the clearing system in which such Notes have been blocked shall be deemed for such purposes not to be the holder of those Notes. |
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2. | The Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee may at any time and the Issuer shall upon a requisition in writing in the English language signed by the holders of not less than five per cent. in nominal amount of the Notes for the time being outstanding, convene a meeting of the Noteholders and if the Issuer makes default for a period of seven days in convening such a meeting the same may be convened by the Trustee or the requisitionists. Every such meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Trustee may appoint or approve. | |
3. | At least 21 days notice (exclusive of the day on which the notice is given and the day on which the meeting is to be held) specifying the place, day and hour of meeting shall be given to the holders of the relevant Notes prior to any meeting of such holders in the manner provided by Condition 13. Such notice, which shall be in the English language, shall state generally the nature of the business to be transacted at the meeting thereby convened but (except for an Extraordinary Resolution) it shall not be necessary to specify in such notice the terms of any resolution to be proposed. Such notice shall include statements, if applicable, to the effect that Notes may, not less than 48 hours before the time fixed for the meeting, be deposited with Paying Agents or (to their satisfaction) held to their order or under their control or blocked in an account with a clearing system for the purpose of obtaining voting certificates or appointing proxies. A copy of the notice shall be sent by post to the Trustee (unless the meeting is convened by the Trustee), to the Issuer (unless the meeting is convened by the Issuer) and to the Guarantor (unless the meeting is convened by the Guarantor). | |
4. | A person (who may but need not be a Noteholder) nominated in writing by the Trustee shall be entitled to take the chair at the relevant meeting or adjourned meeting but if no such nomination is made or if at any meeting or adjourned meeting the person nominated shall not be present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting the Noteholders present shall choose one of their number to be Chairman, failing which the Issuer may appoint a Chairman. The Chairman of an adjourned meeting need not be the same person as was Chairman of the meeting from which the adjournment took place. | |
5. | At any such meeting one or more persons present holding Definitive Notes or voting certificates or being proxies and holding or representing in the aggregate not less than one-twentieth of the nominal amount of the Notes for the time being outstanding shall (except for the purpose of passing an Extraordinary Resolution) form a quorum for the transaction of business and no business (other than the choosing of a Chairman) shall be transacted at any meeting unless the requisite quorum be present at the commencement of the relevant business. The quorum at any such meeting for passing an Extraordinary Resolution shall (subject as provided below) be one or more persons present holding Definitive Notes or voting certificates or being proxies and holding or representing in the aggregate a clear majority in nominal amount of the Notes for the time being outstanding PROVIDED THAT at any meeting the business of which includes any of the following matters (each of which shall, subject only to Clause 19(B)(ii), only be capable of being effected after having been approved by Extraordinary Resolution) namely: |
(i) | reduction or cancellation of the amount payable or, where applicable, modification, except where such modification is in the opinion of the Trustee bound to result in an increase, of the method of calculating the amount payable or modification of the date of payment or, where applicable, of the method of calculating the date of payment in respect of any principal or interest in respect of the Notes; | ||
(ii) | alteration of the currency in which payments under the Notes, Receipts and Coupons are to be made; | ||
(iii) | alteration of the majority required to pass an Extraordinary Resolution; | ||
(iv) | the sanctioning of any such scheme or proposal as is described in paragraph 18(I) below; and |
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(v) | alteration of this proviso or the proviso to paragraph 6 below; |
6. | If within 15 minutes (or such longer period not exceeding 30 minutes as the Chairman may decide) after the time appointed for any such meeting a quorum is not present for the transaction of any particular business, then, subject and without prejudice to the transaction of the business (if any) for which a quorum is present, the meeting shall if convened upon the requisition of Noteholders be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week (or if such day is a public holiday the next succeeding business day) at the same time and place (except in the case of a meeting at which an Extraordinary Resolution is to be proposed in which case it shall stand adjourned for such period, being not less than 13 clear days nor more than 42 clear days, and to such place as may be appointed by the Chairman either at or subsequent to such meeting and approved by the Trustee). If within 15 minutes (or such longer period not exceeding 30 minutes as the Chairman may decide) after the time appointed for any adjourned meeting a quorum is not present for the transaction of any particular business, then, subject and without prejudice to the transaction of the business (if any) for which a quorum is present, the Chairman may either (with the approval of the Trustee) dissolve such meeting or adjourn the same for such period, being not less than 13 clear days (but without any maximum number of clear days), and to such place as may be appointed by the Chairman either at or subsequent to such adjourned meeting and approved by the Trustee, and the provisions of this sentence shall apply to all further adjourned such meetings. At any adjourned meeting one or more persons present holding Definitive Notes of the relevant one or more Series or voting certificates or being proxies (whatever the nominal amount of the Notes so held or represented by them) shall (subject as provided below) form a quorum and shall have power to pass any Extraordinary Resolution or other resolution and to decide upon all matters which could properly have been dealt with at the meeting from which the adjournment took place had the requisite quorum been present PROVIDED THAT at any adjourned meeting the quorum for the transaction of business comprising any of the matters specified in the proviso to paragraph 5 above shall be one or more persons present holding Definitive Notes or voting certificates or being proxies and holding or representing in the aggregate not less than one-third of the nominal amount of the Notes for the time being outstanding. | |
7. | Notice of any adjourned meeting at which an Extraordinary Resolution is to be submitted shall be given in the same manner as notice of an original meeting but as if 10 were substituted for 21 in paragraph 3 above and such notice shall state the relevant quorum. Subject as aforesaid it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjourned meeting. | |
8. | Every question submitted to a meeting shall be decided in the first instance by a show of hands and in case of equality of votes the Chairman shall both on a show of hands and on a poll have a casting vote in addition to the vote or votes (if any) to which he may be entitled as a Noteholder or as a holder of a voting certificate or as a proxy. | |
9. | At any meeting unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded by the Chairman, the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee or any person present holding a Definitive Note of the relevant Series or a voting certificate or being a proxy (whatever the nominal amount of the Notes so held or represented by him) a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has been carried or carried by a particular majority or lost or not carried by a particular majority shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution. | |
10. | Subject to paragraph 12 below, if at any such meeting a poll is so demanded it shall be taken in such manner and subject as hereinafter provided either at once or after an adjournment as the Chairman |
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directs and the result of such poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded as at the date of the taking of the poll. The demand for a poll shall not prevent the continuance of the meeting for the transaction of any business other than the motion on which the poll has been demanded. |
11. | The Chairman may with the consent of (and shall if directed by) any such meeting adjourn the same from time to time and from place to place but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting, except business which might lawfully (but for lack of required quorum) have been transacted at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. | |
12. | Any poll demanded at any such meeting on the election of a Chairman or on any question of adjournment shall be taken at the meeting without adjournment. | |
13. | The Trustee and its lawyers and any director, officer or employee of a corporation being a trustee of these presents and any director or officer of the Issuer or, as the case may be, the Guarantor and its or their lawyers and any other person authorised so to do by the Trustee may attend and speak at any meeting. Save as aforesaid, but without prejudice to the proviso to the definition of outstanding in Clause 1, no person shall be entitled to attend and speak, nor shall any person be entitled to vote at any meeting of Noteholders or join with others in requesting the convening of such a meeting or to exercise the rights conferred on Noteholders by Condition 9 unless he either produces the Definitive Note or Definitive Notes of which he is the holder or a voting certificate or is a proxy. No person shall be entitled to vote at any meeting in respect of Notes held by, for the benefit of, or on behalf of, the Issuer, the Guarantor or any other Subsidiary of the Issuer. Nothing herein shall prevent any of the proxies named in any block voting instruction from being a director, officer or representative of or otherwise connected with the Issuer or the Guarantor. | |
14. | Subject as provided in paragraph 13 hereof at any meeting: |
(A) | on a show of hands every person who is present in person and produces a Definitive Note or voting certificate or is a proxy shall have one vote; and | ||
(B) | on a poll every person who is so present shall have one vote in respect of each U.S.$1 or such other amount as the Trustee may in its absolute discretion stipulate (or, in the case of meetings of holders of Notes denominated in another currency, such amount in such other currency as the Trustee in its absolute discretion may stipulate) in nominal amount of the Definitive Notes so produced or represented by the voting certificate so produced or in respect of which he is a proxy. |
15. | The proxies named in any block voting instruction need not be Noteholders. | |
16. | Each block voting instruction together (if so requested by the Trustee) with proof satisfactory to the Trustee of its due execution on behalf of the relevant Paying Agent shall be deposited by the relevant Paying Agent at such place as the Trustee shall approve not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the proxies named in the block voting instruction propose to vote and in default the block voting instruction shall not be treated as valid unless the Chairman of the meeting decides otherwise before such meeting or adjourned meeting proceeds to business. A notarially certified copy of each block voting instruction shall be deposited with the Trustee before the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting but the Trustee shall not thereby be obliged to investigate or be concerned with the validity of or the authority of the proxies named in any such block voting instruction. |
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17. | Any vote given in accordance with the terms of a block voting instruction shall be valid notwithstanding the previous revocation or amendment of the block voting instruction or of any of the relevant Noteholders instructions pursuant to which it was executed provided that no intimation in writing of such revocation or amendment shall have been received from the relevant Paying Agent by the Issuer at its principal office (or such other place as may have been required or approved by the Trustee for the purpose) by the time being 24 hours and 48 hours respectively before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the block voting instruction is to be used. | |
18. | A meeting of the Noteholders shall in addition to the powers hereinbefore given have the following powers exercisable only by Extraordinary Resolution (subject to the provisions relating to quorum contained in paragraphs 5 and 6 above) namely: |
(A) | Power to sanction any compromise or arrangement proposed to be made between the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee, any Appointee and the Noteholders, Receiptholders and Couponholders or any of them. | ||
(B) | Power to sanction any abrogation, modification, compromise or arrangement in respect of the rights of the Trustee, any Appointee, the Noteholders, the Receiptholders, Couponholders, the Issuer, the Guarantor or against any other or others of them or against any of their property whether such rights shall arise under these presents or otherwise. | ||
(C) | Power to assent to any modification of the provisions of these presents which shall be proposed by the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Trustee or any Noteholder. | ||
(D) | Power to give any authority or sanction which under the provisions of these presents is required to be given by Extraordinary Resolution. | ||
(E) | Power to appoint any persons (whether Noteholders or not) as a committee or committees to represent the interests of the Noteholders and to confer upon such committee or committees any powers or discretions which the Noteholders could themselves exercise by Extraordinary Resolution. | ||
(F) | Power to approve of a person to be appointed a trustee and power to remove any trustee or trustees for the time being of these presents. | ||
(G) | Power to discharge or exonerate the Trustee and/or any Appointee from all liability in respect of any act or omission for which the Trustee and/or such Appointee may have become responsible under these presents. | ||
(H) | Power to authorise the Trustee and/or any Appointee to concur in and execute and do all such deeds, instruments, acts and things as may be necessary to carry out and give effect to any Extraordinary Resolution. | ||
(I) | Power to sanction any scheme or proposal for the exchange or sale of the Notes for or the conversion of the Notes into or the cancellation of the Notes in consideration of shares, stock, notes, bonds, debentures, debenture stock and/or other obligations and/or securities of the Issuer or any other company formed or to be formed, or for or into or in consideration of cash, or partly for or into or in consideration of such shares, stock, notes, bonds, debentures, debenture stock and/or other obligations and/or securities as aforesaid and partly for or into or in consideration of cash and for the appointment of some person with power on behalf of the Noteholders to execute an instrument of transfer of the Registered Notes held by them in favour of the persons with or to whom the Notes are to be exchanged or sold respectively. |
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19. | Any resolution passed at a meeting of the Noteholders duly convened and held in accordance with these presents shall be binding upon all the Noteholders whether present or not present at such meeting and whether or not voting and upon all Receiptholders and Couponholders and each of them shall be bound to give effect thereto accordingly and the passing of any such resolution shall be conclusive evidence that the circumstances justify the passing thereof. Notice of the result of the voting on any resolution duly considered by the Noteholders shall be published in accordance with Condition 13 by the Issuer within 14 days of such result being known PROVIDED THAT the non-publication of such notice shall not invalidate such result. | |
20. | The expression Extraordinary Resolution when used in these presents means (a) a resolution passed at a meeting of the Noteholders duly convened and held in accordance with these presents by a majority consisting of not less than three-fourths of the persons voting thereat upon a show of hands or if a poll is duly demanded by a majority consisting of not less than three-fourths of the votes cast on such poll; or (b) a resolution in writing signed by or on behalf of all the Noteholders, which resolution in writing may be contained in one document or in several documents in like form each signed by or on behalf of one or more of the Noteholders. | |
21. | Minutes of all resolutions and proceedings at every meeting of the Noteholders shall be made and entered in books to be from time to time provided for that purpose by the Issuer and any such minutes as aforesaid if purporting to be signed by the Chairman of the meeting at which such resolutions were passed or proceedings transacted shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein contained and until the contrary is proved every such meeting in respect of the proceedings of which minutes have been made shall be deemed to have been duly held and convened and all resolutions passed or proceedings transacted thereat to have been duly passed or transacted. |
22. | (A) | If and whenever the Issuer shall have issued and have outstanding Notes of more than one Series the foregoing provisions of this Schedule shall have effect subject to the following modifications: |
(i) | a resolution which in the opinion of the Trustee affects the Notes of only one Series shall be deemed to have been duly passed if passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the Notes of that Series; | ||
(ii) | a resolution which in the opinion of the Trustee affects the Notes of more than one Series but does not give rise to a conflict of interest between the holders of Notes of any of the Series so affected shall be deemed to have been duly passed if passed at a single meeting of the holders of the Notes of all the Series so affected; | ||
(iii) | a resolution which in the opinion of the Trustee affects the Notes of more than one Series and gives or may give rise to a conflict of interest between the holders of the Notes of one Series or group of Series so affected and the holders of the Notes of another Series or group of Series so affected shall be deemed to have been duly passed only if passed at separate meetings of the holders of the Notes of each Series or group of Series so affected; and | ||
(iv) | to all such meetings all the preceding provisions of this Schedule shall mutatis mutandis apply as though references therein to Notes and Noteholders were references to the Notes of the Series or group of Series in question or to the holders of such Notes, as the case may be. |
(B) | If the Issuer shall have issued and have outstanding Notes which are not denominated in U.S. dollars in the case of any meeting of holders of Notes of more than one currency the principal amount of such Notes shall (i) for the purposes of paragraph 2 above be the equivalent in U.S. dollars at the spot rate of a bank nominated by the Trustee for the |
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conversion of the relevant currency or currencies into U.S. dollars on the seventh dealing day prior to the day on which the requisition in writing is received by the Issuer and (ii) for the purposes of paragraphs 5, 6 and 14 above (whether in respect of the meeting or any adjourned such meeting or any poll resulting therefrom) be the equivalent at such spot rate on the seventh dealing day prior to the day of such meeting. In such circumstances, on any poll each person present shall have one vote for each U.S.$1 (or such other U.S. dollar amount as the Trustee may in its absolute discretion stipulate) in principal amount of the Notes (converted as above) which he holds or represents. |
23. | Subject to all other provisions of these presents the Trustee may without the consent of any of the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Noteholders, the Receiptholders or the Couponholders prescribe such further regulations regarding the requisitioning and/or the holding of meetings of Noteholders and attendance and voting thereat as the Trustee may in its sole discretion think fit. |
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EXECUTED as a DEED by | ) | |||||
COUNTRYWIDE FINANCIAL CORPORATION | ) | |||||
acting by | ) | JENNIFER S SANDEFUR | ||||
acting under the authority of that | ) | |||||
company in the presence of: | ) | |||||
Witnesss Signature: | M. KEITH JACKSON | |||||
Name: | M. KEITH JACKSON | |||||
Address: | 5220 LAS VIRGENES | |||||
CALABASAS, CA 91302 | ||||||
Occupation: | ATTORNEY | |||||
EXECUTED as a DEED by | ) | |||||
COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, | ) | |||||
INC. acting by | ) | JENNIFER S SANDEFUR | ||||
acting under the authority of that | ) | |||||
company in the presence of: | ) | |||||
Witnesss Signature: | M. KEITH JACKSON | |||||
Name: | M. KEITH JACKSON | |||||
Address: | 5220 LAS VIRGENES | |||||
CALABASAS, CA 91302 | ||||||
Occupation: | ATTORNEY | |||||
THE COMMON SEAL of DEUTSCHE | ) | |||||
TRUSTEE COMPANY LIMITED | ) | |||||
was affixed to this deed in | ) | SEAL | ||||
the presence of: | ) |
Director | SALLY WALKER | |||
Associate Director | SINEAD CLERKIN |
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![]() | ||
Allen & Overy LLP | ||
TRUST DEED | ||
COUNTRYWIDE FINANCIAL | ||
CORPORATION | ||
and | ||
COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, | ||
INC. | ||
and | ||
DEUTSCHE TRUSTEE COMPANY | ||
LIMITED | ||
relating to a | ||
U.S.$5,000,000,000 | ||
Euro Medium Term Note Programme | ||
15 August 2005 |