INDENTURE

EX-4.1 3 dex41.htm INDENTURE Indenture

Exhibit 4.1

 


INDENTURE

 

Among

 

HUGHES SUPPLY, INC.,

 

THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS PARTIES HERETO

 

and

 

U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee

 

5.50% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2014

 

Dated as of October 12, 2004

 



CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE*

 

Trust Indenture Act Section


   Indenture Section

310(a)(1)

   7.10

      (a)(2)

   7.10

      (a)(3)

   N.A.

      (a)(4)

   N.A.

      (a)(5)

   7.10

      (b)

   7.10

      (c)

   N.A.

311(a)

   7.11

      (b)

   7.11

      (c)

   N.A.

312(a)

   2.05

      (b)

   12.03

      (c)

   12.03

313(a)

   7.06

      (b)(1)

   N.A.

      (b)(2)

   7.06; 7.07

      (c)

   7.06; 12.02

      (d)

   7.06

314(a)

   4.03; 12.02; 12.05

      (b)

   N.A.

      (c)(1)

   12.04

      (c)(2)

   12.04

      (c)(3)

   N.A.

      (d)

   N.A.

      (e)

   12.05

      (f)

   N.A.

315(a)

   7.01

      (b)

   7.05; 12.02

      (c)

   7.01

      (d)

   7.01

      (e)

   6.11

316(a) (last sentence)

   2.09

      (a)(1)(A)

   6.05

      (a)(1)(B)

   6.04

      (a)(2)

   N.A.

      (b)

   6.07

      (c)

   2.12

317(a)(1)

   6.08

      (a)(2)

   6.09

      (b)

   2.04

318(a)

   12.01

      (b)

   N.A.

      (c)

   12.01

N.A. means not applicable.

* This Cross Reference Table is not part of the Indenture.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

ARTICLE 1.     
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION     
BY REFERENCE     
Section 1.01    Definitions.    1
Section 1.02    Other Definitions.    9
Section 1.03    Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.    9
Section 1.04    Rules of Construction.    10
ARTICLE 2.     
THE NOTES     
Section 2.01    Form and Dating.    10
Section 2.02    Execution and Authentication.    11
Section 2.03    Registrar and Paying Agent.    11
Section 2.04    Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.    11
Section 2.05    Holder Lists.    12
Section 2.06    Transfer and Exchange.    12
Section 2.07    Replacement Notes.    23
Section 2.08    Outstanding Notes.    24
Section 2.09    Treasury Notes.    24
Section 2.10    Temporary Notes.    24
Section 2.11    Cancellation.    24
Section 2.12    Defaulted Interest.    25
ARTICLE 3.     
REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT     
Section 3.01    Optional Redemption.    25
Section 3.02    Notices to Trustee.    25
Section 3.03    Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed.    25
Section 3.04    Notice of Redemption.    26
Section 3.05    Effect of Notice of Redemption.    27
Section 3.06    Deposit of Redemption Price.    27
Section 3.07    Notes Redeemed in Part.    27
ARTICLE 4.     
COVENANTS     
Section 4.01    Payment of Notes.    27
Section 4.02    Maintenance of Office or Agency.    28
Section 4.03    Reports.    28
Section 4.04    Compliance Certificate.    29
Section 4.05    Taxes.    29
Section 4.06    Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.    29
Section 4.07    Limitation on Liens.    30
Section 4.08    Limitation on Sales and Leasebacks.    30
Section 4.09    Corporate Existence.    31
Section 4.10    Payments for Consent.    31
Section 4.11    Additional Subsidiary Guarantees.    31

 

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ARTICLE 5.     
SUCCESSORS     
Section 5.01    Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets.    32
Section 5.02    Successor Corporation Substituted.    32
ARTICLE 6.     
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES     
Section 6.01    Events of Default.    33
Section 6.02    Acceleration.    34
Section 6.03    Other Remedies.    35
Section 6.04    Waiver of Past Defaults.    35
Section 6.05    Control by Majority.    35
Section 6.06    Limitation on Suits.    35
Section 6.07    Rights of Holders of Notes to Receive Payment.    36
Section 6.08    Collection Suit by Trustee.    36
Section 6.09    Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.    36
Section 6.10    Priorities.    36
Section 6.11    Undertaking for Costs.    37
Section 6.12    Restoration of Rights and Remedies.    37
ARTICLE 7.     
TRUSTEE     
Section 7.01    Duties of Trustee.    37
Section 7.02    Rights of Trustee.    38
Section 7.03    Individual Rights of Trustee.    39
Section 7.04    Trustee’s Disclaimer.    40
Section 7.05    Notice of Defaults.    40
Section 7.06    Reports by Trustee to Holders of the Notes.    40
Section 7.07    Compensation and Indemnity.    40
Section 7.08    Replacement of Trustee.    41
Section 7.09    Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.    42
Section 7.10    Eligibility; Disqualification.    42
Section 7.11    Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.    42
ARTICLE 8.     
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE     
Section 8.01    Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.    42
Section 8.02    Legal Defeasance and Discharge.    42
Section 8.03    Covenant Defeasance.    43
Section 8.04    Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance.    44
Section 8.05    Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.    45
Section 8.06    Repayment to Company.    45
Section 8.07    Reinstatement.    46
ARTICLE 9.     
AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER     
Section 9.01    Without Consent of Holders of Notes.    46
Section 9.02    With Consent of Holders of Notes.    47
Section 9.03    Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.    48

 

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Section 9.04    Revocation and Effect of Consents.    48
Section 9.05    Notation on or Exchange of Notes.    48
Section 9.06    Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.    48
ARTICLE 10.     
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES     
Section 10.01    Subsidiary Guarantee.    49
Section 10.02    Limitation on Guarantor Liability.    50
Section 10.03    Execution and Delivery of Subsidiary Guarantee.    50
Section 10.04    Termination, Release and Discharge Upon Merger or Consolidation.    51
ARTICLE 11.     
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE     
Section 11.01    Satisfaction and Discharge.    51
Section 11.02    Application of Trust Money.    52
ARTICLE 12.     
MISCELLANEOUS     
Section 12.01    Trust Indenture Act Controls.    52
Section 12.02    Notices.    52
Section 12.03    Communication by Holders of Notes with Other Holders of Notes.    54
Section 12.04    Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.    54
Section 12.05    Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.    54
Section 12.06    Rules by Trustee and Agents.    54
Section 12.07    No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders.    54
Section 12.08    Governing Law.    55
Section 12.09    No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.    55
Section 12.10    Successors.    55
Section 12.11    Severability.    55
Section 12.12    Counterpart Originals.    55
Section 12.13    Table of Contents, Headings, etc.    55
EXHIBITS     
Exhibit A    FORM OF NOTE     
Exhibit B    FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER     
Exhibit C    FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE     
Exhibit D    FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF ACQUIRING INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR     
Exhibit E    FORM OF SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEE     
Exhibit F    FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE     

 

iii


INDENTURE, dated as of October 12, 2004, among Hughes Supply, Inc., a Florida corporation, having its principal office at One Hughes Way, Orlando, Florida 32805 (the “Company”), the guarantors from time to time parties hereto and described below (collectively, the “Guarantors”) and U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”), having its principal corporate trust office at 500 W. Cypress Creek Rd., Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309.

 

The Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders (as defined) of (i) $300,000,000 of the Company’s 5.50% Senior Notes due 2014 (the “Initial Notes”), (ii) if and when issued, the Company’s additional 5.50% Senior Notes due 2014 that may be offered from time to time subsequent to the date hereof (the “Additional Notes”) and (iii) if and when issued in exchange for the Initial Notes as provided for in the Registration Rights Agreement (as hereinafter defined), the Company’s 5.50% Senior Notes due 2014 (the “Exchange Notes” and, together with the Initial Notes and the Additional Notes, the “Notes”):

 

ARTICLE 1.

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION

BY REFERENCE

 

Section 1.01 Definitions.

 

“144A Global Note” means a Restricted Global Note issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold in reliance on Rule 144A.

 

“Additional Notes” has the meaning assigned to it in the preamble to this Indenture and are Notes (other than the Initial Notes) issued under this Indenture in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, as part of the same series as the Initial Notes.

 

Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For purposes of this definition, “control,” as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise. For purposes of this definition, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with” have correlative meanings.

 

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

 

“Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to any transfer or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream that apply to such transfer or exchange.

 

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

 

Beneficial Owner” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), such “person” will be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such “person” has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only upon the occurrence of a subsequent condition. The terms “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” have a corresponding meaning.

 

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“Board of Directors” means:

 

(1) with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation;

 

(2) with respect to a partnership, the board of directors of the general partner of the partnership; and

 

(3) with respect to any other Person, the board or committee of such Person serving a similar function.

 

“Broker-Dealer” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Legal Holiday.

 

“Capital Lease Obligation” means, at the time any determination is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at that time be required to be capitalized on a balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Capital Stock” means:

 

(1) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Captive Subsidiary” means Hughes Insurance Company, Ltd., a Bermuda insurance company.

 

“Clearstream” means Clearstream Banking, S.A.

 

Commission” means Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Company” means Hughes Supply, Inc., and any and all successors thereto.

 

“Consolidated Net Worth” means the stockholders’ equity of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, as shown on the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Company’s latest annual report to stockholders, prepared in accordance with GAAP.

 

“Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee” will be at the principal address of the Trustee specified in Section 12.02 hereof or such other address as to which the Trustee may give notice to the Company.

 

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

 

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

 

2


“Definitive Note” means a certificated Note registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.06 hereof, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto except that such Note shall not bear the Global Note Legend and shall not have the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto.

 

“Depositary” means, with respect to the Notes issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in Section 2.03 hereof as the Depositary with respect to the Notes, and any and all successors thereto appointed as depositary hereunder and having become such pursuant to the applicable provision of this Indenture.

 

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

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

“Exchange Notes” has the meaning assigned to it in the preamble to this Indenture and are Notes issued in the Exchange Offer pursuant to Section 2.06(f) hereof and having substantially identical terms as the Notes (except that the Exchange Notes will not contain terms with respect to transfer restrictions) pursuant to a registered Exchange Offer as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

“Exchange Offer” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

“Exchange Offer Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

“Existing Indebtedness” means Indebtedness under (i) the Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of June 14, 2004, as may be amended from time to time, among the Company, as borrower, certain of its Subsidiaries, as guarantors, the several lenders party thereto and SunTrust Bank, as administrative agent, (ii) the Note Purchase Agreement, dated December 21, 2000, among the Company, as issuer, certain of its subsidiaries, as guarantors, and the purchasers listed therein relating to the Company’s 8.27% Series B Senior Notes due 2005 and 8.42% Series C Senior Notes due 2007, (iii) the Note Purchase Agreement, dated May 29, 1996, among the Company, as issuer, certain of its subsidiaries, as guarantors, and the purchasers listed therein relating to the Company’s 7.96% Senior Notes due 2011, (iv) the Note Purchase Agreement, dated August 28, 1997, among the Company, as issuer, certain of its subsidiaries, as guarantors, and the purchasers listed therein relating to the Company’s 7.14% Series A Senior Notes due 2012 and 7.19% Series B Senior Notes due 2012 and (v) the Note Purchase Agreement, dated May 5, 1998, among the Company, as issuer, certain of its subsidiaries, as guarantors, and the purchasers listed therein relating to the Company’s 6.74% Senior Notes due 2013.

 

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, as in effect from time to time; provided, however, that any change in GAAP that would cause the Company to record an existing item as a liability upon that entity’s balance sheet, which item was not previously required by GAAP to be so recorded, shall not constitute an incurrence of Indebtedness for purposes of this Indenture.

 

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

 

3


“Global Note Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(2).

 

“Government Securities” means direct obligations of, or obligations Guaranteed by, the United States of America, and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.

 

“Guarantee” means a guarantee other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business, direct or indirect, in any manner including, without limitation, by way of a pledge of assets or through letters of credit or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof, of all or any part of any Indebtedness.

 

“Guarantors” means:

 

(1) each Subsidiary of the Company (other than a Subsidiary which is not an Other Senior Indebtedness Guarantor) in existence on the date of this Indenture; and

 

(2) any other Subsidiary of the Company that is required to guarantee the Notes under the terms of this Indenture;

 

and their respective successors and assigns.

 

“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Note is registered.

 

“IAI Global Note” means a Restricted Global Note issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold to Institutional Accredited Investors.

 

“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any specified Person, any indebtedness of such Person, whether or not contingent:

 

(1) in respect of borrowed money;

 

(2) evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);

 

(3) in respect of banker’s acceptances;

 

(4) representing Capital Lease Obligations; or

 

(5) representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property, except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable,

 

if and to the extent any of the preceding items (other than letters of credit) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of the specified Person prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the term “Indebtedness” includes all Indebtedness of others secured by a Lien on any asset of the specified Person, the amount of such Indebtedness being deemed to be the lesser of the fair market value of such property or the amount of the Indebtedness so secured (whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by the specified Person) and, to the extent not otherwise included, the Guarantee by the specified Person of any indebtedness of any other Person.

 

The amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date shall be:

 

(1) the accreted value of the Indebtedness, in the case of any Indebtedness issued with original issue discount; and

 

4


(2) the principal amount of the Indebtedness, together with any interest on the Indebtedness that is more than 30 days past due, in the case of any other Indebtedness.

 

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

 

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

 

“Initial Notes” means the first $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under this Indenture on the date hereof.

 

“Initial Purchasers” means Lehman Brothers Inc., Banc of America Securities LLC, SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC.

 

“Institutional Accredited Investor” means an institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act, and that is not also a QIB.

 

“Legal Holiday” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York or at a place of payment are authorized by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed.

 

“Letter of Transmittal” means the letter of transmittal to be prepared by the Company and sent to all Holders of the Notes for use by such Holders in connection with the Exchange Offer.

 

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law, including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to sell or give a security interest in and any filing of or agreement to give any financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent statutes) of any jurisdiction.

 

“Liquidated Damages” means all liquidated damages then owing pursuant to Section 2 of the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

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

 

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

 

“Obligations” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.

 

“Officer” means, with respect to any Person, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary or any Vice-President of such Person, or, with respect to a Guarantor, any general partner, manager or officer thereof or other Person performing functions similar to those performed by the foregoing officers.

 

5


“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by two Officers of the Company, one of whom must be the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer, the treasurer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, that meets the requirements of Section 12.05 hereof.

 

“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, that meets the requirements of Section 12.05 hereof. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.

 

“Other Senior Indebtedness” means senior unsecured Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries other than the Notes (including, without limitation, Existing Indebtedness) and any renewal, extension, refunding, replacement or refinancing thereof.

 

“Other Senior Indebtedness Guarantor” means every Subsidiary of the Company that is a guarantor under any of the Other Senior Indebtedness from time to time; provided that, to the extent that any or all of such Subsidiaries cease to be guarantors under all the Other Senior Indebtedness, such Subsidiaries shall cease to be Other Senior Indebtedness Guarantors.

 

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

 

Permitted Liens” means:

 

(1) Liens existing on the date of this Indenture;

 

(2) any Lien on any property or assets created at the time of acquisition of such property or assets or within six months after such time to secure all or a portion of the purchase price for such property or Indebtedness incurred to finance such purchase price, whether such Indebtedness was incurred prior to, at the time of or within six months after the date of such acquisition; or any Lien upon any property or assets to secure all or part of the cost of construction or improvement thereof or to secure Indebtedness incurred prior to, at the time of, or within six months after completion of such construction or improvement or the commencement of full operations thereof (whichever is later), to provide funds for such purpose;

 

(3) landlord’s, materialmen’s, carriers’, workmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business in respect of obligations which are not overdue or which are being contested in good faith in appropriate proceedings;

 

(4) Liens on property or assets of any Person existing at the time such Person became or becomes a Subsidiary of the Company (provided that the Lien has not been created or assumed in contemplation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary of the Company);

 

(5) Liens securing Indebtedness of a Subsidiary to the Company or to one or more of its Subsidiaries;

 

(6) rights of set-off over deposits of the Company or a Subsidiary held by financial institutions;

 

(7) Liens in favor of the United States of America, or any State or agency thereof or of any foreign country, or any agency, department or other instrumentality thereof, to secure progress, advance or other payments or obligations pursuant to any contract or provision of any statute;

 

6


(8) Liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary course of business in connection with self-insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, social security or similar matters;

 

(9) Liens arising by reason of any judgment, decree or order of any court, so long as any appropriate legal proceedings which may have been initiated for the review of such judgment, decree or order shall not have been finally terminated or so long as the period within which such proceedings may be initiated shall not have expired; any deposit or pledge with any surety company or clerk of any court, or in escrow, as collateral in connection with, or in lieu of, any bond on appeal from any judgment or decree against the Company or any Subsidiary, or in connection with other proceedings or actions at law or in equity by or against the Company or any Subsidiary;

 

(10) any extension, renewal, substitution or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals, substitutions or replacements), as a whole or in part, of any Lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (1) to (9), inclusive, or the Indebtedness secured thereby; provided, however, that (i) the principal amount of Indebtedness secured thereby and not otherwise authorized by said clauses (1) to (9), inclusive, shall not exceed the principal amount of Indebtedness so secured at the time of such extension, renewal, substitution or replacement; and (ii) any such extension, renewal, substitution or replacement Lien shall be limited to the property covered by the Lien extended, renewed, substituted or replaced.

 

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, limited liability company or government or other entity.

 

“Private Placement Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(1) to be placed on all Notes issued under this Indenture except where otherwise permitted by the provisions of this Indenture.

 

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

 

“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of October 12, 2004, among the Company, the Guarantors and the other parties named on the signature pages thereof, as such agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time and, with respect to any Additional Notes, one or more registration rights agreements among the Company, the Guarantors and the other parties thereto, as such agreement(s) may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, relating to rights given by the Company and the Guarantors to the purchasers of Additional Notes to register such Additional Notes under the Securities Act.

 

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

 

“Regulation S Global Note” means a Restricted Global Note issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes initially sold in reliance on Rule 903 of Regulation S.

 

“Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any vice president, any assistant vice president, any senior trust officer or assistant trust officer, any trust officer, or any other officer associated with the corporate trust department of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

 

7


“Restricted Definitive Note” means a Definitive Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

 

“Restricted Global Note” means a Global Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

 

“Restricted Period” means the 40-day distribution compliance period as defined in Regulation S.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Sale-Leaseback Transaction” means the sale or transfer by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary of any property to a Person and the taking back by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, as the case may be, of a lease of such property.

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

“Shelf Registration Statement” means the Shelf Registration Statement as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Regulation is in effect on the date of this Indenture.

 

“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which the payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the original documentation governing such Indebtedness, and shall not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.

 

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person:

 

(1) any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees of the corporation, association or other business entity is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

 

(2) any partnership (a) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (b) the only general partners of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof).

 

“Subsidiary Guarantee” means any Guarantee of the Notes to be executed by any Subsidiary of the Company pursuant to the covenants described in Sections 4.11 and 10.01. Each such Subsidiary Guarantee by any Subsidiary created or acquired by the Company after the date of this Indenture will be in the form of Exhibit F to this Indenture or such other form as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee.

 

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“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date on which this Indenture is qualified under the TIA.

 

“Trustee” means the party named as such in the preamble to this Indenture until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder.

 

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

 

“Unrestricted Global Note” means a Global Note that does not bear the Private Placement Legend.

 

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

 

Section 2.00 Other Definitions.

 

Term


 

Defined in

Section


 

Authentication Order

  2.02

Covenant Defeasance

  8.03

DTC

  2.03

Event of Default

  6.01

Legal Defeasance

  8.02

Paying Agent

  2.03

Registrar

  2.03

 

Section 1.03 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

 

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.

 

The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

 

indenture securities” means the Notes;

 

indenture security Holder” means a Holder of a Note;

 

indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;

 

indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee; and

 

“obligor” on the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees means the Company and the Guarantors, respectively, and any successor obligor upon the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees, respectively.

 

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by Commission rule under the TIA have the meanings so assigned to them.

 

9


Section 1.04 Rules of Construction.

 

Unless the context otherwise requires:

 

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

 

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

 

(3) “or” is not exclusive;

 

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

 

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

 

(6) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and

 

(7) references to sections of or rules under the Securities Act will be deemed to include substitute, replacement or successor sections or rules adopted by the Commission from time to time.

 

ARTICLE 2.

THE NOTES

 

Section 2.01 Form and Dating.

 

(a) General. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. Each Note will be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall be in denominations of $5,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

The terms and provisions contained in the Notes will constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. However, to the extent any provision of any Note conflicts with the express provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling.

 

(b) Global Notes. Notes issued in global form will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (including the Global Note Legend thereon and the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Notes issued in definitive form will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (but without the Global Note Legend thereon and without the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Each Global Note will represent such of the outstanding Notes as will be specified therein and each shall provide that it represents the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby will be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the Holder thereof as required by Section 2.06 hereof.

 

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(1) Euroclear and Clearstream Procedures Applicable. The provisions of the “Operating Procedures of the Euroclear System” and “Terms and Conditions Governing Use of Euroclear” and the “General Terms and Conditions of Clearstream Banking” and “Customer Handbook” of Clearstream will be applicable to transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Global Notes that are held by Participants through Euroclear or Clearsteam.

 

Section 2.02 Execution and Authentication.

 

Two Officers must sign the Notes for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

 

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

 

A Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee. The signature will be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.

 

The Trustee shall, upon receipt of a written order of the Company signed by two Officers (an “Authentication Order”), authenticate the Initial Notes for original issue up to $300,000,000 in aggregate principal amount and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with this Section 2.02, at any time and from time to time thereafter, the Trustee shall authenticate Additional Notes and Exchange Notes for original issue in an aggregate principal amount specified in such Authentication Order.

 

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

 

Section 2.03 Registrar and Paying Agent.

 

The Company will maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“Registrar”) and an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”). The Registrar will keep a register of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent. The Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company will notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Company fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

 

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

 

The Company initially appoints the Trustee to act as the Registrar and Paying Agent and to act as Custodian with respect to the Global Notes.

 

Section 2.04 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

 

The Company will require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal, premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on the Notes, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such

 

11


default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary) will have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it will segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings relating to the Company, the Trustee will serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.

 

Section 2.05 Holder Lists.

 

The Trustee will preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of all Holders and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company will furnish to the Trustee at least seven Business Days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders of Notes and the Company shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a).

 

Section 2.06 Transfer and Exchange.

 

(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes. A Global Note may not be transferred as a whole except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or to another nominee of the Depositary, or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. All Global Notes will be exchanged by the Company for Definitive Notes if:

 

(1) the Company delivers to the Trustee notice from the Depositary that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as Depositary or that it is no longer a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the date of such notice from the Depositary; or

 

(2) the Company, at its option, determines that the Global Notes (in whole but not in part) should be exchanged for Definitive Notes and delivers a written notice to such effect to the Trustee; or

 

(3) there has occurred and is continuing a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes.

 

Upon the occurrence of any of the preceding events in (1), (2) or (3) above, Definitive Notes shall be issued in such names as the Depositary shall instruct the Trustee. Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Sections 2.07 and 2.10 hereof. Except as provided in this Section 2.06(a), every Note authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.06 or Section 2.07 or 2.10 hereof, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Note. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 2.06(a); however, beneficial interests in a Global Note may be transferred and exchanged as provided in Section 2.06(b), (c) or (f) hereof.

 

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(b) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in the Global Notes. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes will be subject to restrictions on transfer comparable to those set forth herein to the extent required by the Securities Act. Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes also will require compliance with either subparagraph (1) or (2) below, as applicable, as well as one or more of the other following subparagraphs, as applicable:

 

(1) Transfer of Beneficial Interests in the Same Global Note. Beneficial interests in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the same Restricted Global Note in accordance with the transfer restrictions set forth in the Private Placement Legend; provided, however, that prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period, transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Global Note may not be made to a U.S. Person or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person (other than an Initial Purchaser). Beneficial interests in any Unrestricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. No written orders or instructions shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the transfers described in this Section 2.06(b)(1).

 

(2) All Other Transfers and Exchanges of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes. In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests that are not subject to Section 2.06(b)(1) above, the transferor of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either:

 

(A) both:

 

(i) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a beneficial interest in another Global Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and

 

(ii) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account to be credited with such increase; or

 

(B) both:

 

(i) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause to be issued a Definitive Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and

 

(ii) instructions given by the Depositary to the Registrar containing information regarding the Person in whose name such Definitive Note shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in (1) above.

 

Upon consummation of an Exchange Offer by the Company in accordance with Section 2.06(f) hereof, the requirements of this Section 2.06(b)(2) shall be deemed to have been satisfied upon receipt by the Registrar of the instructions contained in the Letter of Transmittal delivered by the Holder of such beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes. Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes contained in this Indenture and the Notes or otherwise applicable under the Securities Act, the Trustee shall adjust the principal amount of the relevant Global Note(s) pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof.

 

(3) Transfer of Beneficial Interests to Another Restricted Global Note. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Restricted Global Note if the transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(2) above and the Registrar receives the following:

 

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

 

13


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

 

(C) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the IAI Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.

 

(4) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Beneficial Interests in an Unrestricted Global Note. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be exchanged by any holder thereof for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note if the exchange or transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(2) above and:

 

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the holder of the beneficial interest to be transferred, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (i) a Broker-Dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;

 

(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

 

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

 

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

 

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

 

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

 

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably

 

14


acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(B) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

 

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

 

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

 

(E) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to an Institutional Accredited Investor in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than those listed in subparagraphs (B) through (D) above, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable;

 

(F) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

 

15


(G) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

 

the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through instructions from the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(1) shall bear the Private Placement Legend and shall be subject to all restrictions on transfer contained therein.

 

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

 

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the holder of such beneficial interest, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (i) a Broker-Dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;

 

(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

 

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

 

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

 

(i) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Note that does not bear the Private Placement Legend, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(b) thereof; or

 

(ii) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note that does not bear the Private Placement Legend, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

 

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

 

16


(3) Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note, then, upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.06(b)(2) hereof, the Trustee will cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(3) will be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest requests through instructions to the Registrar from or through the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee will deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(3) will not bear the Private Placement Legend.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(B) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

 

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

 

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

 

(E) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to an Institutional Accredited Investor in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than those listed in subparagraphs (B) through (D) above, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable;

 

17


(F) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

 

(G) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

 

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

 

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

 

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (i) a Broker-Dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;

 

(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

 

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

 

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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Upon satisfaction of the conditions of any of the subparagraphs in this Section 2.06(d)(2), the Trustee will cancel the Definitive Notes and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of the Unrestricted Global Note.

 

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

 

If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a beneficial interest is effected pursuant to subparagraphs (2)(B), (2)(D) or (3) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee will authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of Definitive Notes so transferred.

 

(e) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Definitive Notes. Upon request by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 2.06(e), the Registrar will register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting Holder must present or surrender to the Registrar the Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such Holder or by its attorney, duly authorized in writing. In addition, the requesting Holder must provide any additional certifications, documents and information, as applicable, required pursuant to the following provisions of this Section 2.06(e).

 

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

 

(A) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (i) a broker-dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;

 

(B) any such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

 

(C) any such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

 

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(f) Exchange Offer. Upon the occurrence of the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee will authenticate:

 

(1) one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes tendered into the Exchange Offer by Persons that certify in the applicable Letters of Transmittal that (A) they are not Broker-Dealers, (B) they are not participating in a distribution of the Exchange Notes and (z) they are not affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company; and

 

(2) Unrestricted Definitive Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Restricted Definitive Notes accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer.

 

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Concurrently with the issuance of such Notes, the Trustee will cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Restricted Global Notes to be reduced accordingly, and the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Persons designated by the Holders of Definitive Notes so accepted Unrestricted Definitive Notes in the appropriate principal amount.

 

(g) Legends. The following legends will appear on the face of all Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued under this Indenture unless specifically stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of this Indenture.

 

(1) Private Placement Legend.

 

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

 

“THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”). THE HOLDER HEREOF, BY PURCHASING THIS SECURITY, AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY THAT THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED OTHER THAN (A)(1) TO THE COMPANY, (2) IN A TRANSACTION ENTITLED TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (3) SO LONG AS THIS SECURITY IS ELIGIBLE FOR RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (“RULE 144A”), TO A PERSON WHOM THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER TO WHOM NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE RESALE, PLEDGE OR OTHER TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A, (4) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT TO AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR THAT IS PURCHASING NOTES IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF AT LEAST $100,000 AND THAT, PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER, FURNISHES TO THE REGISTRAR A SIGNED LETTER CONTAINING CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS RELATING TO THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY (THE FORM OF LETTER CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE TRUSTEE), (5) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANOTHER APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AND BASED UPON AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY) OR (6) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WHICH HAS BEEN DECLARED EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND (B) IN EACH CASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF EACH STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR HOLDING THIS SECURITY AGREES IT WILL FURNISH TO THE COMPANY, THE TRUSTEE AND THE REGISTRAR SUCH CERTIFICATES AND OTHER INFORMATION AS THEY MAY REASONABLY REQUIRE TO CONFIRM THAT ANY TRANSFER BY IT OF THIS SECURITY COMPLIES WITH THE FOREGOING RESTRICTIONS. THE HOLDER HEREOF, BY PURCHASING THIS SECURITY, REPRESENTS AND AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY THAT IT IS (1) A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A OR (2) AN INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(A)(1),(2),(3) OR (7) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND THAT IT IS HOLDING THIS SECURITY FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION.”

 

(B) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Global Note or Definitive Note issued pursuant to subparagraphs (b)(4), (c)(2), (c)(3), (d)(2), (d)(3), (e)(2), (e)(3) or (f) of this Section 2.06 (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) will not bear the Private Placement Legend.

 

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(2) Global Note Legend. Each Global Note will bear a legend in substantially the following form:

 

“THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (1) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06 OF THE INDENTURE, (2) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE INDENTURE AND (3) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE.

 

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”) TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.”

 

(h) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Notes. At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for Definitive Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed, repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note will be returned to or retained and canceled by the Trustee in accordance with Section 2.11 hereof. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note or for Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such Global Note will be reduced accordingly and an endorsement will be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note will be increased accordingly and an endorsement will be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.

 

(i) General Provisions Relating to Transfers and Exchanges.

 

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

 

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(2) No service charge will be made to a Holder of a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive Note for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant to Sections 2.10, 3.07 and 9.05 hereof).

 

(3) The Registrar will not be required to register the transfer of or exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.

 

(4) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive Notes will be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

 

(5) The Company will not be required:

 

(A) to issue, to register the transfer of or to exchange any Notes during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of any selection of Notes for redemption under Section 3.03 hereof and ending at the close of business on the day of selection;

 

(B) to register the transfer of or to exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part; or

 

(C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between a record date and the next succeeding interest payment date.

 

(6) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Company may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Note is registered as the absolute owner of such Note for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on such Notes and for all other purposes, and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the Company shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

(7) The Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.02 hereof.

 

(8) All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to the Registrar pursuant to this Section 2.06 to effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile.

 

Section 2.07 Replacement Notes.

 

If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or the Company and the Trustee receives evidence to its satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Note, the Company will issue and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, will authenticate a replacement Note if the Trustee’s requirements are met. If required by the Trustee or the Company, an indemnity bond must be supplied by the Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee, any Agent and any authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Company may charge for its expenses in replacing a Note.

 

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Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the Company and will be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.

 

Section 2.08 Outstanding Notes.

 

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

 

If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Note is held by a protected purchaser.

 

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

 

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of any thereof) holds, on a redemption date or maturity date, money sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such Notes will be deemed to be no longer outstanding and will cease to accrue interest.

 

Section 2.09 Treasury Notes.

 

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned by the Company, or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company, will be considered as though not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee will be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Notes that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows are so owned will be so disregarded.

 

Section 2.10 Temporary Notes.

 

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

 

Holders of temporary Notes will be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture.

 

Section 2.11 Cancellation.

 

The Company at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent will forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee and no one else will cancel all Notes surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and will treat such cancelled Notes in accordance with its document retention policies and applicable laws. Certification of the destruction of all canceled Notes will be delivered to the Company. The Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

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Section 2.12 Defaulted Interest.

 

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes, it will pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof. The Company will notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment. The Company will fix or cause to be fixed each such special record date and payment date, provided that no such special record date may be less than 10 days prior to the related payment date for such defaulted interest. At least 15 days before the special record date, the Company (or, upon the written request of the Company, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company) will mail or cause to be mailed to Holders a notice that states the special record date, the related payment date and the amount of such interest to be paid.

 

ARTICLE 3.

REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT

 

Section 3.01 Optional Redemption.

 

The Notes may be redeemed, as a whole or from time to time in part, subject to the conditions and at the redemption prices specified in the form of Notes set forth in Exhibit A hereto, which is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this Indenture, together with accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date.

 

Section 3.02 Notices to Trustee.

 

If the Company elects to redeem Notes pursuant to the optional redemption provisions of Section 3.01 hereof, it must furnish to the Trustee, upon not later than the earlier of the date that is 30 days (45 days if less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed) prior to the redemption date fixed by the Company or the date on which notice is given to the Holders, unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee, an Officers’ Certificate setting forth:

 

(1) the paragraph of the Notes or the Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall occur;

 

(2) the redemption date;

 

(3) the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed;

 

(4) the redemption price; and

 

(5) the CUSIP number.

 

Section 3.03 Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed.

 

If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed at any time, the Trustee will select Notes for redemption as follows:

 

(1) if the Notes are listed on any national securities exchange, in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange on which the Notes are listed; or

 

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(2) if the Notes are not listed on any national securities exchange, on a pro rata basis, by lot or by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate.

 

In the event of partial redemption by lot, the particular Notes to be redeemed will be selected, unless otherwise provided herein, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the redemption date by the Trustee from the outstanding Notes not previously called for redemption.

 

The Trustee will promptly notify the Company in writing of the Notes selected for redemption and, in the case of any Note selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. Notes and portions of Notes selected will be in amounts of $5,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof; provided, however, that no such partial redemption shall reduce the portion of the principal amount of a Note not redeemed to less than $5,000. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes called for redemption also apply to portions of Notes called for redemption.

 

Section 3.04 Notice of Redemption.

 

At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company will mail or cause to be mailed, by first class mail, a notice of redemption to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address, except that redemption notices may be mailed more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with a defeasance of the Notes or a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture pursuant to Article 8 of this Indenture.

 

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

 

(1) the redemption date;

 

(2) the redemption price;

 

(3) the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed; if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Note to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion will be issued upon cancellation of the original Note;

 

(4) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

 

(5) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

 

(6) that, unless the Company defaults in making such redemption payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;

 

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

 

(8) the CUSIP number; and

 

(9) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Notes.

 

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At the Company’s request, the Trustee will give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense; provided, however, that the Company has delivered to the Trustee, at least 45 days prior to the redemption date, an Officers’ Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in the preceding paragraph.

 

Section 3.05 Effect of Notice of Redemption.

 

Once notice of redemption is mailed in accordance with Section 3.04 hereof, Notes called for redemption become irrevocably due and payable on the redemption date at the redemption price. A notice of redemption may not be conditional.

 

Section 3.06 Deposit of Redemption Price.

 

On or before the redemption price date, the Company will deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest and Liquidated Damages, if any, on all Notes to be redeemed on that date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent will promptly return to the Company any money deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Company in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the redemption price of, and accrued interest and Liquidated Damages, if any, on, all Notes to be redeemed.

 

If the Company complies with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, on and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or the portions of Notes called for redemption. If a Note is redeemed on or after an interest record date but on or prior to the related interest payment date, then any accrued and unpaid interest shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Note was registered at the close of business on such record date. If any Note called for redemption is not so paid upon surrender for redemption because of the failure of the Company to comply with the preceding paragraph, interest shall be paid on the unpaid principal, from the redemption date until such principal is paid, and to the extent lawful on any interest not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof.

 

Section 3.07 Notes Redeemed in Part.

 

Upon surrender of a Note that is redeemed in part, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, the Trustee will authenticate for the Holder at the expense of the Company a new Note equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Note surrendered.

 

ARTICLE 4.

COVENANTS

 

Section 4.01 Payment of Notes.

 

The Company shall pay or cause to be paid the principal of, premium, if any, and interest and Liquidated Damages, if any, on the Notes on the dates and in the manner provided in the Notes. Principal, premium, if any, and interest and Liquidated Damages, if any shall be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company or a Subsidiary thereof, holds as of 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the due date money deposited by the Company in immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest then due. The Company shall pay all Liquidated Damages, if any, in the same manner on the dates and in the amounts set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

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The Company shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal at the rate equal to the then applicable interest rate on the Notes to the extent lawful; it shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest and Liquidated Damages (without regard to any applicable grace period) at the same rate to the extent lawful.

 

If a payment date is not a Business Day at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day, and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the intervening period.

 

Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.

 

The Company shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee, Registrar or co-registrar) where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company fails to maintain any such required office or agency or fails to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

 

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission will in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York for such purposes. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

 

The Company hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Company in accordance with Section 2.03 hereof.

 

Section 4.03 Reports.

 

(a) If the Company ceases to be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, so long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company shall furnish to the Holders of Notes, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and regulations:

 

(1) all quarterly and annual financial information that would be required to be contained in a filing with the Commission on Forms 10-Q and 10-K if the Company were required to file such forms, including a “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and, with respect to the annual information only, a report on the annual financial statements by the Company’s certified independent accountants; and

 

(2) all current reports that would be required to be filed with the Commission on Form 8-K if the Company were required to file such reports.

 

In addition, following the consummation of the Exchange Offer contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement, whether or not required by the Commission, the Company shall file a copy of all of the information and reports referred to in clauses (1) and (2) above with the Commission for public availability within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and regulations (unless the Commission will not accept such a filing) and make such information available to securities analysts and prospective investors upon request. The Company shall at all times comply with TIA § 314(a).

 

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(b) For so long as any Notes remain outstanding, the Company and the Guarantors shall furnish to the Holders and to securities analysts and prospective investors, upon their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act so long as the Notes are not freely transferable under the Securities Act.

 

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely exclusively on Officers Certificates).

 

Section 4.04 Compliance Certificate.

 

(a) The Company and each Guarantor (to the extent that such Guarantor is so required under the TIA) shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, an Officers’ Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (or, if a Default or Event of Default has occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto) and that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has occurred and remains in existence by reason of which payments on account of the principal of or interest, if any, on the Notes is prohibited or if such event has occurred, a description of the event and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

(b) So long as any of the Notes are outstanding, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee, promptly upon any Officer becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers’ Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

Section 4.05 Taxes.

 

The Company shall pay, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to pay, prior to delinquency, all material taxes, assessments, and governmental levies except such as are contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes.

 

Section 4.06 Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.

 

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

 

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Section 4.07 Limitation on Liens.

 

The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Significant Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien, other than a Permitted Lien, upon any of its property or assets (including any shares of Capital Stock or Indebtedness of any Significant Subsidiary), whether owned or leased on the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired, to secure any Indebtedness incurred by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, without in any such case making effective provision whereby all of the Notes outstanding (together with, if the Company so determines, any other Indebtedness by the Company or any such Subsidiary ranking equally with the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantees) shall be secured equally and ratably with, or prior to, such Indebtedness for so long as such Indebtedness shall be so secured unless, after giving effect to such Lien, the aggregate amount of secured Indebtedness then outstanding (excluding Indebtedness secured solely by Permitted Liens) plus the value (as defined in Section 4.08) of all Sale-Leaseback Transactions (other than those described in paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of Section 4.08) then outstanding would not exceed 15% of the Company’s Consolidated Net Worth.

 

Section 4.08 Limitation on Sales and Leasebacks.

 

The Company will not, and will not permit any Significant Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale-Leaseback Transaction after the date of this Indenture unless:

 

(1) the Sale-Leaseback Transaction:

 

(A) involves a lease for a period, including renewals, of not more than three years;

 

(B) involves newly constructed property and the sale or transfer occurs within 120 days after the completion of construction and commencement of full operation thereof; provided, however, that if the Sale-Leaseback Transaction involves new construction on real property acquired by the Company more than 120 days prior to the date of the Sale-Leaseback Transaction, then such Sale-Leaseback Transaction shall be deemed a permissible Sale-Leaseback Transaction under this clause (B) but only to the extent of the value of the newly constructed property;

 

(C) occurs within 120 days from the date of the acquisition of the property subject thereto; or

 

(D) is with the Company or one of its Subsidiaries; or

 

(2) the Company or any Subsidiary, within 120 days after the Sale-Leaseback Transaction shall have occurred, applies or causes to be applied an amount equal to the value of the property so sold and leased back at the time of entering into such arrangement to the prepayment, repayment, redemption, reduction or retirement of any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary that is not subordinated to the Notes and that has a Stated Maturity of more than twelve months; or

 

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(3) the Company or such Significant Subsidiary would be entitled pursuant to Section 4.07 to create, incur, issue or assume Indebtedness secured by a Lien, other than a Permitted Lien, on the property without equally and ratably securing the Notes.

 

As used in this Section 4.08, the term “value” shall mean, with respect to a Sale-Leaseback Transaction, as of any particular time an amount equal to the greater of (i) the net proceeds of sale of the property leased pursuant to such Sale-Leaseback Transaction, or (ii) the fair value of such property at the time of entering into such Sale-Leaseback Transaction as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, in each case multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the number of full years of remaining term of the lease (without regard to renewal options) and the denominator is the full years of the full term of the lease (without regard to renewal options).

 

Section 4.09 Corporate Existence.

 

Subject to Article 5 hereof, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect:

 

(1) its corporate existence, and the corporate, partnership or other existence of each of its Subsidiaries, in accordance with the respective organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Company or any such Subsidiary; and

 

(2) the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries;

 

provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the corporate, partnership or other existence of any of its Subsidiaries, if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes.

 

Section 4.10 Payments for Consent.

 

The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration to or for the benefit of any Holder of Notes for or as an inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture or the Notes unless such consideration is offered to be paid and is paid to all Holders of the Notes that consent, waive or agree to amend in the time frame set forth in the solicitation documents relating to such consent, waiver or agreement.

 

Section 4.11 Additional Subsidiary Guarantees.

 

Subject to Article 10 hereof, the Company will cause each Subsidiary which, after the date of this Indenture, becomes an Other Senior Indebtedness Guarantor to execute and deliver to the Trustee a Subsidiary Guarantee pursuant to which such Subsidiary will unconditionally guarantee, jointly and severally, to each Holder and the Trustee the full and prompt payment of the principal, premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on the Notes, when and as the same become due and payable, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, if lawful, and all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder and thereunder.

 

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ARTICLE 5.

SUCCESSORS

 

Section 5.01 Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets.

 

The Company shall not, directly or indirectly, consolidate or merge with or into another Person (whether or not the Company is the surviving corporation), or sell, lease, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company, in a single transaction or in a series of transactions, to another Person, unless:

 

(1) either:

 

(A) the Company is the surviving corporation; or

 

(B) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or to which such sale, lease, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition has been made is a corporation organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia;

 

(2) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or the Person to which such sale, lease, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition has been made assumes all the obligations of the Company under the Notes, this Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to a supplemental indenture or agreements reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee;

 

(3) immediately after such transaction, no Default or Event of Default exists; and

 

(4) the Company delivers to the Trustee prior to such proposed transaction(s) an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the transaction(s) and such supplemental indenture or agreements comply with this Indenture and that all conditions precedent to the consummation of the transaction(s) under this Indenture have been met.

 

Section 5.02 Successor Corporation Substituted.

 

Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.01 hereof, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such consolidation, merger, sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition, the provisions of this Indenture referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the successor corporation and not to the Company), and may exercise every right and power of the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company shall not be relieved from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Notes except in the case of a sale of all of the Company’s assets in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.01 hereof.

 

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ARTICLE 6.

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

 

Section 6.01 Events of Default.

 

Each of the following is an “Event of Default”:

 

(1) default for 30 days in the payment when due of interest on, or Liquidated Damages with respect to, the Notes;

 

(2) default in the payment when due of the principal of, or premium, if any, on the Notes, whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise;

 

(3) failure by the Company or any Guarantor for 60 days after written notice from the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes to comply with any other covenant, representation, warranty or other agreement in this Indenture or the Notes;

 

(4) default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is Guaranteed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries), whether such Indebtedness or Guarantee now exists, or is created after the date of this Indenture, if that default:

 

(A) is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such Indebtedness on the date of such default (a “Payment Default”); or

 

(B) results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its express maturity,

 

and, in each case, the principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness under which there is a Payment Default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $15.0 million or more;

 

(5) a final judgment or final judgments for the payment of money are entered by a court or courts of competent jurisdiction against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which judgment or judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60 days; provided that the aggregate of all such unpaid, undischarged and unstayed judgments exceeds $15.0 million;

 

(6) except as permitted by this Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee shall be held in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid or shall cease for any reason to be in full force and effect or any Guarantor, or any Person acting on behalf of any Guarantor, shall deny or disaffirm its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee;

 

(7) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary, or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

 

(A) commences a voluntary case,

 

(B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,

 

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(C) consents to the appointment of a custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,

 

(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or

 

(E) generally is not paying its debts as they become due; and

 

(8) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

 

(A) is for relief against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary, or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, in an involuntary case;

 

(B) appoints a custodian of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary, or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary, or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary; or

 

(C) orders the liquidation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary, or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary;

 

and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 consecutive days.

 

Section 6.02 Acceleration.

 

In the case of an Event of Default specified in clause (7) or (8) of Section 6.01 hereof, with respect to the Company, any Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary, or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, the principal, together with the premium, Liquidated Damages and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice. If any other Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may declare the principal, together with the premium, Liquidated Damages and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes to be due and payable immediately.

 

The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes by written notice to the Trustee may on behalf of all of the Holders rescind an acceleration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default (except nonpayment of principal, interest or premium that has become due solely because of the acceleration) have been cured or waived.

 

In the case of any Event of Default occurring by reason of any willful action or inaction taken or not taken by or on behalf of the Company with the intention of avoiding payment of the premium that the Company would have had to pay if the Company then had elected to redeem the Notes pursuant to the optional redemption provisions of this Indenture, an equivalent premium will also become and be immediately due and payable to the extent permitted by law upon the acceleration of the Notes.

 

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Section 6.03 Other Remedies.

 

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest on the Notes or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Notes or this Indenture.

 

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of a Note in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.

 

Section 6.04 Waiver of Past Defaults.

 

Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive an existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences hereunder, except a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on, the Notes; provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

Section 6.05 Control by Majority.

 

Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of Notes or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability.

 

Section 6.06 Limitation on Suits.

 

A Holder of a Note may pursue a remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Notes only if:

 

(1) the Holder of a Note gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default;

 

(2) the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

 

(3) such Holder of a Note or Holders of Notes offer and, if requested, provide to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

 

(4) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer and, if requested, the provision of indemnity; and

 

(5) during such 60-day period the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.

 

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A Holder of a Note may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of a Note or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder of a Note.

 

Section 6.07 Rights of Holders of Notes to Receive Payment.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Note to receive payment of principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest on the Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Note, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

 

Section 6.08 Collection Suit by Trustee.

 

If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(1) or (2) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee is authorized to recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount of principal of, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest remaining unpaid on the Notes and interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful, interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

 

Section 6.09 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

 

The Trustee is authorized to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders of the Notes allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Notes), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof. To the extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a Lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that the Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

 

Section 6.10 Priorities.

 

If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money in the following order:

 

First: to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts due under Section 7.07 hereof, including payment of all compensation, expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;

 

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Second: to Holders of Notes for amounts due and unpaid on the Notes for principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any and interest, respectively; and

 

Third: to the Company or to such party as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct.

 

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders of Notes pursuant to this Section 6.10.

 

Section 6.11 Undertaking for Costs.

 

In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as a Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder of a Note pursuant to Section 6.07 hereof, or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes.

 

Section 6.12 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

 

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee, and the Holders will be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders will continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

 

ARTICLE 7.

TRUSTEE

 

Section 7.01 Duties of Trustee.

 

(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

 

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

 

(1) the duties of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture and the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

 

(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or

 

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opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

 

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liabilities for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

 

(1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.01;

 

(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and

 

(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05 hereof.

 

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this Section 7.01.

 

(e) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or incur any liability. The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights and powers under this Indenture at the request of any Holders, unless such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee security and indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

 

(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

 

Section 7.02 Rights of Trustee.

 

(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely upon any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

 

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

 

(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

 

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

 

(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture, any demand, request, direction or notice from the Company shall be sufficient if signed by an Officer of the Company.

 

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(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

 

(g) The Trustee is not required to take notice or deemed to have notice of any default or Event of Default hereunder, except Events of Default under Section 6.01(1) and (2), unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or has received notice in writing of such default or Event of Default from the Company or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, and in the absence of any such notice, the Trustee may conclusively assume that no such default or Event of Default exists.

 

(h) The Trustee is not required to give any bond or surety with respect to the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers under this Indenture.

 

(i) In the event the Trustee receives inconsistent or conflicting requests and indemnity from two or more groups of Holders of Notes, each representing less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes Outstanding, pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee, in its sole discretion, may determine what action, if any, shall be taken or may file a bill of interpleader with a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

(j) The Trustee’s immunities and protections from liability and its right to indemnification in connection with the performance of its duties under this Indenture shall extend to the Trustee’s officers, directors, agents, attorneys and employees. Such immunities and protections and right to indemnification, together with the Trustee’s right to compensation, shall survive the Trustee’s resignation or removal, the defeasance or discharge of this Indenture and final payment of the Notes.

 

(k) The permissive right of the Trustee to take the actions permitted by this Indenture shall not be construed as an obligation or duty to do so.

 

(l) Except for information provided by the Trustee concerning the Trustee, the Trustee shall have no responsibility for any information in any offering memorandum or other disclosure material distributed with respect to the Notes, and the Trustee shall have no responsibility for compliance with any state or federal securities laws in connection with the Notes.

 

(m) The Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded.

 

Section 7.03 Individual Rights of Trustee.

 

The Trustee or any Affiliate of the Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Company or any Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. However, in the event that the Trustee acquires any conflicting interest it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days, apply to the Commission for permission to continue as trustee or resign. Any Agent may do the same with like rights and duties. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11 hereof.

 

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Section 7.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer.

 

The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Notes or any money paid to the Company or upon the Company’s direction under any provision of this Indenture, it shall not be responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee, and it shall not be responsible for any statement or recital herein or any statement in the Notes or any other document in connection with the sale of the Notes or pursuant to this Indenture other than its certificate of authentication.

 

Section 7.05 Notice of Defaults.

 

If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to Holders of Notes a notice of the Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of, premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on any Note, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Holders of the Notes.

 

Section 7.06 Reports by Trustee to Holders of the Notes.

 

(a) Within 60 days after each May 15 beginning with the May 15 following the date of this Indenture, and for so long as Notes remain outstanding, the Trustee shall mail to the Holders of the Notes a brief report dated as of such reporting date that complies with TIA § 313(a) (but if no event described in TIA § 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA § 313(b)(2). The Trustee shall also transmit by mail all reports as required by TIA § 313(c).

 

(b) A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to the Holders of Notes shall be mailed by the Trustee to the Company and filed by the Trustee with the Commission and each stock exchange, if any, on which the Notes are listed in accordance with TIA § 313(d). The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee if and when the Notes are listed on any stock exchange.

 

Section 7.07 Compensation and Indemnity.

 

(a) The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such reasonable compensation for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder as the parties shall agree from time to time. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee promptly upon request for all reasonable disbursements, advances and expenses incurred or made by it in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

 

(b) The Company and the Guarantors shall indemnify the Trustee against any and all losses, liabilities or expenses (including taxes, other than taxes based upon the income of the Trustee) incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of its duties under this Indenture, including the costs and expenses of enforcing this Indenture against the Company and the Guarantors (including this Section 7.07) and defending itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, the Guarantors or any Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent any such loss, liability or expense may be attributable to its negligence or willful misconduct. The Trustee shall notify the

 

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Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company or any of the Guarantors of their obligations hereunder. The Company or such Guarantor shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. Neither the Company nor any Guarantor need pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

(c) The obligations of the Company and the Guarantors under this Section 7.07 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

 

(d) To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section 7.07, the Trustee shall have a Lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal and interest on particular Notes. Such Lien shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

 

(e) When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(7) or (8) hereof occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services (including the fees and expenses of its agents and counsel) are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

 

(f) The Trustee shall comply with the provisions of TIA § 313(b)(2) to the extent applicable.

 

Section 7.08 Replacement of Trustee.

 

(a) A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section 7.08.

 

(b) The Trustee may resign in writing at any time and be discharged from the trust hereby created by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Company in writing. The Company may remove the Trustee if:

 

(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof;

 

(2) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

 

(3) a custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

 

(4) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

 

(c) If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

 

(d) If a successor Trustee does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee (at the expense of the Company), the Company, or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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(e) If the Trustee, after written request by any Holder who has been a Holder for at least six months, fails to comply with Section 7.10, such Holder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

(f) A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to Holders. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, provided all sums owing to the Trustee hereunder have been paid and subject to the Lien provided for in Section 7.07 hereof. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.08, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

 

Section 7.09 Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.

 

If the Trustee consolidates, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another Person, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

 

Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification.

 

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder that is a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any state thereof that is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trustee power, that is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities and that has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50.0 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.

 

This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee is subject to TIA § 310(b).

 

Section 7.11 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

 

The Trustee is subject to TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.

 

ARTICLE 8.

LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

 

Section 8.01 Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

 

The Company may, at the option of its Board of Directors evidenced by a resolution set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, at any time, elect to have either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof be applied to all outstanding Notes upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article 8.

 

Section 8.02 Legal Defeasance and Discharge.

 

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.02, the Company and each of the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be deemed to have been discharged from their obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes (including the Subsidiary Guarantees) on the date the conditions set forth below are

 

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satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Company and the Guarantors will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding Notes (including the Subsidiary Guarantees), which will thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 8.05 hereof and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (1) and (2) below, and to have satisfied all their other obligations under such Notes, the Subsidiary Guarantees and this Indenture (and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which will survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:

 

(1) the rights of Holders of outstanding Notes to receive payments in respect of the principal of, or interest or premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, on such Notes when such payments are due from the trust referred to in Section 8.04 hereof;

 

(2) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Notes concerning issuing Temporary Notes, registration of Notes, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes and the maintenance of an office or agency for payment and money for security payments held in trust provided under Article 2 and Section 4.02 hereof;

 

(3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s and the Guarantors’ obligations in connection therewith; and

 

(4) under the provisions of this Article 8.

 

Subject to compliance with this Article 8, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 8.02 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 8.03 hereof.

 

Section 8.03 Covenant Defeasance.

 

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03, the Company and the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be released from each of their obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.07, 4.08, 4.10 and 4.11 hereof and clause (4) of Section 5.01 hereof with respect to the outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof are satisfied (hereinafter, “Covenant Defeasance”), and the Notes shall thereafter be deemed not “outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but will continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Notes will not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes and Subsidiary Guarantees, the Company and the Guarantors may omit to comply with and will have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.01 hereof, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes and Subsidiary Guarantees will be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03 hereof, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, Section 6.01(3), Section 6.01(4) and Section 6.01(5) hereof will not constitute Events of Default.

 

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Section 8.04 Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance.

 

In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance under either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof:

 

(1) the Company must irrevocably deposit (and in the case of Legal Defeasance such deposit must be made 123 days prior to Legal Defeasance) with the Trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, or interest and premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, on the outstanding Notes on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and the Company must specify whether the Notes are being defeased to maturity or to a particular redemption date;

 

(2) in the case of an election under Section 8.02 hereof, the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that:

 

(A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling; or

 

(B) since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law,

 

in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;

 

(3) in the case of an election under Section 8.03 hereof, the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that the Holders of the outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;

 

(4) the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee to the effect that (A) the Notes and (B) assuming no intervening bankruptcy of the Company between the date of deposit and the 123rd day following the deposit and that no Holder of the Notes is an insider of the Company, after the 123rd day following the deposit, the trust funds will not be subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally;

 

(5) the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee to the effect that the trust resulting from the deposit does not constitute, or is qualified as, a regulated investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940;

 

(6) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be

 

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applied to such deposit) and no Default or Event of Default under clause (7) or (8) of Section 6.01 above shall occur and be continuing, at any time during the period ending on the 123rd day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period);

 

(7) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;

 

(8) the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of Notes over the other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company or others; and

 

(9) the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for or relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.

 

Section 8.05 Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.

 

Subject to Section 8.06 hereof, all money and non-callable Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 8.05, the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof in respect of the outstanding Notes will be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Notes of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

 

The Company will pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes.

 

Notwithstanding anything in this Article 8 to the contrary, the Trustee will deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the request of the Company any money or non-callable Government Securities held by it as provided in Section 8.04 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion delivered under Section 8.04(1) hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

 

Section 8.06 Repayment to Company.

 

Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) will be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note will thereafter be permitted to

 

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look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, will thereupon cease. In the absence of a written request from the Company to return unclaimed funds to the Company, the Trustee shall from time to time deliver all unclaimed funds to or as directed by applicable escheat authorities, in accordance with the customary practices and procedures of the Trustee. Any unclaimed funds held by the Trustee pursuant to this Section 8.06 shall be held uninvested and without any liability for interest.

 

Section 8.07 Reinstatement.

 

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any United States dollars or non-callable Government Securities in accordance with Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof, as the case may be, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s and the Guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees will be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof, as the case may be; provided, however, that, if the Company makes any payment of principal of, premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on any Note following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company will be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

 

ARTICLE 9.

AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

 

Section 9.01 Without Consent of Holders of Notes.

 

Notwithstanding Section 9.02 of this Indenture, the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Notes without the consent of any Holder of a Note:

 

(1) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;

 

(2) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes;

 

(3) to provide for the assumption of the Company’s or a Guarantor’s Obligations to the Holders of the Notes by a successor to the Company or a Guarantor pursuant to Article 5 or Article 10 hereof;

 

(4) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders of the Notes or that does not adversely affect the legal rights under this Indenture of any Holder of Notes;

 

(5) to comply with requirements of the Commission in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;

 

(6) to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the limitations set forth in this Indenture as of the date hereof; or

 

(7) to allow any Guarantor to execute a supplemental indenture and/or a Subsidiary Guarantee with respect to the Notes.

 

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Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental Indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Sections 7.02(b) and 9.06 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company and the Guarantors in the execution of any amended or supplemental Indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee will not be obligated to enter into any such amended or supplemental Indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

 

Section 9.02 With Consent of Holders of Notes.

 

Except as provided below in this Section 9.02, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees and the Notes with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Notes (including, without limitation, Additional Notes, if any) then outstanding voting as a single class (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for, or purchase of, the Notes), and, subject to Sections 6.04 and 6.07 hereof, any existing Default or Event of Default (other than a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on the Notes, except a payment default resulting from an acceleration that has been rescinded) or compliance with any provision of this Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Notes may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes voting as a single class (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for, or purchase of, the Notes). Sections 2.08 and 2.09 hereof shall determine which Notes are considered to be “outstanding” for purposes of this Section 9.02.

 

Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental Indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders of Notes as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Sections 7.02(b) and 9.06 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company in the execution of such amended or supplemental Indenture unless such amended or supplemental Indenture directly affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but will not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental Indenture.

 

It is not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Notes under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment or waiver, but it is sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.

 

After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02 becomes effective, the Company will mail to the Holders of Notes affected thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, will not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amended or supplemental Indenture or waiver. Subject to Sections 6.04 and 6.07 hereof, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding voting as a single class may waive compliance in a particular instance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Notes. However, without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver under this Section 9.02 may not (with respect to any Notes held by a non-consenting Holder):

 

(1) reduce the principal amount of Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

 

(2) reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any Note;

 

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(3) reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest, including default interest, on any Note;

 

(4) reduce the premium payable upon the redemption of any Note or change the time at which any Note may or shall be redeemed;

 

(5) make any Note payable in money other than that stated in the Notes, or change the place of payment of principal of, or interest or premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, on the Notes;

 

(6) impair the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of, or premium or Liquidated Damages, if any, or interest on such Holder’s Notes on or after the due dates therefor or to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to such Holder’s Notes;

 

(7) release any Guarantor from any of its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee or this Indenture, or modify the Subsidiary Guarantees in any manner adverse to the Holders, except in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; or

 

(8) make any change in the foregoing amendment and waiver provisions.

 

Section 9.04 Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.

 

Every amendment or supplement to this Indenture or the Notes will be set forth in a amended or supplemental Indenture that complies with the TIA as then in effect.

 

Section 9.04 Revocation and Effect of Consents.

 

Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Note is a continuing consent by the Holder of a Note and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Note, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Note. However, any such Holder of a Note or subsequent Holder of a Note may revoke the consent as to its Note if the Trustee receives written notice of revocation before the date the waiver, supplement or amendment becomes effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every Holder.

 

Section 9.05 Notation on or Exchange of Notes.

 

The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment, supplement or waiver on any Note thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for all Notes may issue and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, authenticate new Notes that reflect the amendment, supplement or waiver.

 

Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note will not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.

 

Section 9.06 Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.

 

The Trustee will sign any amended or supplemental Indenture authorized pursuant to this Article 9 if the amendment or supplement does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. The Company may not sign an amendment or supplemental Indenture until the Board of Directors approves it. In executing any amended or supplemental indenture, the Trustee will be entitled

 

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to receive and (subject to Section 7.01 hereof) will be fully protected in relying upon, in addition to the documents required by Section 12.04 hereof, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such amended or supplemental Indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture.

 

ARTICLE 10.

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES

 

Section 10.01 Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

(a) Subject to this Article 10, each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, unconditionally guarantees to each Holder of a Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this Indenture, the Notes or the obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder, that:

 

(1) the principal of, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest on the Notes will be promptly paid in full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, if lawful, and all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder will be promptly paid in full or performed, all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and

 

(2) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, that same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at Stated Maturity, by acceleration or otherwise.

 

Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed or any performance so guaranteed for whatever reason, the Guarantors will be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same immediately. Each Guarantor agrees that this is a guarantee of payment and not a guarantee of collection.

 

(b) Subject to this Article 10, the Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder are unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor. Each Guarantor hereby waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenants that this Subsidiary Guarantee will not be discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Notes and this Indenture.

 

(c) If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Company, the Guarantors or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to either the Company or the Guarantors, any amount paid by either to the Trustee or such Holder, this Subsidiary Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, will be reinstated in full force and effect.

 

(d) Each Guarantor agrees that it will not be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby. Each Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (1) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 hereof for the purposes of this Subsidiary Guarantee, notwithstanding

 

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any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (2) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article 6 hereof, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) will forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for the purpose of this Subsidiary Guarantee. The Guarantors will have the right to seek contribution from any non-paying Guarantor so long as the exercise of such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

Section 10.02 Limitation on Guarantor Liability.

 

Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of any Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Subsidiary Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Holders and the Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Guarantor shall be limited to the maximum amount that will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor that are relevant under such laws, and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under this Article 10, result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, in no event or circumstance shall any Holder or other obligee under the Subsidiary Guarantees be entitled to recover from the Captive Subsidiary any amount that would cause the statutory assets of the Captive Subsidiary to fail to exceed its statutory liabilities by the greatest of (a) $120,000, (b) 20% of net premiums written up to $6,000,000 plus 10% of net premiums written over $6,000,000, and (c) 10% of loss and other insurance reserves, all as determined under the insurance laws of Bermuda. All obligations of the Captive Subsidiary under the Notes, the Subsidiary Guarantees and this Indenture are expressly limited in accordance with the preceding sentence.

 

Section 10.03 Execution and Delivery of Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

To evidence its Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in Section 10.01, each Guarantor hereby agrees that a notation of such Subsidiary Guarantee substantially in the form attached as Exhibit E hereto will be endorsed by an Officer of such Guarantor on each Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and that this Indenture will be executed on behalf of such Guarantor by one of its Officers.

 

Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in Section 10.01 will remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any failure to endorse on each Note a notation of such Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

If an Officer whose signature is on this Indenture or on the Subsidiary Guarantee no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Note on which a Subsidiary Guarantee is endorsed, the Subsidiary Guarantee will be valid nevertheless.

 

The delivery of any Note by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, will constitute due delivery of the Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of the Guarantors.

 

In the event that the Company creates or acquires any Subsidiary, after the date of this Indenture, if required by Section 4.11 hereof, the Company will cause such Subsidiary to comply with the provisions of Section 4.11 hereof and this Article 10, to the extent applicable.

 

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Section 10.04 Termination, Release and Discharge Upon Merger or Consolidation.

 

(a) Each Guarantor may consolidate with or merge into or transfer or sell its assets to the Company or another Guarantor without limitation. Each Guarantor may consolidate with or merge into or transfer or sell all or substantially all its assets to a Person other than the Company or another Guarantor (whether or not affiliated with the Guarantor), except that if the surviving Person of any such merger or consolidation, or the Person to whom such sale is made, will be an Other Senior Indebtedness Guarantor, such Person shall execute a Subsidiary Guarantee. Upon the sale or disposition of a Guarantor (by merger, consolidation, the sale of its Capital Stock or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets) and whether or not the Guarantor is the surviving corporation in such transaction to a Person (whether or not an Affiliate of the Guarantor) which is not an Other Senior Indebtedness Guarantor of the Company, such Guarantor will be released from all its obligations under this Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee and such Subsidiary Guarantee will terminate; provided, however, that any such termination will occur only to the extent that each such Guarantor will be released from obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee if all the obligations of such Guarantor under the Other Senior Indebtedness and related documentation terminate upon consummation of such transaction.

 

(b) Upon termination for any reason of all of the Obligations of the Guarantor under the Other Senior Indebtedness (including, without limitation, upon payment in full of the Other Senior Indebtedness, upon agreement of the lenders or noteholders thereunder or upon replacement thereof with a credit facility or other Indebtedness not requiring such Guarantees or upon such Guarantor ceasing to be a Subsidiary) and the delivery of the Company to the Trustee of an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel with respect to the foregoing matters, such Guarantor, subject to Section 4.11 hereof, will be deemed released from all its obligations under this Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee and such Subsidiary Guarantee will terminate.

 

ARTICLE 11.

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

 

Section 11.01 Satisfaction and Discharge.

 

This Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to all Notes issued hereunder, when:

 

(1) either:

 

(a) all Notes that have been authenticated, except lost, stolen or destroyed Notes that have been replaced or paid and Notes for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the Company, have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

 

(b) all Notes that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the mailing of a notice of redemption or otherwise or will become due and payable within one year and the Company or any Guarantor has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the Notes not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption;

 

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(2) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of such deposit or will occur as a result of such deposit and such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other instrument to which the Company or any Guarantor is a party or by which the Company or any Guarantor is bound;

 

(3) the Company or any Guarantor has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture; and

 

(4) the Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee under this Indenture to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Notes at maturity or the redemption date, as the case may be.

 

In addition, the Company must deliver an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied.

 

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, if money has been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (b) of clause (1) of this Section, the provisions of Section 11.02 and Section 8.06 will survive. In addition, nothing in this Section 11.01 will be deemed to discharge those provisions of Section 7.07 hereof, that, by their terms, survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

 

Section 11.02 Application of Trust Money.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 8.06, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 11.01 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

 

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Securities in accordance with Section 11.01 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s and any Guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 11.01; provided that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money or Government Securities held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

 

ARTICLE 12.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 12.01 Trust Indenture Act Controls.

 

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by TIA §318(c), the imposed duties will control.

 

Section 12.02 Notices.

 

Any notice or communication by the Company, any Guarantor or the Trustee to the others is duly given if in writing and delivered in Person or mailed by first class mail (registered or certified, return

 

52


receipt requested), telecopier or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the others’ address:

 

If to the Company and/or any Guarantor:

 

Hughes Supply, Inc.

One Hughes Way

Orlando, Florida 32805

Attention: Jay Clark, Vice President - Treasurer

Telecopy No.: (407) 648-9898

Email: ***@***

 

With a copy to:

 

Holland & Knight LLP

50 North Laura Street

Suite 3900

Jacksonville, Florida 32202

Attention: T. Malcolm Graham, Esq.

Telecopier No.: (904) 358-1872

Email: ***@***

 

If to the Trustee:

 

U.S. Bank National Association

Attn: Peter Fowler

Corporate Trust Services

500 W. Cypress Creek Rd., Suite 560

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309

Phone No.: (954) 776-2225

Telecopier No.: (954) 776-2629

Email: ***@***

 

The Company, any Guarantor or the Trustee, by notice to the others may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

 

All notices and communications (other than those sent to Holders) will be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt acknowledged, if telecopied; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery. Notwithstanding the foregoing, notices to the Trustee shall be effective only upon receipt.

 

Any notice or communication to a Holder will be mailed by first class mail, certified or registered, return receipt requested, or by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery to its address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Any notice or communication will also be so mailed to any Person described in TIA § 313(c), to the extent required by the TIA. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it will not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.

 

If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

 

53


If the Company mails a notice or communication to Holders, it will mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

 

Section 12.03 Communication by Holders of Notes with Other Holders of Notes.

 

Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).

 

Section 12.04 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.

 

Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

 

(1) an Officers’ Certificate in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (which must include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been satisfied; and

 

(2) an Opinion of Counsel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (which must include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent and covenants have been satisfied.

 

Section 12.05 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.

 

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA § 314(a)(4)) must comply with the provisions of TIA § 314(e) and must include:

 

(1) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

 

(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

 

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been satisfied; and

 

(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been satisfied.

 

Section 12.06 Rules by Trustee and Agents.

 

The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

 

Section 12.07 No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders.

 

No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder of the Company or any Guarantor, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company or the Guarantors under the Notes, this Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees, or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by

 

54


reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes. The waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws.

 

Section 12.08 Governing Law.

 

THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES.

 

Section 12.09 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.

 

This Indenture may not be used to interpret any other indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or its Subsidiaries or of any other Person. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

 

Section 12.10 Successors.

 

All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Notes will bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture will bind its successors. All agreements of each Guarantor in this Indenture and the Subsidiary Guarantees will bind its successors, except as otherwise provided in Section 10.05.

 

Section 12.11 Severability.

 

In case any provision in this Indenture, the Notes or the Subsidiary Guarantees is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

Section 12.12 Counterpart Originals.

 

The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy will be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.

 

Section 12.13 Table of Contents, Headings, etc.

 

The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table and Headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part of this Indenture and will in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

 

[Signatures on following page]

 

55


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.

 

    HUGHES SUPPLY, INC.
    By:  

/s/ David Bearman


    Name:  

David Bearman

    Title:  

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

    GUARANTORS:
Address:        
One Hughes Way   CAROLINA PUMP & SUPPLY CORP.
Orlando, FL 32805   CENTURY MAINTENANCE SUPPLY, INC.
    DOUGLAS LEONHART & ASSOCIATES, INC.
    ELECTRIC LABORATORIES AND SALES CORPORATION
    GILLELAND CONCRETE PRODUCTS, INC.
    HSI ACQUISITION CORPORATION
    HSI FUSION SERVICES, INC.
    HSI PROPERTIES, LLC
    HUGHES AVIATION, INC.
    HUGHES CANADA, INC.
    HUGHES MRO, INC.
    HUGHES SUPPLY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
    HUGHES SUPPLY SHARED SERVICES, INC
    HUGHES SUPPLY (VA), INC.
    HUGHES WATER & SEWER COMPANY
    JUNO INDUSTRIES, INC.
    KAMEN SUPPLY COMPANY, INC.
    KINGSTON PIPE INDUSTRIES, INC.
    MEREX CORPORATION
    METALS INCORPORATED
    METALS INC.- GULF COAST DIVISION
    MILLS & LUPTON SUPPLY COMPANY
    MOORE ELECTRIC SUPPLY, INC.
    MOUNTAIN COUNTRY SUPPLY, INC.
    NATIONAL POWERX, INC.
    OLANDER & BROPHY, INCORPORATED
    ONE STOP SUPPLY, INC.
    PAINE SUPPLY OF JACKSON, INC.
    PANHANDLE PIPE & SUPPLY CO., INC.
    REACTION SUPPLY CORPORATION
    SCOTT-PARISH ELECTRICAL SUPPLY COMPANY
    SHRADER HOLDING COMPANY, INC.
    STAINLESS TUBULAR PRODUCTS, INC.
    STANDARD WHOLESALE SUPPLY COMPANY
    TODD PIPE & SUPPLY – EL MONTE, INC.

 

56


    TODD PIPE & SUPPLY – ESCONDIDO, INC.
    TODD PIPE & SUPPLY – GARDEN GROVE, INC.
    TODD PIPE & SUPPLY – HAWTHORNE, INC.
    TODD PIPE & SUPPLY – LAS VEGAS, INC.
    TODD PIPE & SUPPLY – RIVERSIDE, INC.
    TODD PIPE & SUPPLY – SAN DIEGO, INC.
    TODD PIPE & SUPPLY – SEPULVEDA, INC.
    U.S. FUSION SERVICES, INC.
    USCO INCORPORATED
    UTILISERVE, INC.
    UTILISERVE HOLDINGS, INC.
    WARNER WATERWORKS SALES COMPANY OF WYOMING
    WATERWORKS HOLDING COMPANY
    WATERWORKS SALES COMPANY
    WCC MERGER CORPORATION
    WIDE-WORLD TRAVEL NETWORK, INC.
    Z&L ACQUISITION CORP.
    By:  

/s/ Jay K. Clark


    Name:   Jay K. Clark
    Title:   Assistant Treasurer
Address:        
One Hughes Way   SOUTHWEST STAINLESS, L.P.
Orlando, FL 32805   HUGHES MRO, LP
    By: Z&L ACQUISITION CORP, General Partner
    By:  

/s/ Jay K. Clark


    Name:   Jay K. Clark
    Title:   Assistant Treasurer
Address:        
One Hughes Way   PRO VALUE, LLC
Orlando, FL 32805        
    By: HUGHES SUPPLY SHARED SERVICES, INC., Manager
    By:  

/s/ Jay K. Clark


    Name:   Jay K. Clark
    Title:   Assistant Treasurer

 

57


Address:        
1403 Foulk Road, Suite 102   HUGHES SUPPLY IP, INC.
Wilmington, DE 19803   L & T OF DELAWARE, INC.
    SWS ACQUISITION, LLC
    SWS FUNDING, LLC
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Assistant Secretary
Address:        
Harbor Centre   HSI FUNDING, LLC
Fourth Floor   HHH, LLC
George Town   HSI HOLDINGS, INC.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands   HSI IP, INC.
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Assistant Secretary
Address:        
One Hughes Way   HSI NORTH CAROLINA, LLC
Orlando, FL 32805   HUGHES SUPPLY CA, LLC
    By:  

/s/ Jay K. Clark


    Name:   Jay K. Clark
    Title:   Assistant Treasurer
Address:        
One Hughes Way   HSI INDIANA, LLC
Orlando, FL 32805    
    By: ELECTRIC LABORATORIES AND SALES
    CORPORATION, Manager
    By:  

/s/ Jay K. Clark


    Name:   Jay K. Clark
    Title:   Assistant Treasurer

 

58


Address:    
One Hughes Way   HUGHES MRO #1, LLC
Orlando, FL 32805        
    By: HUGHES MRO, INC., Manager
    By:  

/s/ Jay K. Clark


    Name:   Jay K. Clark
    Title:   Assistant Treasurer
Address:        
One Hughes Way   CENTURY MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT, LLC
Orlando, FL 32805   By: CENTURY AIR SUPPLY, INC., Manager
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Secretary
Address:        
One Hughes Way   CENTURY GP MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.
Orlando, FL 32805   CENTURY LP INVESTMENTS, L.L.C.
   

By: CENTURY MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT, LLC,

        Manager

    By: CENTURY AIR SUPPLY, INC., Manager
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Secretary
Address:        
One Hughes Way   HUGHES MRO #2, LLC
Orlando, FL 32805        
    By: CENTURY MAINTENANCE L.P., Manager
   

By: CENTURY MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT, LLC,

        General Partner

    By: CENTURY AIR SUPPLY, INC., Manager
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Secretary

 

59


Address:        
One Hughes Way   CENTURY MAINTENANCE, L.P.
Orlando, FL 32805   CENTURY MAINTENANCE (HOUSTON), L.P.
    CENTURY SERVICES, L.P.
   

By: CENTURY MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT, LLC,

        General Partner

    By: CENTURY AIR SUPPLY, INC., Manager
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Secretary
Address:        
One Hughes Way   CENTURY AIR SUPPLY, INC.
Orlando, FL 32805   CENTURY MAINTENANCE SUPPLY-S CAL, INC.
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Secretary
Address:        
1403 Foulk Road, Suite 102   HUGHES INSURANCE HOLDINGS, INC.
Wilmington, DE 19803        
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Secretary
Address:        
Clarendon House   HUGHES INSURANCE COMPANY, LTD.
2 Church Street        
Hamilton HM 11        
    By:  

/s/ John Z. Paré


    Name:   John Z. Paré
    Title:   Secretary

 

60


Address:    
1202-B Col. Las America   MEREX DE MEXICO, S.A. DE C.V.
Tampico, MX 89329   MEREX DIESEL POWER, S.A. DE C.V.
    By:  

/s/ Hernan Gustavo Jofre Rodriguez


    Name:   Hernan Gustavo Jofre Rodriguez
    Title:   Administrator
    U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE AND NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY
    By:  

/s/ Scott A. Schuhle


    Name:   Scott A. Schuhle
    Title:   Vice President

 

61


EXHIBIT A

 

[Face of Note]

 

CUSIP/CINS                     

 

5.50% Senior Notes due 2014

 

No.         

$                    

HUGHES SUPPLY, INC.

 

Hughes Supply, Inc., a Florida corporation, promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal sum of                                                               Dollars on [                    ].

 

Interest Payment Dates: April 15 and October 15

 

Record Dates: March 31 and September 30

 

Dated:

 

HUGHES SUPPLY, INC.
By:  

 


Name:    
Title:    
By:  

 


Name:    
Title:    

 

This is one of the Notes referred to

in the within-mentioned Indenture:

 

U.S. Bank National Association,
as Trustee

By:  

 


    Authorized Signatory


Back of Note

5.50% Senior Notes due 2014

 

[Insert the Global Note Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

 

[Insert the Private Placement Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]

 

Capitalized terms used herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.

 

(1) INTEREST. Hughes Supply, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at 5.50% per annum from [                            ] until maturity and shall pay the Liquidated Damages, if any, payable pursuant to Section 2 of the Registration Rights Agreement referred to below. The Company will pay interest and Liquidated Damages, if any, semi-annually in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day (each, an “Interest Payment Date”). Interest on the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from the date of issuance; provided that if there is no existing Default in the payment of interest, and if this Note is authenticated between a record date referred to on the face hereof and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest shall accrue from such next succeeding Interest Payment Date; provided, further, that the first Interest Payment Date shall be April 15, 2005. The Company will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium, if any, from time to time on demand at the rate then in effect; it will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest and Liquidated Damages, if any, (without regard to any applicable grace periods) from time to time on demand at the same rate to the extent lawful. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months.

 

(2) METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Company will pay interest on the Notes (except defaulted interest) and Liquidated Damages, if any, to the Persons who are registered Holders of Notes at the close of business on the last day of the month preceding October 15 and April 15, even if such Notes are canceled after such record date and on or before such Interest Payment Date, except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with respect to defaulted interest. The Notes will be payable as to principal, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose within or without the City and State of New York. Such payment will be in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.

 

(3) PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR. Initially, U.S. Bank National Association, the Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.

 

(4) INDENTURE. The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as of October 12, 2004 (the “Indenture”) among the Company, the subsidiaries of the Company party thereto (the “Guarantors”) and the Trustee. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S. Code §§ 77aaa-77bbbb). The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture and such Act for a statement of such terms. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling. The Notes are unsecured obligations of the Company.

 

A-2


(5) OPTIONAL REDEMPTION. The Notes will be redeemable, as a whole or in part, at the Company’s option, at any time or from time to time, on at least 30 days’, but not more than 60 days’, prior notice mailed to the registered address of each Holder of Notes. The redemption prices will be equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed or (2) the sum of the present values of the Remaining Scheduled Payments (as defined below) discounted to the date of redemption, on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months), at a rate equal to the sum of the Treasury Rate (as defined below) and 25 basis points. In the case of each of clauses (1) and (2), accrued interest will be payable to the redemption date.

 

For purposes of determining the redemption price, the following definitions are applicable:

 

“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Notes.

 

“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any redemption date, (1) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date after excluding the highest and lowest of such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations or (2) if the Independent Investment Banker obtains fewer than five such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such quotations.

 

“Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.

 

“Reference Treasury Dealer” means each of Lehman Brothers Inc. and Banc of America Securities LLC and their respective successors and three other primary U.S. Government securities dealers (each a “Primary Treasury Dealer”) selected by the Company. If any of the foregoing shall cease to be a Primary Treasury Dealer, the Company shall substitute another nationally recognized investment banking firm that is a Primary Treasury Dealer.

 

“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Independent Investment Banker by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 3:30 p.m., New York City time, on the third business day preceding such redemption date.

 

“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to each Note to be redeemed, the remaining scheduled payments of principal of and interest on such Note that would be due after the related redemption date but for such redemption. If such redemption date is not an Interest Payment Date with respect to such Note, the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment on such Note will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued on such Note to such redemption date.

 

A-3


“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity (computed as of the second business day immediately preceding such redemption date) of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date.

 

On and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or any portion of the Notes called for redemption (unless the Company defaults in the payment of the redemption price and accrued interest). On or before the redemption date, the Company will deposit with a Paying Agent (or the Trustee) money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on the Notes to be redeemed on such date. If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed, selection of the Notes for redemption will be made by the Trustee in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, in which the Notes are listed or, if the Notes are not listed, then on a pro rata basis, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate. The repayment price of any Note redeemed at maturity will equal the principal amount of the Note. The terms of the Notes do not prevent the Company from purchasing Notes on the open market.

 

(6) NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Notice of redemption will be mailed at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address. Notes in denominations larger than $5,000 may be redeemed in part but only in whole multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. On and after the redemption date interest ceases to accrue on Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.

 

(7) DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER, EXCHANGE. The Notes are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $5,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and the Company may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part. Also, the Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Notes for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed or during the period between a record date and the corresponding Interest Payment Date.

 

(8) PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. The registered Holder of a Note may be treated as its owner for all purposes.

 

(9) AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER. Subject to certain exceptions, the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Notes may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes and Additional Notes, if any, voting as a single class, and any existing default or compliance with any provision of the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Notes may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes and Additional Notes, if any, voting as a single class. Without the consent of any Holder of a Note, the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Notes may be amended or supplemented to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes, to provide for the assumption of the Company’s or any Guarantor’s obligations to Holders of the Notes in case of a merger or consolidation, to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders of the Notes or that does not adversely

 

A-4


affect the legal rights under the Indenture of any such Holder, to comply with the requirements of the Commission in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act, to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the limitations set forth in the Indenture, or to allow any Guarantor to execute a supplemental indenture to the Indenture and/or a Subsidiary Guarantee with respect to the Notes.

 

(10) DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES. Events of Default include: (i) default for 30 days in the payment when due of interest on, or Liquidated Damages with respect to, the Notes; (ii) default in payment when due of principal of or premium, if any, on the Notes, whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise; (iii) failure by the Company or any Guarantor for 60 days after written notice by the Trustee or the Holders of 25% of the then outstanding principal amount of the Notes to comply with any other covenant, representation, warranty or other agreement in the Indenture or the Notes; (iv) default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is Guaranteed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries), whether such Indebtedness or Guarantee now exists, or is created after the date of the Indenture, if that default: (A) is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such Indebtedness on the date of such default (a “Payment Default”); or (B) results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its express maturity, and, in each case, the principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness under which there has been a Payment Default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $15.0 million or more; (v) a final judgment or final judgments for the payment of money are entered by a court or courts of competent jurisdiction against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60 days; provided that the aggregate of all such unpaid, undischarged and unstayed judgments exceeds $15.0 million; (vi) except as permitted by the Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee shall be held in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid or shall cease for any reason to be in full force and effect or any Guarantor, or any Person acting on behalf of any Guarantor, shall deny or disaffirm its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee; and (vii) certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency described in the Indenture with respect to the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company that is a Significant Subsidiary, or any group of Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary. In the case of an Event of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, all outstanding Notes will become due and payable without further action or notice. If any other Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may declare all the Notes to be due and payable. Holders may not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power. The Trustee may withhold from Holders of the Notes notice of any continuing Default or Event of Default (except a Default or Event of Default relating to the payment of principal or interest) if it determines that withholding notice is in their interest. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences under the Indenture except a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of interest or Liquidated Damages on, or the principal of, the Notes. In the case of any Event of Default occurring by reason of any willful action or inaction taken or not taken by or on behalf of the Company with the intention of avoiding payment of the premium that the Company would have had to pay if the Company then had elected to redeem the Notes pursuant to the optional redemption provisions of the Indenture, an equivalent premium will also become and be

 

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immediately due and payable to the extent permitted by law upon the acceleration of the Notes. The Company is required to deliver to the Trustee annually a statement regarding compliance with the Indenture, and the Company is required upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, to deliver to the Trustee a statement specifying such Default or Event of Default.

 

(11) TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH COMPANY. The Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and perform services for the Company or its Affiliates, and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates, as if it were not the Trustee.

 

(12) NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. A director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder, of the Company or any of the Guarantors, as such, will not have any liability for any obligations of the Company or such Guarantor under the Notes, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the Notes.

 

(13) AUTHENTICATION. This Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.

 

(14) ABBREVIATIONS. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).

 

(15) ADDITIONAL RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF RESTRICTED GLOBAL NOTES AND RESTRICTED DEFINITIVE NOTES. In addition to the rights provided to Holders of Notes under the Indenture, Holders of Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes will have all the rights set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of October 12, 2004 among the Company, the Guarantors and the other parties named on the signature pages thereof or, in the case of Additional Notes, Holders of Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes will have the rights set forth in one or more registration rights agreements, if any, among the Company, the Guarantors and the other parties thereto, relating to rights given by the Company and the Guarantors to the purchasers of any Additional Notes (collectively, the “Registration Rights Agreement”).

 

(16) CUSIP NUMBERS. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes and the Trustee may use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

 

The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture and/or the Registration Rights Agreement. Requests may be made to:

 

Hughes Supply, Inc.
One Hughes Way
Orlando, Florida 32805
Attention: Jay Clark, Vice President - Treasurer

 

A-6


ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

To assign this Note, fill in the form below:

 

(I) or (we) assign and transfer this Note to:  

 


    (Insert assignee’s legal name)

 


(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)

 


 


 


 


(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

 

and irrevocably appoint 

 

 
to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

 

Date:                     

 

Your Signature:

 

            (Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)\

Signature Guarantee*:                                              

* Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

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SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE

 

The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for an interest in another Global Note or for a Definitive Note, or exchanges of a part of another Global Note or Definitive Note for an interest in this Global Note, have been made:

 

Date of Exchange


 

Amount of decrease in
Principal Amount of

this Global Note


 

Amount of increase in
Principal Amount of

this Global Note


  

Principal Amount of

this Global Note
following such

decrease (or increase)


   Signature of authorized
officer of Trustee or
Custodian



* This schedule should be included only if the Note is issued in global form.

 

A-8


EXHIBIT B

 

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER

 

Hughes Supply, Inc.

One Hughes Way

Orlando, Florida 32805

 

U.S. Bank National Association

 

Re: 5.50% Senior Notes due 2014

 

Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of October 12, 2004 (the “Indenture”), among Hughes Supply, Inc., as issuer (the “Company”), the Guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Indenture.

 

                            , (the “Transferor”) owns and proposes to transfer the Note[s] or interest in such Note[s] specified in Annex A hereto, in the principal amount of $             in such Note[s] or interests (the “Transfer”), to                              (the “Transferee”), as further specified in Annex A hereto. In connection with the Transfer, the Transferor hereby certifies that:

 

[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]

 

1. ¨ Check if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in the 144A Global Note or a Definitive Note Pursuant to Rule 144A. The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and, accordingly, the Transferor hereby further certifies that the beneficial interest or Definitive Note is being transferred to a Person that the Transferor reasonably believed and believes is purchasing the beneficial interest or Definitive Note for its own account, or for one or more accounts with respect to which such Person exercises sole investment discretion, and such Person and each such account is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of Rule 144A in a transaction meeting the requirements of Rule 144A and such Transfer is in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the 144A Global Note and/or the Definitive Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

 

2. ¨ Check if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Global Note or a Definitive Note pursuant to Regulation S. The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act and, accordingly, the Transferor hereby further certifies that (i) the Transfer is not being made to a Person in the United States and (x) at the time the buy order was originated, the Transferee was outside the United States or such Transferor and any Person acting on its behalf reasonably believed and believes that the Transferee was outside the United States or (y) the transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated offshore securities market and neither such Transferor nor any Person acting on its behalf knows that the transaction was prearranged with a buyer in the United States, (ii) no directed selling efforts have been

 

B-1


made in contravention of the requirements of Rule 903(b) or Rule 904(b) of Regulation S under the Securities Act (iii) the transaction is not part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration requirements of the Securities Act and (iv) if the proposed transfer is being made prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period, the transfer is not being made to a U.S. Person or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person (other than an Initial Purchaser). Upon consummation of the proposed transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will be subject to the restrictions on Transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Regulation S Global Note and/or the Definitive Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

 

3. ¨ Check and complete if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in the IAI Global Note or a Definitive Note pursuant to any provision of the Securities Act other than Rule 144A or Regulation S. The Transfer is being effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to beneficial interests in Restricted Global Notes and Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States, and accordingly the Transferor hereby further certifies that (check one):

 

(a) ¨ such Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act;

 

or

 

(b) ¨ such Transfer is being effected to the Company or a subsidiary thereof;

 

or

 

(c) ¨ such Transfer is being effected pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and in compliance with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act;

 

or

 

(d) ¨ such Transfer is being effected to an Institutional Accredited Investor and pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 144A, Rule 144 or Rule 904, and the Transferor hereby further certifies that it has not engaged in any general solicitation within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act and the Transfer complies with the transfer restrictions applicable to beneficial interests in a Restricted Global Note or Restricted Definitive Notes and the requirements of the exemption claimed, which certification is supported by (1) a certificate executed by the Transferee in the form of Exhibit D to the Indenture and (2) an Opinion of Counsel provided by the Transferor or the Transferee (a copy of which the Transferor has attached to this certification), to the effect that such Transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the IAI Global Note and/or the Definitive Notes and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

 

4. ¨ Check if Transferee will take delivery of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or of an Unrestricted Definitive Note.

 

(a) ¨ Check if Transfer is pursuant to Rule 144. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act and in compliance with the transfer

 

B-2


restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will no longer be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes, on Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

 

(b) ¨ Check if Transfer is Pursuant to Regulation S. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will no longer be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes, on Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

 

(c) ¨ Check if Transfer is Pursuant to Other Exemption. (i) The Transfer is being effected pursuant to and in compliance with an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 144, Rule 903 or Rule 904 and in compliance with the transfer restrictions contained in the Indenture and any applicable blue sky securities laws of any State of the United States and (ii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act. Upon consummation of the proposed Transfer in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the transferred beneficial interest or Definitive Note will not be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Global Notes or Restricted Definitive Notes and in the Indenture.

 

This certificate and the statements contained herein are made for your benefit and the benefit of the Company.

 


[Insert Name of Transferor]

By:

 

 


Name:

   

Title:

   

 

Dated:                    

 

B-3


ANNEX A TO CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER

 

1. The Transferor owns and proposes to transfer the following:
   

[CHECK ONE OF (a) OR (b)]

    (a)          

¨    a beneficial interest in the:

        (i)   ¨   144A Global Note (CUSIP                 ), or
        (ii)   ¨   Regulation S Global Note (CUSIP                 ), or
        (iii)   ¨   IAI Global Note (CUSIP                 ); or
    (b)   ¨     a Restricted Definitive Note.
2. After the Transfer the Transferee will hold:
    [CHECK ONE]
    (a)   ¨     a beneficial interest in the:
        (i)   ¨   144A Global Note (CUSIP                 ), or
        (ii)   ¨   Regulation S Global Note (CUSIP                 ), or
        (iii)   ¨   IAI Global Note (CUSIP                  ); or
        (iv)   ¨   Unrestricted Global Note (CUSIP                 ); or
    (b)   ¨     a Restricted Definitive Note; or
    (c)   ¨     an Unrestricted Definitive Note,
    in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.

 

B-4


EXHIBIT C

 

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE

 

Hughes Supply, Inc.

One Hughes Way

Orlando, Florida 32805

 

U.S. Bank National Association

[Insert Address of Trustee]

 

Re:   5.50% Senior Notes due 2014

 

(CUSIP                     )

 

Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of October 12, 2004 (the “Indenture”), among Hughes Supply, Inc., as issuer (the “Company”), the Guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Indenture.

 

                                , (the “Owner”) owns and proposes to exchange the Note[s] or interest in such Note[s] specified herein, in the principal amount of $                 in such Note[s] or interests (the “Exchange”). In connection with the Exchange, the Owner hereby certifies that:

 

1. Exchange of Restricted Definitive Notes or Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Unrestricted Definitive Notes or Beneficial Interests in an Unrestricted Global Note

 

(a) ¨ Check if Exchange is from beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note to beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note in an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

 

(b) ¨ Check if Exchange is from beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note to Unrestricted Definitive Note. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Restricted Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the Definitive Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

 

(c) ¨ Check if Exchange is from Restricted Definitive Note to beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. In connection with the Owner’s Exchange of a Restricted Definitive Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is

 

C-1


being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the beneficial interest is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

 

(d) ¨ Check if Exchange is from Restricted Definitive Note to Unrestricted Definitive Note. In connection with the Owner’s Exchange of a Restricted Definitive Note for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the Unrestricted Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer, (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to Restricted Definitive Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the restrictions on transfer contained in the Indenture and the Private Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act and (iv) the Unrestricted Definitive Note is being acquired in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States.

 

2. Exchange of Restricted Definitive Notes or Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes for Restricted Definitive Notes or Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes

 

(a) ¨ Check if Exchange is from beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note to Restricted Definitive Note. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note for a Restricted Definitive Note with an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies that the Restricted Definitive Note is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer. Upon consummation of the proposed Exchange in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the Restricted Definitive Note issued will continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the Restricted Definitive Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

 

(b) ¨ Check if Exchange is from Restricted Definitive Note to beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note. In connection with the Exchange of the Owner’s Restricted Definitive Note for a beneficial interest in the [CHECK ONE] ¨ 144A Global Note, ¨ Regulation S Global Note, ¨ IAI Global Note with an equal principal amount, the Owner hereby certifies (i) the beneficial interest is being acquired for the Owner’s own account without transfer and (ii) such Exchange has been effected in compliance with the transfer restrictions applicable to the Restricted Global Notes and pursuant to and in accordance with the Securities Act, and in compliance with any applicable blue sky securities laws of any state of the United States. Upon consummation of the proposed Exchange in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the beneficial interest issued will be subject to the restrictions on transfer enumerated in the Private Placement Legend printed on the relevant Restricted Global Note and in the Indenture and the Securities Act.

 

This certificate and the statements contained herein are made for your benefit and the benefit of the Company.

 

 


[Insert Name of Transferor]
By:  

 


Name:    
Title:    

 

Dated:                         

 

C-2


EXHIBIT D

 

FORM OF CERTIFICATE FROM

ACQUIRING INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR

 

Hughes Supply, Inc.

One Hughes Way

Orlando, Florida 32805

 

U.S. Bank National Association

[Insert Address of Trustee]

 

Re: 5.50% Senior Notes due 2014

 

Reference is hereby made to the Indenture, dated as of October 12, 2004 (the “Indenture”), among Hughes Supply, Inc., as issuer (the “Company”), the Guarantors named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Indenture.

 

In connection with our proposed purchase of $             aggregate principal amount of:

 

(a)

  ¨      a beneficial interest in a Global Note, or

(b)

  ¨      a Definitive Note,

 

we confirm that:

 

1. We understand that any subsequent transfer of the Notes or any interest therein is subject to certain restrictions and conditions set forth in the Indenture and the undersigned agrees to be bound by, and not to resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Notes or any interest therein except in compliance with, such restrictions and conditions and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

2. We understand that the offer and sale of the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act, and that the Notes and any interest therein may not be offered or sold except as permitted in the following sentence. We agree, on our own behalf and on behalf of any accounts for which we are acting as hereinafter stated, that if we should sell the Notes or any interest therein, we will do so only (A) to the Company or any subsidiary thereof, (B) in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act to a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined therein), (C) to an institutional “accredited investor” (as defined below) that, prior to such transfer, furnishes (or has furnished on its behalf by a U.S. broker-dealer) to you and to the Company a signed letter substantially in the form of this letter and an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Company to the effect that such transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act, (D) outside the United States in accordance with Rule 904 of Regulation S under the Securities Act, (E) pursuant to the provisions of Rule 144(k) under the Securities Act or (F) pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, and we further agree to provide to any Person purchasing the Definitive Note or beneficial interest in a Global Note from us in a transaction meeting the requirements of clauses (A) through (E) of this paragraph a notice advising such purchaser that resales thereof are restricted as stated herein.

 

D-1


3. We understand that, on any proposed resale of the Notes or beneficial interest therein, we will be required to furnish to you and the Company such certifications, legal opinions and other information as you and the Company may reasonably require to confirm that the proposed sale complies with the foregoing restrictions. We further understand that the Notes purchased by us will bear a legend to the foregoing effect.

 

4. We are an institutional “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Regulation D under the Securities Act) and have such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of our investment in the Notes, and we and any accounts for which we are acting are each able to bear the economic risk of our or its investment.

 

5. We are acquiring the Notes or beneficial interest therein purchased by us for our own account or for one or more accounts (each of which is an institutional “accredited investor”) as to each of which we exercise sole investment discretion.

 

You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this letter and are irrevocably authorized to produce this letter or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceedings or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.

 

 


[Insert Name of Accredited Investor]

By:

 

 


Name:

   

Title:

   

 

Dated:                      

 

D-2


EXHIBIT E

 

[FORM OF NOTATION OF GUARANTEE]

 

For value received, each Guarantor (which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture defined below) has, jointly and severally, unconditionally guaranteed, to the extent set forth in the Indenture and subject to the provisions in the Indenture dated as of October 12, 2004 (the “Indenture”; unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meaning assigned to them in the Indenture) among Hughes Supply, Inc. (the “Company”), the subsidiaries of the Company named on the signature pages thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), (a) the due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest on the Notes, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, the due and punctual payment of interest on overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, if lawful, and the due and punctual performance of all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee all in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and (b) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, that the same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise. The obligations of the Guarantors to the Holders of Notes and to the Trustee pursuant to the Subsidiary Guarantee and the Indenture are expressly set forth in Article 10 of the Indenture and reference is hereby made to the Indenture for the precise terms of the Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

[Guarantor(s)]

By:

 

 


Name:

   

Title:

   

 

E-1


EXHIBIT F

 

[FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

TO BE DELIVERED BY SUBSEQUENT GUARANTORS]

 

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of                     , 200    , among                      (the “Guaranteeing Subsidiary”), a subsidiary of Hughes Supply, Inc. (or its permitted successor), a Florida corporation (the “Company”), the Company, the other Guarantors (as defined in the Indenture referred to herein) and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee under the indenture referred to below (the “Trustee”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H

 

WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an indenture (the “Indenture”), dated as of October 12, 2004 providing for the issuance of 5.50% Senior Notes due 2014 (the “Notes”);

 

WHEREAS, the Indenture provides that under certain circumstances the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall unconditionally Guarantee all of the Company’s Obligations under the Notes and the Indenture on the terms and conditions set forth herein (the “Subsidiary Guarantee”); and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes as follows:

 

1. CAPITALIZED TERMS. Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

 

2. AGREEMENT TO GUARANTEE. The Guaranteeing Subsidiary hereby agrees as follows:

 

(a) Along with all Guarantors named in the Indenture, to jointly and severally Guarantee to each Holder of a Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, the Notes or the obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder, that:

 

(i) the principal of, and premium and Liquidated Damages, if any, and interest on the Notes will be promptly paid in full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, if lawful, and all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder will be promptly paid in full or performed, all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and

 

(ii) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, that same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise. Failing payment when due of any amount so Guaranteed or any performance so Guaranteed for whatever reason, the Guarantors shall be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same immediately.

 

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(b) Subject to Article 10 of the Indenture, the obligations hereunder shall be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or the Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a Guarantor.

 

(c) The following is hereby waived: diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever.

 

(d) This Subsidiary Guarantee shall not be discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Notes and the Indenture, and the Guaranteeing Subsidiary accepts all obligations of a Guarantor under the Indenture.

 

(e) If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Company, the Guarantors, or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to either the Company or the Guarantors, any amount paid by either to the Trustee or such Holder, this Subsidiary Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in full force and effect.

 

(f) The Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall not be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations Guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations Guaranteed hereby.

 

(g) As between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the obligations Guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 of the Indenture for the purposes of this Subsidiary Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations Guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article 6 of the Indenture, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for the purpose of this Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

(h) The Guarantors shall have the right to seek contribution from any non-paying Guarantor so long as the exercise of such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

(i) Pursuant to Section 10.02 of the Indenture, after giving effect to any maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities that are relevant under any applicable Bankruptcy or fraudulent conveyance laws, and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under Article 10 of the Indenture, this new Subsidiary Guarantee shall be limited to the maximum amount permissible such that the obligations of such Guarantor under this Subsidiary Guarantee will not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance.

 

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3. EXECUTION AND DELIVERY. Each Guaranteeing Subsidiary agrees that the Subsidiary Guarantees shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any failure to endorse on each Note a notation of such Subsidiary Guarantee.

 

4. TERMINATION, RELEASE AND DISCHARGE UPON MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION.

 

(a) Each Guarantor may consolidate with or merge into or transfer or sell its assets to the Company or another Guarantor without limitation. Each Guarantor may consolidate with or merge into or transfer or sell all or substantially all its assets to a Person other than the Company or another Guarantor (whether or not affiliated with the Guarantor), except that if the surviving Person of any such merger or consolidation, or the Person to whom such sale is made, will be an Other Senior Indebtedness Guarantor, such Person shall execute a Subsidiary Guarantee. Upon the sale or disposition of a Guarantor (by merger, consolidation, the sale of its Capital Stock or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets) and whether or not the Guarantor is the surviving corporation in such transaction to a Person (whether or not an Affiliate of the Guarantor) which is not an Other Senior Indebtedness Guarantor of the Company, such Guarantor will be released from all its obligations under the Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee and such Subsidiary Guarantee will terminate; provided, however, that any such termination will occur only to the extent that each such Guarantor will be released from obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee if all the obligations of such Guarantor under the Other Senior Indebtedness and related documentation terminate upon consummation of such transaction.

 

(b) Upon termination for any reason of all of the obligations of the Guarantor under the Other Senior Indebtedness (including, without limitation, upon payment in full of the Other Senior Indebtedness, upon agreement of the lenders or noteholders thereunder or upon replacement thereof with a credit facility or other indebtedness not requiring such Guarantees or upon such Guarantor ceasing to be a Subsidiary) and the delivery of the Company to the Trustee of an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel with respect to the foregoing matters, such Guarantor, subject to Section 4.11 of the Indenture, will be deemed released from all its obligations under the Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee and such Subsidiary Guarantee will terminate.

 

5. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder or agent of the Guaranteeing Subsidiary, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any Guaranteeing Subsidiary under the Notes, any Subsidiary Guarantees, the Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of the Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes. Such waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws and it is the view of the Commission that such a waiver is against public policy.

 

6. NEW YORK LAW TO GOVERN. THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE.

 

7. COUNTERPARTS. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.

 

8. EFFECT OF HEADINGS. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

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9. THE TRUSTEE. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture or for or in respect of the recitals contained herein, all of which recitals are made solely by the Guaranteeing Subsidiary and the Company.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the date first above written.

 

Dated:                     , 20        

 

[GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY]
By:  

 


Name:    
Title:    
HUGHES SUPPLY, INC.
By:  

 


Name:    
Title:    
[EXISTING GUARANTORS]
By:  

 


Name:    
Title:    

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

    as Trustee

By:  

 


    Authorized Signatory

 

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