Indenture governing the Notes, dated as of September 24, 2019, among Spectrum Brands, Inc., the guarantors party thereto and US Bank National Association, as trustee
Contract Categories:
Business Finance
- Indenture Agreements
EX-4.1 2 eh1901112_ex0401.htm EXHIBIT 4.1
[Signature Page to Indenture]
Date: _______________
EXHIBIT 4.1
Execution Version
SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
as Issuer
the Guarantors party hereto
and
US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
as Trustee
as Trustee
Indenture
Dated as of September 24, 2019
Dated as of September 24, 2019
5.00% Senior Notes due 2029
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE 1 | Definitions and Incorporation by Reference | 1 |
Section 1.01 | Definitions | 1 |
Section 1.02 | Rules of Construction | 32 |
ARTICLE 2 | The Notes | 32 |
Section 2.01 | Form, Dating and Denominations; Legends | 32 |
Section 2.02 | Execution and Authentication; Additional Notes | 33 |
Section 2.03 | Registrar, Paying Agent and Authenticating Agent; Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust | 34 |
Section 2.04 | Replacement Notes | 35 |
Section 2.05 | Outstanding Notes | 35 |
Section 2.06 | Temporary Notes | 36 |
Section 2.07 | Cancellation | 36 |
Section 2.08 | CUSIP and ISIN Numbers | 36 |
Section 2.09 | Registration, Transfer and Exchange | 37 |
Section 2.10 | Restrictions on Transfer and Exchange | 39 |
Section 2.11 | Temporary Offshore Global Notes | 41 |
ARTICLE 3 | Redemption; Offer to Purchase | 42 |
Section 3.01 | Optional Redemption | 42 |
Section 3.02 | Redemption with Proceeds of Equity Offering | 42 |
Section 3.03 | Method and Effect of Redemption | 42 |
Section 3.04 | Offer to Purchase | 44 |
Section 3.05 | Mandatory Redemption | 45 |
ARTICLE 4 | Covenants | 45 |
Section 4.01 | Payment of Notes | 45 |
Section 4.02 | Maintenance of Office or Agency | 46 |
Section 4.03 | Existence | 46 |
Section 4.04 | Payment of Taxes and other Claims | 47 |
Section 4.05 | Maintenance of Properties and Insurance | 47 |
Section 4.06 | Limitation on Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock | 47 |
Section 4.07 | Limitation on Restricted Payments | 51 |
Section 4.08 | Limitation on Liens | 56 |
Section 4.09 | Limitation on Dividend and other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries | 57 |
Section 4.10 | Guarantees | 60 |
Section 4.11 | Repurchase of Notes Upon a Change of Control | 60 |
Section 4.12 | Limitation on Asset Sales | 62 |
Section 4.13 | Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates | 64 |
Section 4.14 | Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries | 66 |
Section 4.15 | Anti-Layering | 67 |
Section 4.16 | Reports | 67 |
i
Section 4.17 | Reports to Trustee | 68 |
Section 4.18 | Limitation on Activities of Holdings | 69 |
Section 4.19 | Suspension of Certain Covenants | 69 |
ARTICLE 5 | Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets | 70 |
Section 5.01 | Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets | 70 |
ARTICLE 6 | Default and Remedies | 71 |
Section 6.01 | Events of Default | 71 |
Section 6.02 | Acceleration | 72 |
Section 6.03 | Other Remedies | 72 |
Section 6.04 | Waiver of Past Defaults | 73 |
Section 6.05 | Control by Majority | 73 |
Section 6.06 | Limitation on Suits | 73 |
Section 6.07 | Rights of Holders to Receive Payment | 73 |
Section 6.08 | Collection Suit by Trustee | 74 |
Section 6.09 | Trustee May File Proofs of Claim | 74 |
Section 6.10 | Priorities | 74 |
Section 6.11 | Restoration of Rights and Remedies | 74 |
Section 6.12 | Undertaking for Costs | 75 |
Section 6.13 | Rights and Remedies Cumulative | 75 |
Section 6.14 | Delay or Omission Not Waiver | 75 |
Section 6.15 | Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws | 75 |
ARTICLE 7 | The Trustee | 75 |
Section 7.01 | General | 75 |
Section 7.02 | Certain Rights of Trustee. Subject to Trust Indenture Act Sections 315(a) through (d): | 76 |
Section 7.03 | Individual Rights of Trustee | 77 |
Section 7.04 | Trustee’s Disclaimer | 77 |
Section 7.05 | Notice of Default | 77 |
Section 7.06 | [Reserved] | 78 |
Section 7.07 | Compensation And Indemnity | 78 |
Section 7.08 | Replacement of Trustee | 78 |
Section 7.09 | Successor Trustee by Merger | 79 |
Section 7.10 | Eligibility | 80 |
Section 7.11 | Money Held in Trust | 80 |
ARTICLE 8 | Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance; Satisfaction and Discharge | 80 |
Section 8.01 | Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance | 80 |
Section 8.02 | Legal Defeasance and Discharge | 80 |
Section 8.03 | Covenant Defeasance | 80 |
Section 8.04 | Conditions to Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance | 81 |
Section 8.05 | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 82 |
Section 8.06 | Survival of Certain Obligations | 83 |
ii
Section 8.07 | Acknowledgment of Discharge by Trustee | 83 |
Section 8.08 | Deposited Money and Cash Equivalents to Be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions | 84 |
Section 8.09 | Repayment to Company | 84 |
Section 8.10 | Indemnity for Government Securities | 84 |
Section 8.11 | Reinstatement | 84 |
ARTICLE 9 | Amendment, Supplement and Waivers | 85 |
Section 9.01 | Amendments Without Consent of Holders | 85 |
Section 9.02 | Amendments With Consent of Holders | 85 |
Section 9.03 | [Reserved] | 87 |
Section 9.04 | Revocation and Effect of Consents | 87 |
Section 9.05 | Notation on or Exchange of Notes | 87 |
Section 9.06 | Trustee to Sign Amendments, Etc | 87 |
ARTICLE 10 | Guarantees | 88 |
Section 10.01 | The Guarantees | 88 |
Section 10.02 | Guarantee Unconditional | 88 |
Section 10.03 | Discharge; Reinstatement | 88 |
Section 10.04 | Waiver by the Guarantors | 89 |
Section 10.05 | Subrogation and Contribution | 89 |
Section 10.06 | Stay of Acceleration | 89 |
Section 10.07 | Limitation on Amount of Guarantee | 89 |
Section 10.08 | Execution and Delivery of Guarantee | 89 |
Section 10.09 | Release of Guarantee | 89 |
ARTICLE 11 | Miscellaneous | 90 |
Section 11.01 | [Reserved] | 90 |
Section 11.02 | Noteholder Communications; Noteholder Actions | 90 |
Section 11.03 | Notices | 91 |
Section 11.04 | Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent | 92 |
Section 11.05 | Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion | 92 |
Section 11.06 | Payment Date Other Than a Business Day | 92 |
Section 11.07 | Governing Law | 92 |
Section 11.08 | No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements | 93 |
Section 11.09 | Successors | 93 |
Section 11.10 | Duplicate Originals | 93 |
Section 11.11 | Separability | 93 |
Section 11.12 | Table of Contents and Headings | 93 |
Section 11.13 | No Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders | 93 |
Section 11.14 | Benefits of Indenture | 93 |
Section 11.15 | Rules by Trustee and Agents | 93 |
iii
EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT A Form of Note
EXHIBIT B Form of Supplemental Indenture related to the Guarantors
EXHIBIT C Restricted Legend
EXHIBIT D DTC Legend
EXHIBIT E Regulation S Certificate
EXHIBIT F Rule 144A Certificate
EXHIBIT G Institutional Accredited Investor Certificate
EXHIBIT H Certificate of Beneficial Ownership
EXHIBIT I Temporary Offshore Global Note Legend
iv
INDENTURE, dated as of September 24, 2019, among Spectrum Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as the Company, the Guarantors party hereto and US Bank National Association, as Trustee.
RECITALS
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of the Indenture to provide for the issuance of up to $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.00% Senior Notes Due 2029, and, if and when issued, any Additional Notes (the “Notes”). All things necessary to make the Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done, and the Company has done all things necessary to make the Notes (in the case of the Additional Notes, when duly authorized), when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and duly issued by the Company, the valid obligations of the Company as hereinafter provided.
In addition, the Guarantors party hereto have duly authorized the execution and delivery of the Indenture as guarantors of the Notes. All things necessary to make the Indenture a valid agreement of each Guarantor, in accordance with its terms, have been done, and each Guarantor has done all things necessary to make the Note Guarantees, when the Notes are executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and duly issued by the Company, the valid obligations of such Guarantor as hereinafter provided.
This Indenture will not be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture will not be deemed to include any of the terms set forth in the Trust Indenture Act, unless such terms are expressly included in this Indenture.
THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders thereof, the parties hereto covenant and agree, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders, as follows:
ARTICLE 1
Definitions and Incorporation by Reference
Definitions and Incorporation by Reference
Section 1.01 Definitions.
“AAG Acquisition” means the acquisition of all of the equity interests of Armored AutoGroup Parent Inc. pursuant to the AAG Merger Agreement.
“AAG Merger Agreement” means the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among Armored AutoGroup Parent Inc., Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., Ignite Merger Sub, Inc. and, solely in its capacity as representative, Avista Capital Partners II GP, LLC, dated as of April 28, 2015, in relation to the AAG Acquisition and as amended from time to time.
“Acquired Debt” means, with respect to any specified Person:
(1) Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such other Person is merged with or into, or becomes a Subsidiary of, such specified Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person merging with or into, or becoming a Subsidiary of, such specified Person; and
(2) Indebtedness secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.
Acquired Debt will be deemed to have been incurred, with respect to clause (1) of the preceding sentence, on the date such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary and, with respect to clause (2) of the preceding sentence, on the date of consummation of such acquisition of such assets.
“Additional Notes” means any notes issued under this Indenture in addition to the Initial Notes, having the same terms in all respects as the Initial Notes, or in all respects except with respect to issue price and interest accrued on or prior to the issue date thereof.
“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, shall mean 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” shall have correlative meanings; provided further that Paula Grundstücksverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Vermietungs-KG, Mannheim shall not be deemed an Affiliate of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries solely by virtue of the beneficial ownership by the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries of up to 20% of the Voting Stock of such entity.
“Affiliate Transaction” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.13.
“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Authenticating Agent.
“Agent Member” means a member of, or a participant in, the Depositary.
“Applicable Premium” means, with respect to any Note on any redemption date, the greater of (1) 1.0% of the principal amount of such Note; or (2) the excess of (a) the present value at such redemption date of (i) the redemption price of such Note at October 1, 2024 (as stated in the table in Section 3.01), plus (ii) all required interest payments due on such Note through October 1, 2024 excluding accrued but unpaid interest to the applicable redemption date, computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate as of such redemption date plus 50 basis points; over (b) the principal amount of such Note.
“Asset Sale” means:
(1) the sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that the sale, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole will be governed by Section 4.11 and/or Article 5 and not by Section 4.12; and
2
(2) the issuance of Equity Interests (other than directors’ qualifying shares) by any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries or the sale by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Equity Interests (other than directors’ qualifying shares) in any of its Subsidiaries.
Notwithstanding the preceding, the following are not included in the definition of “Asset Sale”:
(1) any single transaction or series of related transactions that involves assets having a fair market value of less than $50.0 million;
(2) a transfer of assets between or among the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(3) an issuance of Equity Interests by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or to another Restricted Subsidiary;
(4) the sale, lease, assignment or other disposition of equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other assets in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past business practice and any other non-recourse factoring of accounts receivable pursuant to a factoring program sponsored by a retailer of national standing in partnership with a financial institution or otherwise entered into by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with a financial institution;
(5) the sale or other disposition of Cash Equivalents;
(6) a Permitted Investment or Restricted Payment that is permitted by Section 4.07;
(7) any sale or disposition of any property or equipment that has become damaged, worn out, obsolete or otherwise unsuitable or no longer used or required for use in the ordinary course of the business of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(8) the licensing of intellectual property in the ordinary course of business;
(9) any sale or other disposition deemed to occur with creating or granting a Lien not otherwise prohibited by the Indenture;
(10) any surrender or waiver of contract rights pursuant to a settlement, release, recovery on or surrender of contract, tort or other claims of any kind;
(11) foreclosure or any similar action with respect to any property or other asset of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, which foreclosure or other similar action does not otherwise constitute a Default;
(12) to the extent allowable under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, any exchange of like property (excluding any boot thereon) for use in a Permitted Business;
3
(13) the unwinding of any Hedging Obligation; and
(14) any disposition (including by capital contribution) of Securitization Assets pursuant to, or in connection with, Permitted Securitization Financings.
For purposes of this definition, any series of related transactions that, if effected as a single transaction, would constitute an Asset Sale, shall be deemed to be a single Asset Sale effected when the last such transaction which is a part thereof is effected.
“Authenticating Agent” refers to a Person engaged to authenticate the Notes in the stead of the Trustee.
“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” shall 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” shall have a corresponding meaning.
“Board of Directors” means:
(1) with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation or any direct or indirect parent company of such corporation, or any duly authorized committee thereof having the authority of the full board with respect to the determination to be made;
(2) with respect to a limited liability company, any managing member thereof or, if managed by managers, the board of managers thereof, or any duly authorized committee thereof having the authority of the full board with respect to the determination to be made;
(3) with respect to a partnership, the Board of Directors of the general partner of the partnership; and
(4) with respect to any other Person, the board or committee of such Person or any direct or indirect parent company of such Person serving a similar function.
“Board Resolution” means a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Directors which is certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and remains in full force and effect as of the date of its certification.
“Borrowing Base” means the sum of (A) 80% of the net book value of accounts receivable of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (B) 60% of the net book value of inventory of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (with accounts receivable and inventory calculated on the basis that all Investments, acquisitions, dispositions, mergers, consolidations and disposed operations that have been made by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries prior to or substantially contemporaneous with the date of any calculation shall be included or excluded, as the case may be, on a pro forma basis with such calculations made in good faith by a responsible financial or accounting officer of the Company).
4
“Business Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City or in the city where the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is located are authorized by law to close.
“Capital Lease Obligation” means, at the time any determination thereof is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at 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.
“Cash Equivalents” means (a) United States dollars, Euros, British Pounds Sterling or any other currencies received in the ordinary course of business; (b) securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof (provided that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof) having maturities of not more than one year from the date of acquisition; (c) time deposits, certificates of deposit and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of one year or less from the date of acquisition, bankers’ acceptances with maturities not exceeding one year and overnight bank deposits, in each case, with any bank or trust company organized or licensed under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia whose short-term debt is rated “A-2” or higher by S&P or “P-2” or higher by Moody’s; (d) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities of the types described in clauses (b) and (c) above entered into with any financial institution meeting the qualifications specified in clause (c) above; (e) commercial paper having at least a “P-1” rating from Moody’s or “A-1” from S&P and in each case maturing within nine months after the date of acquisition; (f) marketable direct obligations issued by any state of the United States of America or any political subdivision of any such state or any public instrumentality thereof having the highest ratings obtainable from Moody’s or S&P and maturing within six months from the date of acquisition thereof; (g) money market funds at least 95% of the assets of which constitute Cash Equivalents of the kinds described in clauses (a) through (f) of this definition; and (h) in the case of a Foreign Subsidiary, substantially similar investments, of comparable credit quality, denominated in local currency held by such Foreign Subsidiary from time to time in the ordinary course of business.
“Cash Management Obligations” means, with respect to any Person, all obligations, whether now owing or hereafter arising, of such Person in respect of overdrafts and related liabilities or arising from (i) services in connection with operating, collections, payroll, trust or other depository or disbursement accounts, including automated clearinghouse, e-
5
payable, electronic funds transfer, wire transfer, controlled disbursement, overdraft, depository, information reporting, lockbox or stop payment services, (ii) commercial credit card and merchant card services; and (iii) other banking products or services (other than letters of credit and leases).
“Certificate of Beneficial Ownership” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit H.
“Certificated Note” means a Note in registered individual form without interest coupons.
“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:
(1) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act);
(2) the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company;
(3) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the ultimate Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company or Holdings;
(4) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company are not Continuing Directors; or
(5) Holdings ceases to directly own all Capital Stock of the Company.
For purposes of this definition, (i) any direct or indirect holding company of the Company (including Holdings) shall not itself be considered a Person for purposes of clause (3) or (5) above or a “person” or “group” for purposes of clause (3) or (5) above, provided that no “person” or “group” (other than another such holding company) Beneficially Owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such company, and a majority of the Voting Stock of such holding company immediately following it becoming the holding company of the Company is Beneficially Owned by the Persons who Beneficially Owned the voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to it becoming such holding company and (ii) a Person shall not be deemed to have beneficial ownership of securities subject to a stock purchase agreement, merger agreement or similar agreement until the consummation of the transactions contemplated by such agreement.
“Change of Control Offer” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.11.
“Change of Control Payment” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.11.
6
“Change of Control Payment Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.11.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor statute thereto.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Company” means the party named as such in the first paragraph of the Indenture or any successor obligor under the Indenture and the Notes pursuant to Article 5.
“Consolidated Cash Flow” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period plus, without duplication:
(a) provision for taxes based on income or profits of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such provision for taxes was deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus
(b) Fixed Charges of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that any such Fixed Charges were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus
(c) depreciation, amortization (including amortization of goodwill, software and other intangibles but excluding amortization of prepaid cash expenses that were paid in a prior period) and other non-cash expenses (excluding any such non-cash expense to the extent that it represents an accrual of or reserve for cash expenses in any future period or amortization of a prepaid cash expense that was paid in a prior period) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period to the extent that such depreciation, amortization and other non-cash expenses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus
(d) (i) unusual or non-recurring charges, (ii) relocation costs and integration costs or reserves (including such items related to proposed and completed acquisitions and Asset Sales and to closure/consolidation of facilities), (iii) Transaction Expenses, (iv) Prior Transaction Expenses, (v) severance costs, including such costs related to proposed and completed Permitted Investments and Asset Sales and to closure/consolidation of facilities and (vi) commissions, discounts, yield and other fees and charges (including any interest expense) related to any Permitted Securitization Financing, in each case incurred by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries; plus
(e) the amount of cost savings, operational expense improvements and synergies projected by such Person in good faith to be realized as a result of actions taken during such period or to be taken in connection with a transaction that is being given pro forma effect (calculated on a pro forma basis as though such cost savings, operational expense improvements and synergies had been realized on the first day of such period), net of the amount of actual benefits realized during such period from such actions; provided that (x) such cost savings, operational expense improvements and synergies are reasonably identifiable and factually supportable and (y) such cost savings, operational expense improvements and synergies are expected in good faith to be realized within 18 months of the end of such period; minus
7
(f) non-cash items increasing such Consolidated Net Income for such period, other than the accrual of revenue consistent with past practice; plus
(g) the amount of loss on sale of Securitization Assets (or discount with respect to any financing thereof) in connection with a Permitted Securitization Financing,
in each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Net Income” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the aggregate of the Net Income of such Person and its Subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with GAAP; provided that:
(1) the Net Income (but not loss) of any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting shall be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or distributions paid in cash to the specified Person or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof;
(2) the Net Income of any Restricted Subsidiary (other than a Guarantor) shall be excluded to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary of that Net Income is not at the date of determination permitted without any prior governmental approval (that has not been obtained) or, directly or indirectly, by operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary or its equityholders;
(3) the Net Income of any Person acquired during the specified period for any period prior to the date of such acquisition shall be excluded;
(4) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles shall be excluded;
(5) notwithstanding clause (1) above, the Net Income (but not loss) of any Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be excluded, whether or not distributed to the specified Person or one of its Subsidiaries;
(6) (a) unrealized gains and losses due solely to fluctuations in currency values and the related tax effects according to GAAP shall be excluded (until realized, at which time such gains or losses shall be included); and (b) unrealized gains and losses with respect to Hedging Obligations shall be excluded (until realized, at which time such gains or losses shall be included);
(7) any non-cash charge or expense realized or resulting from stock option plans, employee benefit plans or post-employment benefit plans, or grants or sales of stock, stock appreciation or similar rights, stock options, restricted stock, Preferred Stock or other rights shall be excluded;
(8) (a)(i) the non-cash portion of “straight line” rent expense less (ii) the cash portion of “straight line” rent expense which exceeds the amount expensed in respect of such
8
rent expense shall be excluded and (b) non-cash gains, losses, income and expenses resulting from fair value accounting required by the applicable standard under GAAP and related interpretations shall be excluded (until realized, at which time such gains or losses shall be included);
(9) to the extent covered by insurance and actually reimbursed, or, so long as such Person has made a determination that there exists reasonable evidence that such amount will in fact be reimbursed by the insurer and only to the extent that such amount is (a) approved by the applicable carrier in writing within 180 days and (b) in fact reimbursed within 365 days of the date of such evidence (with a deduction for any amount so added back to the extent not so reimbursed within 365 days), (i) expenses with respect to liability or casualty events or business interruption shall be excluded and (ii) amounts received, or estimated in good faith to be received, from insurance in respect of lost earnings in respect of liability or causality events or business interruption shall be included (with a deduction for (x) amounts actually received up to such estimated amount to the extent included in Net Income in a future period and (y) for estimated amounts in excess of amounts actually received in a future period);
(10) any charges resulting from the application of FASB ASC 350, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other, Accounting Standards Codification Topic 360-10-35-15, Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, Accounting Standards Codification Topic 480-10-25-4, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity—Overall Recognition, or Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, the amortization of intangibles arising pursuant to FASB ASC 805, Business Combinations, non-cash interest expense resulting from the application of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 470-20 Debt—Debt with Conversion Options—Recognition, and any non-cash income tax expense that results from the inability to include deferred tax liabilities related to indefinite-lived intangible assets as future reversals of temporary differences under FASB ASC 740-10-30-18, shall be excluded; and
(11) restructuring and related charges and acquisition and related integration charges, including but not limited to, restructuring charges related to the Prior Transactions and the Transactions, shall be excluded.
“Consolidated Total Debt Ratio” means, with respect to any specified Person, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (1) Consolidated Total Indebtedness of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such event for which such calculation is being made shall occur minus Cash Equivalents included on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person as of the end of such most recent fiscal quarter to (2) Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person for the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such event for which such calculation is being made shall occur, in each case with such pro forma adjustments to Consolidated Total Indebtedness, Cash Equivalents and Consolidated Cash Flow as are appropriate and consistent with the pro forma adjustment provisions set forth in the definition of Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio.
9
“Consolidated Total Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the sum (without duplication) of (a) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (excluding any undrawn letters of credit) consisting of bankers’ acceptances, Obligations in respect of Capital Lease Obligations, debt obligations evidenced by promissory notes and similar instruments and Indebtedness for borrowed money, plus (b) the aggregate amount of all outstanding Disqualified Stock of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, with the amount of such Disqualified Stock equal to the greater of their respective voluntary or involuntary liquidation preferences, in each case determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Continuing Directors” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of the Company or Holdings who:
(1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the Issue Date or
(2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination or election.
“Contribution Debt” means Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Company or any Guarantor in an aggregate principal amount or liquidation preference not greater than twice the aggregate amount of cash received from the issuance and sale of Qualified Equity Interests of the Company after the Issue Date; provided that:
(1) such cash has not been used to make a Restricted Payment and shall thereafter be excluded from any calculation under Section 4.07(a)(iii)(B) or used to make any Restricted Payment pursuant to Section 4.07(b) (it being understood that if any such Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock incurred as Contribution Debt is redesignated as incurred under any provision other than Section 4.06(b)(16), the related issuance of Equity Interests may be included in any calculation under Section 4.07(a)(iii)(B)); and
(2) such Contribution Debt (a) is incurred within 180 days after the making of such cash contributions and (b) is so designated as Contribution Debt pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate on the incurrence date thereof.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the Trustee is principally administered, which at the date of the Indenture is located at 333 Commerce Street, Suite 800, Nashville, Tennessee 37201.
“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.03.
“Covenant Suspension Event” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.19.
“Credit Agreement” means the credit agreement dated as of June 23, 2015 among the Company, as lead borrower, the lenders party thereto from time to time and Royal Bank of Canada, as administrative agent, together with any related documents, including any related notes, guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection
10
therewith, in each case as such credit agreement, in whole or in part, in one or more instances, may be amended, restated, amended and restated, renewed, extended, substituted, refinanced, restructured, replaced, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time (including any successive restatements, renewals, extensions, substitutions, refinancings, restructurings, replacements, supplementations or other modifications of the foregoing and including any amendment increasing the amount of Indebtedness incurred or available to be borrowed thereunder, extending the maturity of any Indebtedness incurred thereunder or contemplated thereby or deleting, adding or substituting one or more borrowers or other parties thereto (whether or not such added or substituted parties are banks or other institutional lenders)), including into one or more debt facilities, commercial paper facilities or other debt instruments, indentures or agreements (including by means of sales of debt securities (including Additional Notes) to institutional investors), providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, letters of credit or other debt obligations, whether any such restatements, renewals, extensions, substitutions, refinancings, restructurings, replacements, supplementations or other modifications (1) occurs simultaneously or not with the termination or repayment of a prior credit agreement or (2) occurs on one or more separate occasions.
“Credit Facilities” means, one or more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Credit Agreement), or commercial paper facilities with banks or other institutional lenders or investors or indentures or other agreements providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, debt securities (including related exchange notes and guarantees thereof), receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to such lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from such lenders against such receivables) or letters of credit or other long-term indebtedness and, in each case, as such agreements may be amended, amended and restated, supplemented, in any manner whatsoever modified, refinanced, extended, substituted, replaced, renewed, or otherwise restructured or refunded, in whole or in part, in one or more instances, from time to time (including any successive renewals, extensions, substitutions, refinancings, restructurings, replacements, supplementations or other modifications of the foregoing and including any amendment increasing the amount of Indebtedness incurred or available to be borrowed thereunder, extending the maturity of any Indebtedness incurred thereunder or contemplated thereby or deleting, adding or substituting one or more parties thereto (whether or not such added or substituted parties are banks or other lenders)), including into one or more debt facilities, commercial paper facilities or other debt instruments, indentures or agreements (including by means of sales of debt securities (including Additional Notes)), providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, letters of credit or other debt obligations, whether any such extension, replacement or refinancing (1) occurs simultaneously or not with the termination or repayment of a prior debt facility or (2) occurs on one or more separate occasions.
“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.
“Depositary” means the depositary of each Global Note, which will initially be DTC.
“Designated Non-cash Consideration” means any non-cash consideration received by the Company or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with an Asset Sale that is
11
designated as Designated Non-cash Consideration pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate executed by an Officer of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary at the time of such Asset Sale.
“Disqualified Stock” means any Capital Stock that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible, or for which it is exchangeable, in each case at the option of the holder thereof), or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the date that is the earlier date on which the Notes mature and the date the Notes are no longer outstanding, except to the extent such Capital Stock is solely redeemable with, or solely exchangeable for, any Equity Interests of the Company that are not Disqualified Stock; provided that if such Capital Stock is issued to any plan for the benefit of employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries or by any such plan to such employees, such Capital Stock shall not constitute Disqualified Stock solely because it may be required to be repurchased by the Company or its Subsidiaries in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligation; provided, further, that any Capital Stock held by any future, present or former employee, director, officer, manager or consultant (or their estates, spouses or former spouses) of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its direct or indirect parent companies pursuant to any stockholders agreement, management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement shall not constitute Disqualified Stock solely because it may be required to be repurchased by the Company or its Subsidiaries following the termination of employment of such employee, director, officer, manager or consultant with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (so long as, in each case referred to in this sentence, any such requirement is made subject to compliance with the Indenture). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, any Capital Stock that would constitute Disqualified Stock solely because the holders thereof have the right to require the Company to repurchase such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of a change of control or an asset sale shall not constitute Disqualified Stock if the terms of such Capital Stock provide that the Company may not repurchase or redeem any such Capital Stock pursuant to such provisions unless such repurchase or redemption complies with Section 4.07. The term “Disqualified Stock” shall also include any options, warrants or other rights that are convertible into Disqualified Stock or that are redeemable at the option of the holder, or required to be redeemed, prior to the date that is 91 days after the date on which the Notes mature.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation, and its successors.
“DTC Legend” means the legend set forth in Exhibit D.
“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company other than a Restricted Subsidiary that is (1) a “controlled foreign corporation” under Section 957 of the Internal Revenue Code or (2) a Subsidiary of any such controlled foreign corporation.
“Equity Interests” means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).
12
“Equity Offering” means a primary offering, after the Issue Date, of Qualified Equity Interests of the Company or of Holdings or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings (to the extent the proceeds thereof are contributed to the common equity of the Company) other than an issuance registered on Form S-4 or S-8 or any successor thereto or any issuance pursuant to employee benefit plans or otherwise in compensation to officers, directors or employees.
“Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.01.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Existing Indebtedness” means the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness described in Section 4.06(b)(1) and (b)(3)) in existence on the Issue Date, until such amounts are repaid.
“Existing Notes” means, collectively, the Company’s (i) 6.625% Senior Notes due 2022 outstanding on the Issue Date, (ii) 6.125% Senior Notes due 2024 outstanding on the Issue Date, (iii) 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025 outstanding on the Issue Date and (iv) 4.00% Senior Notes due 2026 outstanding on the Issue Date.
“fair market value” means the price that would be paid in an arm’s-length transaction between an informed and willing seller under no compulsion to sell and an informed and willing buyer under no compulsion to buy, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be conclusive if evidenced by a resolution of the Board of Directors.
“Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means with respect to any specified Person for any period, the ratio of the Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person for such period to the Fixed Charges of such Person for such period. In the event that the specified Person or any of its Subsidiaries incurs, assumes, Guarantees, repays, retires, extinguishes, repurchases or redeems any Indebtedness (other than in the case of any Permitted Securitization Financing, in which case interest expense shall be computed based upon the average daily balance of such Indebtedness during the applicable period) or issues, repurchases or redeems Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock subsequent to the commencement of the period for which the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is being calculated and on or prior to the date on which the event for which the calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is made (the “Calculation Date”), then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio shall be calculated giving pro forma effect to such incurrence, assumption, Guarantee, repayment, retirement, extinguishment, repurchase or redemption of Indebtedness, or such issuance, repurchase or redemption of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, and the use of the proceeds therefrom as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter reference period.
In addition, for purposes of calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio:
(1) Investments or acquisitions and dispositions of business entities or property and assets constituting a division or line of business of any Person that have been made by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including through mergers or consolidations and including any related financing transactions, during the four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference period and on or prior to the Calculation Date shall be
13
given pro forma effect as if they had occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period and Consolidated Cash Flow for such reference period shall be calculated on a pro forma basis, but without giving effect to clause (3) of the proviso set forth in the definition of Consolidated Net Income;
(2) the Consolidated Cash Flow attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, shall be excluded;
(3) the Fixed Charges attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, shall be excluded, but only to the extent that the obligations giving rise to such Fixed Charges will not be obligations of the specified Person or any of its Subsidiaries following the Calculation Date; and
(4) consolidated interest expense attributable to interest on any Indebtedness (whether existing or being incurred) computed on a pro forma basis and bearing a floating interest rate shall be computed as if the rate in effect on the Calculation Date (taking into account any interest rate option, swap, cap or similar agreement applicable to such Indebtedness if such agreement has a remaining term in excess of 12 months or, if shorter, at least equal to the remaining term of such Indebtedness) had been the applicable rate for the entire period.
For purposes of this definition, whenever pro forma effect is to be given to any event, the pro forma calculations shall be made in good faith by a responsible financial or accounting officer of the Company. Any such pro forma calculation may include adjustments appropriate, in the reasonable good faith determination of the Company as set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, to reflect operating expense reductions and other operating improvements or synergies reasonably expected to result from the applicable event.
“Fixed Charges” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the sum, without duplication, of:
(1) the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or accrued, including, without limitation, amortization of debt issuance costs and original issue discount, non-cash interest payments, the interest component of any deferred payment obligations, the interest component of all payments associated with Capital Lease Obligations, commissions, discounts and other fees and charges incurred in respect of letter of credit, bankers’ acceptance financings or any Permitted Securitization Financing which are payable to Persons other than the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, and net of the effect of all payments made, received or accrued in connection with Hedging Obligations (but excluding unrealized gains or losses with respect thereto), but excluding (i) amortization of deferred financing fees, debt issuance costs, commissions, fees and expenses, (ii) any expensing of bridge, commitment and other financing fees, (iii) any redemption premiums, prepayment fees, or other charges or penalties incurred in connection with the Transactions or the Prior Transactions and (iv) any premiums, fees or other charges incurred in connection with the refinancing of the Existing Indebtedness on the Issue Date (in each case of (i) through (iv), to the extent included in any of the foregoing items listed in clause (1)); plus
14
(2) the consolidated interest of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was capitalized during such period; plus
(3) any interest expense on Indebtedness of another Person that is Guaranteed by such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries or secured by a Lien on assets of such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries, whether or not such Guarantee or Lien is called upon; plus
(4) the product of (a) all dividends, whether paid or accrued and whether or not in cash, on any series of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than (i) dividends on Equity Interests payable solely in Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) or (ii) dividends to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, times (b) a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is one minus the then current combined federal, state and local statutory tax rate of such Person, expressed as a decimal, in each case, on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any additional charges arising from (i) the application of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 480-10-25-4 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity— Overall—Recognition” to any series of preferred stock other than Disqualified Equity Interests or (ii) the application of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 470-20-25 “Debt—Debt with Conversion Options—Recognition,” in each case, shall be disregarded in the calculation of Consolidated Fixed Charges.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company other than a Domestic Subsidiary.
“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, the opinions and pronouncements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and in the 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, which are in effect on December 4, 2014.
“GAC Divestiture” means the completed sale of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.’s global auto care business, as contemplated by the Acquisition Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2018, by and among Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. and Energizer Holdings, Inc.
“GBL Divestiture” means the completed sale of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.’s global battery, lighting and portable power business, as contemplated by the Amended and Restated Acquisition Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2018, by and among Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. and Energizer Holdings, Inc.
“Global Note” means a Note in registered global form without interest coupons.
“Government Securities” means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which guarantee or obligations the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged.
15
“Guarantee” means, as to any Person, 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 of another Person.
“Guarantors” means:
(1) Holdings and each direct or indirect Domestic Subsidiary of the Company that guarantees Indebtedness under a Credit Facility or any of the Existing Notes on the Issue Date; and
(2) any other subsidiary that executes a Note Guarantee in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture; and their respective successors and assigns until released from their obligations under their Note Guarantees and the Indenture in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.
“Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any specified Person, the obligations of such Person under:
(1) interest rate swap agreements, interest rate cap agreements, interest rate collar agreements and other agreements or arrangements designed for the purpose of managing interest rate risk;
(2) commodity swap agreements, commodity option agreements, forward contracts and other agreements or arrangements designed for the purpose of managing commodity price risk; and
(3) foreign exchange contracts, currency swap agreements and other agreements or arrangements designed for the purpose of managing foreign currency exchange rate risk.
“Holder” or “Noteholder” means the registered holder of any Note.
“Holdings” means SB/RH Holdings, LLC or any successor obligor under this Indenture and its Notes Guarantee pursuant to Section 4.10(b)(2).
“HRG Merger” means the series of transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 24, 2018, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated as of June 8, 2018, by and among Spectrum Brands Legacy, Inc., Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., HRG SPV Sub I, Inc. and HRG SPV Sub II, Inc.
“IAI Global Note” means a Global Note resold to Institutional Accredited Investors bearing the Restricted Legend.
“incur” means, with respect to any Indebtedness, to incur, create, issue, assume, Guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable for or with respect to, or become responsible for, the payment of, contingently or otherwise, such Indebtedness; provided that
16
(1) any Indebtedness of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company will be deemed to be incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary at the time it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company and (2) neither the accrual of interest nor the accretion of original issue discount nor the payment of interest in the form of additional Indebtedness with the same terms and the payment of dividends on Disqualified Stock in the form of additional shares of the same class of Disqualified Stock (to the extent provided for when the Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock on which such interest or dividend is paid was originally issued) shall be considered an incurrence of Indebtedness; provided that in each case the amount thereof is for all other purposes included in the Fixed Charges and Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiary as accrued.
“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), but excluding obligations with respect to letters of credit (including trade letters of credit) securing obligations entered into in the ordinary course of business of such Person to the extent such letters of credit are not drawn upon or, if drawn upon, to the extent such drawing is reimbursed no later than the fifth Business Day following receipt by such Person of a demand for reimbursement;
(3) in respect of banker’s acceptances;
(4) in respect of Capital Lease Obligations;
(5) in respect of the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property, except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable;
(6) representing Hedging Obligations, other than Hedging Obligations that are incurred in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of fixing, hedging, swapping, managing interest rate, commodity price or foreign currency exchange rate risk (or to reverse or amend any such agreements previously made for such purposes), and not for speculative purposes, and that do not increase the Indebtedness of the obligor outstanding at any time other than as a result of fluctuations in interest rates, commodity prices or foreign currency exchange rates or by reason of fees, indemnities and compensation payable thereunder; or
(7) representing Disqualified Stock valued at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary maximum fixed repurchase price plus accrued dividends;
if and to the extent that any of the preceding items (other than letters of credit and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet (excluding the footnotes thereto) of the specified Person prepared in accordance with GAAP or, in the case of any earn-out obligation or purchase price adjustment, would have been recorded as a liability under GAAP prior to the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 141R. In addition, the term “Indebtedness” includes (x) all Indebtedness of others secured by a Lien on any asset of the specified Person (whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by the specified Person),
17
provided that the amount of such Indebtedness shall be the lesser of (A) the fair market value of such asset at such date of determination and (B) the amount of such Indebtedness, and (y) to the extent not otherwise included, the Guarantee by the specified Person of any Indebtedness of any other Person. For purposes hereof, the “maximum fixed repurchase price” of any Disqualified Stock which does not have a fixed repurchase price shall be calculated in accordance with the terms of such Disqualified Stock as if such Disqualified Stock were purchased on any date on which Indebtedness shall be required to be determined pursuant to this Indenture, and if such price is based upon, or measured by, the fair market value of such Disqualified Stock, such fair market value shall be determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the issuer of such Disqualified Stock.
The amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date shall be the outstanding balance at such date of all unconditional obligations as described above and, with respect to contingent obligations, the maximum liability upon the occurrence of the contingency giving rise to the obligation, and shall be:
(1) the accreted value thereof, in the case of any Indebtedness issued with original issue discount; and
(2) the principal amount thereof, together with any interest thereon that is more than 30 days past due, in the case of any other Indebtedness;
provided that Indebtedness shall not include:
(i) any liability for federal, state, local or other taxes;
(ii) performance, surety or appeal bonds provided in the ordinary course of business;
(iii) agreements providing for indemnification, adjustment of purchase price or similar obligations, or Guarantees or letters of credit, surety bonds or performance bonds securing any obligations of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to such agreements, in any case incurred in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or Restricted Subsidiary (other than Guarantees of Indebtedness incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or Restricted Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition), so long as the principal amount does not exceed the gross proceeds actually received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such disposition;
(iv) deferred revenue; or
(v) obligations under or in respect of Permitted Securitization Financing.
“Indenture” means this indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time.
“Initial Notes” means the Notes issued on the Issue Date and any Notes issued in replacement thereof.
18
“Initial Purchasers” means the initial purchasers party to a Purchase Agreement with the Company relating to the sale of the Initial Notes or Additional Notes by the Company.
“Institutional Accredited Investor” means an institutional “accredited investor” (as defined) in Rule 501(a), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act.
“Institutional Accredited Investor Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit G hereto.
“Investment Grade” means a rating of BBB- or higher by S&P and Baa3 or higher by Moody’s, or the equivalent of such ratings by another Rating Agency.
“interest”, in respect of the Notes, unless the context otherwise requires, refers to interest and Additional Interest, if any.
“Interest Payment Date” means each October 1 and April 1 of each year, commencing April 1, 2020.
“Investments” means, with respect to any Person, all direct or indirect investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the forms of loans or other extensions of credit (including Guarantees, but excluding advances to customers or suppliers in the ordinary course of business that are, in conformity with GAAP, recorded as accounts receivable, prepaid expenses or deposits on the balance sheet of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries and endorsements for collection or deposit arising in the ordinary course of business), advances (excluding commission, travel, payroll and similar advances to officers and employees made consistent with past practices), capital contributions (by means of any transfer of cash or other property to others or any payment for property or services for the account or use of others), purchases or other acquisitions for consideration of Indebtedness, Equity Interests or other securities, together with all items that are or would be classified as investments on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP.
If the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company sells or otherwise disposes of any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect Restricted Subsidiary of the Company such that, after giving effect to any such sale or disposition, such Person is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, the Company shall be deemed to have made an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition equal to the fair market value of the Investment in such Restricted Subsidiary not sold or disposed of in an amount determined as provided in Section 4.07(c). The acquisition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of a Person that holds an Investment in a third Person shall be deemed to be an Investment by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary in such third Person only if such Investment was made in contemplation of, or in connection with, the acquisition of such Person by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary and the amount of any such Investment shall be determined as provided in Section 4.07(c).
“Issue Date” means September 24, 2019, the date on which the Initial Notes are originally issued under this Indenture.
“Legal Defeasance” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.02.
19
“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.
“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and its successors.
“Net Income” means, with respect to any specified Person, the net income (loss) of such Person, determined in accordance with GAAP and before any reduction in respect of Preferred Stock dividends, excluding, however:
(1) any gain or loss, together with any related provision for taxes on such gain or loss, realized in connection with: (a) any sale of assets outside the ordinary course of business of such Person; or (b) the disposition of any securities by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or the extinguishment of any Indebtedness of such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; and
(2) any extraordinary gain or loss, together with any related provision for taxes on such extraordinary gain or loss.
“Net Proceeds” means the aggregate cash proceeds, including payments in respect of deferred payment obligations (to the extent corresponding to the principal, but not the interest component, thereof) received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of any Asset Sale (including, without limitation, any cash received upon the sale or other disposition of any non-cash consideration received in any Asset Sale), net of (1) the direct costs relating to such Asset Sale, including, without limitation, legal, accounting, brokerage and investment banking fees, and sales commissions, and any relocation expenses incurred as a result thereof, (2) taxes paid or payable as a result thereof, in each case, after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions arising therefrom and any tax sharing arrangements in connection therewith, (3) amounts required to be applied to the repayment of Indebtedness or other liabilities, secured by a Lien on the asset or assets that were the subject of such Asset Sale, or required to be paid as a result of such sale, and (4) any reserve for adjustment in respect of the sale price of such asset or assets established in accordance with GAAP.
“New Term Loan Commitment Agreement” means the new term loan commitment agreement no. 2 among Holdings, the Company, as lead borrower, the lenders party thereto and Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, as agent.
“Non-U.S. Person” means a Person that is not a U.S. person, as defined in Regulation S.
“Notes” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Recitals.
“Note Guarantee” means the Guarantee by each Guarantor of the Company’s payment obligations under this Indenture and on the Notes, executed pursuant to this Indenture.
20
“Obligations” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
“Offer to Purchase” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.04.
“Offering Memorandum” means the Offering Memorandum dated September 10, 2019 relating to the sale of the Initial Notes.
“Officer” means the chairman of the Board of Directors, the president or chief executive officer, any vice president, the chief financial officer, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer, or the secretary or any assistant secretary, of the Company.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed in the name of the Company by any of the chairman of the Board of Directors, the president or chief executive officer, the chief financial officer, a vice president, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer or the secretary or any assistant secretary.
“Offshore Global Note” means a Global Note representing Notes issued and sold pursuant to Regulation S.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion signed by legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, satisfactory to the Trustee.
“Paying Agent” means an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment.
“Permanent Offshore Global Note” means an Offshore Global Note that does not bear the Temporary Offshore Global Note Legend.
“Permitted Business” means any business conducted or proposed to be conducted by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the Issue Date and other businesses complementary, similar or reasonably related, ancillary or incidental thereto or reasonable extensions thereof.
“Permitted Debt” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.06.
“Permitted Investments” means:
(1) any Investment in the Company or in a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;
(2) any Investment in Cash Equivalents;
(3) any Investment by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in a Person, if as a result of such Investment:
(a) such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; or
21
(b) such Person is merged, consolidated or amalgamated with or into, or transfers or conveys substantially all of its assets to, or is liquidated into, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;
(4) any Investment made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from an Asset Sale (including Designated Non-Cash Consideration) that was made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 4.12;
(5) Hedging Obligations that are incurred in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of managing interest rate, commodity price or foreign currency exchange rate risk (or to reverse or amend any such agreements previously made for such purposes), and not for speculative purposes, and that do not increase the Indebtedness of the obligor outstanding at any time other than as a result of fluctuations in interest rates, commodity prices or foreign currency exchange rates or by reason of fees, indemnities and compensation payable thereunder;
(6) stock, obligations or securities received in satisfaction of judgments;
(7) Investments in securities of trade debtors or customers received (x) pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of such trade creditors or customers or in good faith settlement of delinquent obligations of such trade debtors or customers or in compromise or resolution of litigation, arbitration or other disputes with Persons who are not Affiliates, (y) as a result of the foreclosure by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer of title, or (z) as a result of litigation, or other disputes with Persons who are not Affiliates;
(8) other Investments in any Person engaged in a Permitted Business having an aggregate fair market value (measured on the date each such Investment was made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value), when taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (8) since the Issue Date, not to exceed the greater of (x) $200.0 million and (y) 20.0% of Consolidated Cash Flow, in each case, net of any return of or on such Investment received by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary;
(9) Investments consisting of purchases and acquisitions of inventory, supplies, material or equipment, or the licensing or contribution of intellectual property pursuant to joint marketing, joint development or similar arrangements with other Persons;
(10) advances, loans, rebates and extensions of credit (including the creation of receivables) to suppliers, customers and vendors, and performance guarantees, in each case in the ordinary course of business;
(11) Investments in prepaid expenses, negotiable instruments held for collection and lease and utility and worker’s compensation deposits provided to third parties in the ordinary course of business;
(12) Investments (other than in Restricted Subsidiaries) outstanding on the Issue Date or made pursuant to binding agreements in effect on the Issue Date, including any extension, modification or renewal of such Investments, to the extent not involving any
22
additional Investment other than as the result of the accrual or accretion of interest or original issue discount or the issuance of pay-in-kind securities;
(13) advances and loans to officers, directors or employees for business-related travel expenses, moving expenses and other similar expenses, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practice or to fund such person’s purchase of Equity Interests of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company;
(14) Investments in joint ventures having an aggregate fair market value, when taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause that are at the time outstanding, not to exceed $100.0 million at the time of such Investment (with the fair market value of each Investment being measured at the time made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value); provided, however, that if any Investment pursuant to this clause (14) is made in any Person that is not the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary at the date of the making of such Investment and such Person becomes the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary after such date, such Investment shall thereafter be deemed to have been made pursuant to clause (1) above and shall cease to have been made pursuant to this clause (14) for so long as such Person continues to be the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary;
(15) Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries having an aggregate fair market value, when taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause that are at the time outstanding, not to exceed $100.0 million at the time of such Investment (with the fair market value of each Investment being measured at the time made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value);
(16) Investments consisting of Securitization Assets or arising as a result of Permitted Securitization Financings; and
(17) any Investment in an entity which is not a Restricted Subsidiary to which a Restricted Subsidiary sells Securitization Assets pursuant to a Permitted Securitization Financing.
“Permitted Liens” means:
(1) Liens securing Indebtedness incurred and then outstanding pursuant to Section 4.06(b)(1) and other Obligations in respect thereof;
(2) Liens in favor of the Company or any Guarantor;
(3) Liens on property of a Person existing at the time such Person is merged with or into or consolidated with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; provided that such Liens were in existence prior to the contemplation of such merger or consolidation and do not extend to any assets other than those of the Person merged into or consolidated with the Company or the Restricted Subsidiary;
(4) Liens on property existing at the time of acquisition thereof by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, provided that such Liens were in
23
existence prior to the contemplation of such acquisition and do not extend to any property other than the property so acquired by the Company or the Restricted Subsidiary;
(5) Liens existing on the Issue Date not otherwise permitted hereby;
(6) Liens securing Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness (other than in respect of Indebtedness referred to in clause (1)); provided that such Liens do not extend to any property or assets other than the property or assets that secure the Indebtedness being refinanced;
(7) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company with respect to obligations that do not exceed the greater of $200.0 million or 20.0% of Consolidated Cash Flow;
(8) Liens on the assets of a Foreign Subsidiary securing Indebtedness of a Foreign Subsidiary that was permitted by the terms of this Indenture to be incurred;
(9) pledges or deposits under worker’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance laws or similar legislation, or good faith deposits in connection with bids, tenders, contracts or leases, or to secure public or statutory obligations, surety bonds, customs duties and the like, or for the payment of rent, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business and not securing Indebtedness;
(10) Liens imposed by law, such as carriers’, vendors’, warehousemen’s and mechanics’ liens or other similar liens, in each case for sums not yet due or being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings;
(11) Liens in respect of taxes and other governmental assessments and charges which are not yet due or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings;
(12) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit that encumber documents and other property relating to such letters of credit and the proceeds thereof;
(13) (x) minor survey exceptions, minor encumbrances, easements or reservations of, or rights of others for, licenses, rights of way, sewers, electric lines, telegraph and telephone lines and other similar purposes, or zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real property, or zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real property or Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of such Person or the ownership of its properties, not interfering in any material respect with the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries or (y) any zoning or similar law or right reserved to or vested in any governmental authority to control or regulate the use of any real property;
(14) licenses or leases or sublicenses or subleases as licensor, lessor, sublicensor or sublessor of any of its property, including intellectual property, in the ordinary course of business;
24
(15) customary Liens in favor of trustees and escrow agents, and netting and setoff rights, banker’s liens and the like in favor of financial institutions and counterparties to financial obligations and instruments, including Hedging Agreements;
(16) Liens on assets pursuant to merger agreements, stock or asset purchase agreements and similar agreements in respect of the disposition of such assets;
(17) options, put and call arrangements, rights of first refusal and similar rights relating to Investments in joint ventures, partnerships and the like;
(18) judgment liens, and Liens securing appeal bonds or letters of credit issued in support of or in lieu of appeal bonds, so long as no Event of Default then exists as a result thereof;
(19) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business not securing Indebtedness and not in the aggregate materially detracting from the value of the properties or their use in the operation of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(20) Liens (including the interest of a lessor under a Capital Lease) on property that secure Indebtedness incurred under clause (4) of Permitted Debt for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or cost of construction or improvement of such property and which attach within 365 days after the date of such purchase or the completion of construction or improvement;
(21) deposits in the ordinary course of business to secure liability to insurance carriers;
(22) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods in the ordinary course of business;
(23) Liens consisting of contractual rights of set-off (i) relating to the establishment of depository relations with banks not given in connection with the issuance of Indebtedness, (ii) relating to pooled deposit or sweep accounts of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to permit satisfaction of overdraft or similar obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries or (iii) relating to purchase orders and other agreements entered into with customers of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;
(24) Liens arising from financing statements filings under the Uniform Commercial Code or similar state laws regarding operating leases entered into by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;
(25) Liens securing Cash Management Obligations and all Obligations under the Hedging Agreements owed to Persons that were agents and the lenders under the Credit Agreement or their affiliates at the time of entry into the agreements governing such obligations;
25
(26) Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for sale of goods entered into by the Company and its subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;
(27) Liens created for the benefit of the Notes or the Note Guarantees with respect thereto; and
(28) Liens in respect of Permitted Securitization Financings that extend only to the assets subject thereto and Liens on the Equity Interests of Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiaries.
“Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to extend, refinance, renew, replace, defease or refund other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than intercompany Indebtedness); provided that:
(1) the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of the Indebtedness so extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded (plus all accrued interest thereon and the amount of any reasonably determined premium necessary to accomplish such refinancing (including tender premiums) and such reasonable expenses, defeasance costs and fees incurred in connection therewith);
(2) such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness has a final maturity date later than the final maturity date of, and has a Weighted Average Life to Maturity equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to Maturity of, the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded;
(3) if the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or the Note Guarantees, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to, the Notes or such Note Guarantees on terms at least as favorable to the Holders of Notes as those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded; and
(4) in no event may Indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor be refinanced by means of Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor.
“Permitted Securitization Documents” means all documents and agreements evidencing, relating to or otherwise governing a Permitted Securitization Financing.
“Permitted Securitization Financing” means one or more securitization transactions pursuant to which (i) Securitization Assets or interests therein are sold to or financed by one or more Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiaries, and (ii) such Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiaries finance their acquisition of such Securitization Assets or interests therein, or the financing thereof, by selling such Securitization Assets to a Person that is not the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or borrowing against Securitization Assets from a Person that is not the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, that (i) such Permitted
26
Securitization Financing (including financing terms, covenants, termination events and other provisions) is in the aggregate economically fair and reasonable to the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries (as determined by the Company in good faith), (ii) all sales of Securitization Assets and related assets by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to any Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiary or any other Person are made at fair market value (as determined by the Company in good faith), (iii) the financing terms, covenants, termination events and other provisions thereof shall be market terms (as determined by the Company in good faith) and (iv) the obligations under such Permitted Securitization Financing are non-recourse (except for customary representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities made in connection with such facilities) to the Company or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries (other than a Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiary).
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, limited liability company or government or other entity.
“Preferred Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any Capital Stock of such Person that has preferential rights to any other Capital Stock of such Person with respect to dividends or redemption upon liquidation.
“principal” of any Indebtedness means the principal amount of such Indebtedness, (or if such Indebtedness was issued with original issue discount, the face amount of such Indebtedness less the remaining unamortized portion of the original issue discount of such Indebtedness), together with, unless the context otherwise indicates, any premium then payable on such Indebtedness.
“Prior Transaction Expenses” means fees and expenses payable or otherwise borne by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with the Prior Transactions and incurred before, or on or about, the issue date of the Company’s 4.00% Senior Notes due 2026, including the costs of legal and financial advisors to the Company.
“Prior Transactions” means, collectively, (a) the execution, delivery and performance by the Company and the other parties thereto of the New Term Loan Commitment Agreement and the making of the borrowings thereunder, (b) the issuance of the Company’s 6.125% Senior Notes due 2024 outstanding on the Issue Date, (c) the consummation of the acquisition of (i) Tell Manufacturing, Inc., (ii) Proctor and Gamble’s European pet food business and (iii) Salix Animal Health, LLC., (d) the issuance of the Company’s 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025, (e) the issuance by Spectrum Brands Legacy, Inc. (formerly known as “Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.”) of its common stock in the registered offering completed in connection with the AAG Acquisition, (f) the consummation of the AAG Acquisition, (g) the issuance of the Company’s 4.00% Senior Notes due 2026, (h) the consummation of the HRG Merger, (i) the consummation of the GBL Divestiture and (j) the consummation of the GAC Divestiture.
“Purchase Agreement” means (i) the Purchase Agreement dated September 10, 2019 among the Company, the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers entered into in connection with the sale and issuance of the Initial Notes and (ii) with respect to any Additional Notes, any
27
purchase agreement between the Company and the Initial Purchasers party thereto relating to the purchase from the Company of such Additional Notes.
“Qualified Equity Interests” means all Equity Interests of a Person other than Disqualified Stock.
“Rating Agencies” means S&P and Moody’s; provided, that if either S&P or Moody’s (or both) shall cease issuing a rating on the Notes for reasons outside the control of the Company, the Company may select a nationally recognized statistical rating agency to substitute for S&P or Moody’s (or both).
“Receivables Assets” means, accounts receivable (including any bills of exchange) and related assets and property from time to time originated, acquired or otherwise owned by the Company or any Subsidiary.
“Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.09.
“Registrar” means an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange.
“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date means the March 15 or September 15 (whether or not a Business Day) next preceding such Interest Payment Date.
“Regulation S” means Regulation S under the Securities Act.
“Regulation S Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E hereto.
“Replacement Assets” means (1) non-current assets (other than securities of any Person) that will be used or useful in a Permitted Business or (2) all or substantially all of the assets of a Permitted Business or Voting Stock of any Person engaged in a Permitted Business that will become on the date of acquisition thereof a Restricted Subsidiary.
“Restricted Investment” means an Investment other than a Permitted Investment.
“Restricted Legend” means the legend set forth in Exhibit C.
“Restricted Payment” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.07.
“Restricted Period” means the relevant 40-day distribution compliance period as defined in Regulation S.
“Restricted Subsidiary” of a Person means any Subsidiary of the referent Person that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary. Unless the context otherwise requires, “Restricted Subsidiary” refers to a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company.
“Reversion Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.19.
28
“Rule 144A” means Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
“Rule 144A Certificate” means (i) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit F hereto or (ii) a written certification addressed to the Company and the Trustee to the effect that the Person making such certification (x) is acquiring such Note (or beneficial interest) for its own account or one or more accounts with respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion and that it and each such account is a qualified institutional buyer within the meaning of Rule 144A, (y) is aware that the transfer to it or exchange, as applicable, is being made in reliance upon the exemption from the provisions of Section 5 of the Securities Act provided by Rule 144A, and (z) acknowledges that it has received such information regarding the Company as it has requested pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) or has determined not to request such information.
“S&P” means S&P Global Ratings, a division of McGraw Hill, Inc. and its successors.
“Secured Leverage Ratio” means, on any date of determination (the “transaction date”), the ratio of (x) the aggregate amount of all Consolidated Total Indebtedness secured (or deemed secured pursuant to Section 4.06(b)(1)(y)) by a Lien on an any asset of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than Liens described in clauses (2), (8), (25) and (27) of the definition of “Permitted Liens”) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis (with any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 4.06(b)(1)(y) deemed to be secured Indebtedness for this purpose in connection with any measurement of the Secured Leverage Ratio pursuant to such clause) minus the aggregate amount of unrestricted cash and Cash Equivalents owned by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis to (y) the aggregate amount of Consolidated Cash Flow of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for the four fiscal quarters immediately prior to the transaction date for which internal financial statements are available in each case with such pro forma adjustments to Indebtedness and Consolidated Cash Flow as are consistent with the pro forma adjustment provisions of the Fixed Charges Coverage Ratio.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Securitization Assets” means any of the following assets (or interests therein) from time to time originated, acquired or otherwise owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or in which the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary has any rights or interests, in each case, without regard to where such assets or interests are located: (1) Receivables Assets and (2) any other assets and property to the extent customarily included in accounts receivable securitization transactions of the relevant type in the applicable jurisdictions (as determined by the Company in good faith).
“Securitization Fees” means distributions or payments made directly or by means of discounts with respect to any participation interests issued or sold in connection with, and all other fees paid to a Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary in connection with, any Permitted Securitization Financing.
29
“Securitization Repurchase Obligation” means any obligation of a seller of Securitization Assets in a Permitted Securitization Financing to repurchase Securitization Assets arising as a result of a breach of a representation, warranty or covenant or otherwise, including as a result of a Securitization Asset or portion thereof becoming subject to any asserted defense, dispute, off-set or counterclaim of any kind as a result of any action taken by, any failure to take action by or any other event relating to the seller.
“Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that would constitute a “significant subsidiary” within the meaning of Article 1, Rule 1-02(w)(1) or (2) of Regulation S-X of the Securities Act.
“Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiary” means (i) a direct or indirect Restricted Subsidiary of the Company established in connection with a Permitted Securitization Financing for the acquisition of Securitization Assets or interests therein and/or Equity Interests in other Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiaries, and which is organized in a manner (as determined by the Company in good faith) intended to reduce the likelihood that it would be substantively consolidated with the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiaries) in the event the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary becomes subject to a proceeding under the Bankruptcy Code (or other insolvency law) and (ii) any subsidiary of a Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiary.
“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which such payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the original documentation governing such Indebtedness, and shall not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.
“Subsidiary” means, 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 thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and
(2) any partnership (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 such Person or one or more Subsidiaries of such Person (or any combination thereof).
“Suspended Covenants” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.19.
“Suspension Period” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.19.
“Temporary Offshore Global Note” means an Offshore Global Note that bears the Temporary Offshore Global Note Legend.
“Temporary Offshore Global Note Legend” means the legend set forth in Exhibit I.
30
“Termination Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.05.
“Transaction Expenses” means fees and expenses payable or otherwise borne by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with the Transactions, including the costs of legal and financial advisors to the Company.
“Transactions” means collectively (a) the issuance of the Notes and (b) the Company’s tender offer and consent solicitation described under “Concurrent Transactions” in the Offering Memorandum.
“Treasury Rate” means, as of any redemption date, the yield to maturity as of such redemption date of United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15(519) that has become publicly available at least two Business Days prior to the redemption date (or, if such Statistical Release is no longer published, any publicly available source of similar market data)) most nearly equal to the period from the redemption date to October 1, 2024; provided, however, that if the period from the redemption date to October 1, 2024, is less than one year, the weekly average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year will be used.
“Trustee” means the party named as such in the first paragraph of this Indenture or any successor trustee under this Indenture pursuant to Article 7.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
“U.S. Global Note” means a Global Note that bears the Restricted Legend representing Notes issued and sold pursuant to Rule 144A.
“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company that is designated by the Board of Directors as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors in compliance with Section 4.14, and any Subsidiary of such Subsidiary.
“Voting Stock” of any Person as of any date means the Capital Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled to vote in the election of the Board of Directors of such Person.
“Weighted Average Life to Maturity” means, when applied to any Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing:
(1) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payments of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof, by (b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse between such date and the making of such payment; by
(2) the then outstanding principal amount of such Indebtedness.
“Wholly Owned” means, with respect to any Restricted Subsidiary, a Restricted Subsidiary all of the outstanding Capital Stock of which (other than any director’s qualifying
31
shares) is owned by the Company and one or more Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries (or a combination thereof).
Section 1.02 Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires or except as otherwise expressly provided,
(1) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(2) “herein,” “hereof” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Section, Article or other subdivision;
(3) all references to Sections or Articles or Exhibits refer to Sections or Articles or Exhibits of or to this Indenture unless otherwise indicated;
(4) references to agreements or instruments, or to statutes or regulations, are to such agreements or instruments, or statutes or regulations, as amended from time to time (or to successor statutes and regulations); and
(5) in the event that a transaction meets the criteria of more than one category of permitted transactions or listed exceptions the Company may classify such transaction as it, in its sole discretion, determines.
ARTICLE 2
The Notes
The Notes
Section 2.01 Form, Dating and Denominations; Legends. (a) The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication will be substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A. The terms and provisions contained in the form of the Notes annexed as Exhibit A constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture. However, to the extent any provision of any Note conflicts with the express provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, rules of or agreements with national securities exchanges to which the Company is subject, or usage. Each Note will be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes will be issuable in denominations of $2,000 in principal amount and any multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof; provided that Notes may be issued in denominations of less than $2,000 solely to accommodate book-entry positions that have been created by a DTC participant in denominations of less than $2,000.
(b) (1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c), Section 2.10(b)(3), (b)(5), or (c) or Section 2.09(b)(4), each Initial Note or Additional Note (other than a Permanent Offshore Note) will bear the Restricted Legend.
(2) Each Global Note, whether or not an Initial Note or Additional Note, will bear the DTC Legend.
32
(3) Each Temporary Offshore Global Note will bear the Temporary Offshore Global Note Legend.
(4) Initial Notes and Additional Notes offered and sold in reliance on Regulation S will be issued as provided in Section 2.11(a).
(5) Initial Notes and Additional Notes offered and sold in reliance on any exception under the Securities Act other than Regulation S and Rule 144A will be issued, and upon the request of the Company to the Trustee, Initial Notes offered and sold in reliance on Rule 144A may be issued, and any Initial Notes sold to an Affiliate of the Company shall be issued, in the form of Certificated Notes.
(6) Initial Notes resold to Institutional Accredited Investors will be in the form of an IAI Global Note.
(c) (1) If the Company determines (upon the advice of counsel and such other certifications and evidence as the Company may reasonably require) that a Note is eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act (or a successor provision) without the need for current public information and that the Restricted Legend is no longer necessary or appropriate in order to ensure that subsequent transfers of the Note (or a beneficial interest therein) are effected in compliance with the Securities Act, or
(2) after an Initial Note or any Additional Note is sold pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, the Company shall instruct the Trustee to cancel the Note and issue to the Holder thereof (or to its transferee) a new Note of like tenor and amount, registered in the name of the Holder thereof (or its transferee), that does not bear the Restricted Legend, and the Trustee will comply with such instruction.
(d) By its acceptance of any Note bearing the Restricted Legend (or any beneficial interest in such a Note), each Holder thereof and each owner of a beneficial interest therein acknowledges the restrictions on transfer of such Note (and any such beneficial interest) set forth in this Indenture and in the Restricted Legend and agrees that it will transfer such Note (and any such beneficial interest) only in accordance with this Indenture and such legend.
Section 2.02 Execution and Authentication; Additional Notes. (a) An Officer shall execute the Notes for the Company by facsimile or manual signature in the name and on behalf of the Company. If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time the Note is authenticated, the Note will still be valid.
(b) A Note will not be valid until the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Note, with the signature conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.
(c) At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Notes executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication. The Trustee will authenticate and deliver
33
(i) Initial Notes for original issue in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $300,000,000; and
(ii) Additional Notes from time to time for original issue and any unlegended notes issued in exchange for such Initial Notes or Additional Notes pursuant to Section 2.01(c) hereof in aggregate principal amounts specified by the Company after the following conditions have been met:
(1) Receipt by the Trustee of an Officer’s Certificate specifying
(A) the amount of Notes to be authenticated and the date on which the Notes are to be authenticated,
(B) whether the Notes are to be Initial Notes or Additional Notes,
(C) in the case of Additional Notes, that the issuance of such Notes does not contravene any provision of Article 4 and all steps required thereunder have been complied with,
(D) whether the Notes are to be issued as one or more Global Notes or Certificated Notes, and
(E) other information the Company may determine to include or the Trustee may reasonably request.
(2) To the extent required by applicable tax regulations, if Additional Notes are not fungible with other Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Additional Notes shall be issued under a separate CUSIP number and shall be treated as a separate class for purposes of transfer and exchange.
(d) The Notes and any Additional Notes shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, other than as specified in clause (2) of Section 2.02(c), and shall vote together as one class on all matters with respect to the Notes.
Section 2.03 Registrar, Paying Agent and Authenticating Agent; Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. (a) The Company may appoint one or more Registrars and one or more Paying Agents, and the Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent, in which case each reference in this Indenture to the Trustee in respect of the obligations of the Trustee to be performed by that Agent will be deemed to be references to the Agent. The Company may act as Registrar or (except for purposes of Article 8) Paying Agent. In each case the Company and the Trustee will enter into an appropriate agreement with the Agent implementing the provisions of this Indenture relating to the obligations of the Trustee to be performed by the Agent and the related rights. The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent.
(b) 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 the
34
Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of and interest on the Notes and will promptly notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and account for any funds disbursed, and the Trustee may at any time during the continuance of any payment default, upon written request to a Paying Agent, require the Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed. Upon doing so, the Paying Agent will have no further liability for the money so paid over to the Trustee.
(c) The Company may remove any Registrar or Paying Agent upon written notice to such Registrar or Paying Agent and to the Trustee; provided, however, that no such removal shall become effective until (i) if applicable, acceptance of an appointment by a successor as evidenced by an appropriate agreement entered into by the Company and such successor Registrar or Paying Agent, as the case may be, and delivered to the Trustee or (ii) notification to the Trustee that the Trustee shall serve as Registrar or Paying Agent until the appointment of a successor in accordance with the clause (i) above.
Section 2.04 Replacement Notes. If a mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or if a Holder claims that its Note has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, and the Company receives evidence to its satisfaction of the ownership and loss, mutilation or destruction of such Note, the Company will issue and the Trustee will authenticate a replacement Note of like tenor, series and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding. Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the Company and entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. If required by the Trustee or the Company, an indemnity must be furnished that is sufficient in the judgment of both the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company and the Trustee from any loss they may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Company may charge the Holder for all expenses of the Company and the Trustee in replacing a Note (including attorney’s fees). In case the mutilated, lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Note has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may pay the Note instead of issuing a replacement Note.
Section 2.05 Outstanding Notes. (a) Notes outstanding at any time are all Notes that have been authenticated by the Trustee except for
(1) Notes cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to it for cancellation;
(2) any Note which has been replaced pursuant to Section 2.04 unless and until the Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Note is held by a protected purchaser as defined in Section 8-303 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and
(3) on or after the maturity date or any redemption date or date for purchase of Notes pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, those Notes payable or to be redeemed or purchased on that date for which the Trustee (or Paying Agent, other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds money sufficient to pay all amounts then due.
35
(b) A Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or one of its Affiliates holds the Note, provided that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the outstanding Notes have given or taken any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action hereunder, Notes owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company will be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding (it being understood that in determining whether the Trustee is protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, only Notes which the Trustee knows to be so owned will be so disregarded). Notes so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Notes and that the pledgee is not the Company or any Affiliate of the Company. Notes that are to be acquired by the Company or an Affiliate of the Company pursuant to an exchange offer, Offer to Purchase, tender offer or other agreement shall not be deemed to be owned by such entity until legal title to such Notes passes to such entity.
Section 2.06 Temporary Notes. Until definitive Notes are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee will authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes will be substantially in the form of definitive Notes but may have insertions, substitutions, omissions and other variations determined to be appropriate by the Officer executing the temporary Notes, as evidenced by the execution of the temporary Notes. If temporary Notes are issued, the Company will cause definitive Notes to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Notes, the temporary Notes will be exchangeable for definitive Notes upon surrender of the temporary Notes at the office or agency of the Company designated for the purpose pursuant to Section 4.02, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any temporary Notes the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Notes of authorized denominations. Until so exchanged, the temporary Notes will be entitled to the same benefits under the Indenture as definitive Notes.
Section 2.07 Cancellation. The Company at any time may deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Notes previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Notes previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold. Any Registrar or the Paying Agent will forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to it for transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee will cancel all Notes surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation and dispose of them in accordance with its normal procedures or the written instructions of the Company. Certification of the disposition of cancelled Notes shall, upon the request of the Company, be delivered to the Company. The Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes it has paid in full or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Section 2.08 CUSIP and ISIN Numbers. The Company in issuing the Notes may use “CUSIP” and “ISIN” numbers, and the Trustee will use CUSIP numbers or ISIN numbers in notices of redemption or exchange or in Offers to Purchase as a convenience to Holders, the notice to state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption or exchange or Offer to Purchase. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the CUSIP or ISIN numbers.
36
Section 2.09 Registration, Transfer and Exchange. (a) The Notes will be issued in registered form only, without coupons, and the Company shall cause the Trustee to maintain a register (the “Register”) of the Notes, for registering the record ownership of the Notes by the Holders and transfers and exchanges of the Notes.
(b) (1) Each Global Note will be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee and, so long as DTC is serving as the Depositary thereof, will bear the DTC Legend.
(2) Each Global Note will be delivered to the Trustee as custodian for the Depositary. Transfers of a Global Note (but not a beneficial interest therein) will be limited to transfers thereof in whole, but not in part, to the Depositary, its successors or their respective nominees, except (1) as set forth in Section 2.09(b)(4) and (2) transfers of portions thereof in the form of Certificated Notes may be made upon request of an Agent Member (for itself or on behalf of a beneficial owner) by written notice given to the Trustee by or on behalf of the Depositary in accordance with customary procedures of the Depositary and in compliance with this Section and Section 2.10 or Section 2.01(b)(5) and only under the circumstances provided for in Sections 2.01(b)(5) or 2.09(b)(4) unless otherwise agreed to by the Company.
(3) Agent Members will have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Note held on their behalf by the Depositary, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner and Holder of such Global Note for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Depositary or its nominee may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person (including any Agent Member and any Person that holds a beneficial interest in a Global Note through an Agent Member) to take any action which a Holder is entitled to take under the Indenture or the Notes, and nothing herein will impair, as between the Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of any security.
(4) If (x) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for a Global Note and a successor depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of the notice or (y) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Trustee has received a request from the Depositary, the Trustee will promptly exchange each beneficial interest in the Global Note for one or more Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an equal aggregate principal amount registered in the name of the owner of such beneficial interest, as identified to the Trustee by the Depositary, and thereupon the Global Note will be deemed canceled. If such Note does not bear the Restricted Legend, then the Certificated Notes issued in exchange therefor will not bear the Restricted Legend. If such Note bears the Restricted Legend, then the Certificated Notes issued in exchange therefor will bear the Restricted Legend, provided that any Holder of any such Certificated Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Temporary Offshore Global Note will have the right upon presentation to the Trustee of a duly completed Certificate of Beneficial Ownership after the Restricted Period to exchange such Certificated Note for a Certificated Note of like tenor and amount that does not bear the Restricted Legend, registered in the name of such Holder.
37
(c) Each Certificated Note will be registered in the name of the holder thereof or its nominee.
(d) A Holder may transfer a Note (or a beneficial interest therein) to another Person or exchange a Note (or a beneficial interest therein) for another Note or Notes of any authorized denomination by presenting to the Trustee a written request therefor stating the name of the proposed transferee or requesting such an exchange, accompanied by any certification, opinion or other document required by Section 2.10. The Trustee will promptly register any transfer or exchange that meets the requirements of this Section by noting the same in the register maintained by the Trustee for the purpose; provided that
(x) no transfer or exchange will be effective until it is registered in such register and
(y) the Trustee will not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Note for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed or purchased pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Note so selected for redemption or purchase in whole or in part, except, in the case of a partial redemption or purchase, that portion of any Note not being redeemed or purchased, or (iii) if a redemption or a purchase pursuant to an Offer to Purchase is to occur after a Regular Record Date but on or before the corresponding Interest Payment Date, to register the transfer of or exchange any Note on or after the Regular Record Date and before the date of redemption or purchase. Prior to the registration of any transfer, the Company, the Trustee and their agents will treat the Person in whose name the Note is registered as the owner and Holder thereof for all purposes (whether or not the Note is overdue), and will not be affected by notice to the contrary.
From time to time the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate Additional Notes as necessary in order to permit the registration of a transfer or exchange in accordance with this Section.
No service charge will be imposed in connection with any transfer or exchange of any Note, 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 a transfer tax or other similar governmental charge payable upon exchange pursuant to subsection (b)(4)).
(e) (1) Global Note to Global Note. If a beneficial interest in a Global Note is transferred or exchanged for a beneficial interest in another Global Note, the Trustee will (x) record a decrease in the principal amount of the Global Note being transferred or exchanged equal to the principal amount of such transfer or exchange and (y) record a like increase in the principal amount of the other Global Note. Any beneficial interest in one Global Note that is transferred to a Person who takes delivery in the form of an interest in another Global Note, or exchanged for an interest in another Global Note, will, upon transfer or exchange, cease to be an interest in such Global Note and become an interest in the other Global Note and, accordingly, will thereafter be subject to all transfer and exchange restrictions, if any, and other procedures applicable to beneficial interests in such other Global Note for as long as it remains such an interest.
38
(2) Global Note to Certificated Note. If, under the circumstances provided for under Sections 2.01(b)(5) or 2.09(b)(4), a beneficial interest in a Global Note is transferred or exchanged for a Certificated Note, the Trustee will (x) record a decrease in the principal amount of such Global Note equal to the principal amount of such transfer or exchange and (y) deliver one or more new Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an equal aggregate principal amount to the transferee (in the case of a transfer) or the owner of such beneficial interest (in the case of an exchange), registered in the name of such transferee or owner, as applicable.
(3) Certificated Note to Global Note. If a Certificated Note is transferred or exchanged for a beneficial interest in a Global Note, the Trustee will (x) cancel such Certificated Note, (y) record an increase in the principal amount of such Global Note equal to the principal amount of such transfer or exchange and (z) in the event that such transfer or exchange involves less than the entire principal amount of the canceled Certificated Note, deliver to the Holder thereof one or more new Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an aggregate principal amount equal to the untransferred or unexchanged portion of the canceled Certificated Note, registered in the name of the Holder thereof.
(4) Certificated Note to Certificated Note. If a Certificated Note is transferred or exchanged for another Certificated Note, the Trustee will (x) cancel the Certificated Note being transferred or exchanged, (y) deliver one or more new Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such transfer or exchange to the transferee (in the case of a transfer) or the Holder of the canceled Certificated Note (in the case of an exchange), registered in the name of such transferee or Holder, as applicable, and (z) if such transfer or exchange involves less than the entire principal amount of the canceled Certificated Note, deliver to the Holder thereof one or more Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an aggregate principal amount equal to the untransferred or unexchanged portion of the canceled Certificated Note, registered in the name of the Holder thereof.
Section 2.10 Restrictions on Transfer and Exchange. (a) The transfer or exchange of any Note (or a beneficial interest therein) may only be made in accordance with this Section and Section 2.09 and, in the case of a Global Note (or a beneficial interest therein), the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary. The Trustee shall refuse to register any requested transfer or exchange that does not comply with the preceding sentence.
(b) Subject to paragraph (c), the transfer or exchange of any Note (or a beneficial interest therein) of the type set forth in column A below for a Note (or a beneficial interest therein) of the type set forth opposite in column B below may only be made in compliance with the certification requirements (if any) described in the clause of this paragraph set forth opposite in column C below.
A | B | C | ||
U.S. Global Note | U.S. Global Note | (1) | ||
U.S. Global Note | Offshore Global Note | (2) | ||
U.S. Global Note | Certificated Note | (3) |
39
Offshore Global Note | U.S. Global Note | (4) | ||
Offshore Global Note | Offshore Global Note | (1) | ||
Offshore Global Note | Certificated Note | (5) | ||
Certificated Note | U.S. Global Note | (4) | ||
Certificated Note | Offshore Global Note | (2) | ||
Certificated Note | Certificated Note | (3) |
(1) No certification is required.
(2) The Person requesting the transfer or exchange must deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee a duly completed Regulation S Certificate; provided that if the requested transfer or exchange is made by the Holder of a Certificated Note that does not bear the Restricted Legend, then no certification is required.
(3) The Person requesting the transfer or exchange must deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee (x) a duly completed Rule 144A Certificate, (y) a duly completed Regulation S Certificate or (z) a duly completed Institutional Accredited Investor Certificate, and/or an Opinion of Counsel and such other certifications and evidence as the Company may reasonably require in order to determine that the proposed transfer or exchange is being made in compliance with the Securities Act and any applicable securities laws of any state of the United States; provided that if the requested transfer or exchange is made by the Holder of a Certificated Note that does not bear the Restricted Legend, then no certification is required. In the event that (i) the requested transfer or exchange takes place after the Restricted Period and a duly completed Regulation S Certificate is delivered to the Trustee or (ii) a Certificated Note that does not bear the Restricted Legend is surrendered for transfer or exchange, upon transfer or exchange the Trustee will deliver a Certificated Note that does not bear the Restricted Legend.
(4) The Person requesting the transfer or exchange must deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee a duly completed Rule 144A Certificate.
(5) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no such exchange is permitted if the requested exchange involves a beneficial interest in a Temporary Offshore Global Note. If the requested transfer involves a beneficial interest in a Temporary Offshore Global Note, the Person requesting the transfer must deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee (x) a duly completed Rule 144A Certificate or (y) a duly completed Institutional Accredited Investor Certificate and/or an Opinion of Counsel and such other certifications and evidence as the Company may reasonably require in order to determine that the proposed transfer is being made in compliance with the Securities Act and any applicable securities laws of any state of the United States. If the requested transfer or exchange involves a beneficial interest in a Permanent Offshore Global Note, no certification is required and the Trustee will deliver a Certificated Note that does not bear the Restricted Legend.
(c) No certification is required in connection with any transfer or exchange of any Note (or a beneficial interest therein) (1) after such Note is eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act (or a successor provision) without the need for
40
current public information; provided that the Company has provided the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate to that effect, and the Company may require from any Person requesting a transfer or exchange in reliance upon this clause (1) an opinion of counsel and any other reasonable certifications and evidence in order to support such certificate; or (2) sold pursuant to an effective registration statement. Any Certificated Note delivered in reliance upon this paragraph will not bear the Restricted Legend.
(d) The Trustee will retain copies of all certificates, opinions and other documents received in connection with the transfer or exchange of a Note (or a beneficial interest therein), and the Company will have the right to inspect and make copies thereof at any reasonable time upon written notice to the Trustee.
Section 2.11 Temporary Offshore Global Notes. (a) Each Note originally sold by the Initial Purchasers in reliance upon Regulation S will be evidenced by one or more Offshore Global Notes that bear the Temporary Offshore Global Note Legend.
(b) An owner of a beneficial interest in a Temporary Offshore Global Note (or a Person acting on behalf of such an owner) may provide to the Trustee (and the Trustee will accept) a duly completed Certificate of Beneficial Ownership at any time after the Restricted Period (it being understood that the Trustee will not accept any such certificate during the Restricted Period). Promptly after acceptance of a Certificate of Beneficial Ownership with respect to such a beneficial interest, the Trustee will cause such beneficial interest to be exchanged for an equivalent beneficial interest in a Permanent Offshore Global Note, and will (x) permanently reduce the principal amount of such Temporary Offshore Global Note by the amount of such beneficial interest and (y) increase the principal amount of such Permanent Offshore Global Note by the amount of such beneficial interest.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), if after the Restricted Period any Initial Purchaser owns a beneficial interest in a Temporary Offshore Global Note, such Initial Purchaser may, upon written request to the Trustee accompanied by a certification as to its status as an Initial Purchaser, exchange such beneficial interest for an equivalent beneficial interest in a Permanent Offshore Global Note, and the Trustee will comply with such request and will (x) permanently reduce the principal amount of such Temporary Offshore Global Note by the amount of such beneficial interest and (y) increase the principal amount of such Permanent Offshore Global Note by the amount of such beneficial interest.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any owner of a beneficial interest in a Temporary Offshore Global Note shall not be entitled to receive payment of principal or interest on such beneficial interest or other amounts in respect of such beneficial interest until such beneficial interest is exchanged for an interest in a Permanent Offshore Global Note or transferred for an interest in another Global Note or a Certificated Note.
41
ARTICLE 3
Redemption; Offer to Purchase
Redemption; Offer to Purchase
Section 3.01 Optional Redemption.
(a) At any time on or after October 1, 2024, the Company may redeem all or a part of the Notes, from time to time, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the applicable redemption date, in cash, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on October 1 in the years indicated below:
Year | Percentage | |
2024 | 102.500% | |
2025 | 101.667% | |
2026 | 100.833% | |
2027 and thereafter | 100.000% |
(b) At any time prior to October 1, 2024, the Company may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed plus the Applicable Premium as of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, the applicable redemption date.
Section 3.02 Redemption with Proceeds of Equity Offering. At any time and from time to time prior to October 1, 2022, the Company may redeem the Notes with an amount of cash equal to the net cash proceeds received by the Company from one or more Equity Offerings at a redemption price equal to 105.00% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date, in an aggregate principal amount for all such redemptions not to exceed 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes issued under this Indenture (calculated after giving effect to any issuance of Additional Notes), provided that
(1) in each case the redemption takes place not later than 90 days after the closing of the related Equity Offering, and
(2) not less than 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes (calculated after giving effect to any issuance of Additional Notes) issued under the Indenture remains outstanding immediately thereafter.
Section 3.03 Method and Effect of Redemption. (a) Any redemption at the option of the Company or notice thereof may, at the Company’s discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent. If the Company elects to redeem Notes, it must notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed by delivering an Officer’s Certificate at least 45 days before the redemption date (unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the Trustee).
42
If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed at any time, the Officer’s Certificate must also specify a record date not less than 15 days after the date of the notice of redemption is given to the Trustee, and the Trustee will select the Notes to be redeemed as follows: (1) if the Notes are listed, in compliance with the requirements of the principal securities exchange on which the Notes are listed; or (2) if the Notes are not so listed, on a pro rata basis, by lot or by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate. No Notes of less than $2,000 shall be redeemed in part. The Trustee will notify the Company promptly of the Notes or portions of Notes to be called for redemption. Notices of redemption shall be mailed by first class mail, or delivered electronically if held by DTC, at least 30 but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of the Notes to be redeemed at its registered address, except that redemption notices may be delivered more than 60 days prior to the redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with the defeasance of the Notes or a satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture.
(b) The notice of redemption will identify the Notes to be redeemed and will include or state the following:
(1) the redemption date;
(2) the redemption price, including the portion thereof representing any accrued interest;
(3) the place or places where the Notes are to be surrendered for redemption;
(4) Notes called for redemption must be so surrendered in order to collect the redemption price;
(5) interest on the Notes called for redemption will cease to accrue on and after the redemption date;
(6) if any Note is redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of the Note to be redeemed and on and after the redemption date, upon surrender of such Note, new Notes equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion will be issued;
(7) if any Note contains a CUSIP or ISIN number, no representation is being made as to the correctness of the CUSIP or ISIN number either as printed on the Notes or as contained in the notice of redemption and that the Holder should rely only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes; and
(8) if the redemption is subject to the satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, the notice thereof shall describe each such condition and, if applicable, shall state that, in the Company’s discretion, the redemption date may be delayed until such time as any or all such conditions shall be satisfied (or waived by the Company in its sole discretion), and/or such redemption may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions shall not have been satisfied (or waived by the Company in its sole discretion) by the redemption date, or by the redemption date as so delayed, and/or that
43
such notice may be rescinded at any time by the Company if the Company determines in its sole discretion that any or all of such conditions will not be satisfied (or waived).
(c) Once notice of redemption is sent to the Holders, subject to any conditions specified in such notice of redemption, the Notes called for redemption become due and payable at the redemption price on the redemption date, and upon surrender of the Notes called for redemption, the Company shall redeem such Notes at the redemption price. On and after the redemption date, Notes redeemed will cease to accrue interest. Upon surrender of any Note redeemed in part, the Holder will receive a new Note equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the surrendered Note.
Section 3.04 Offer to Purchase. (a) An “Offer to Purchase” means an offer by the Company to purchase Notes as required by this Indenture. An Offer to Purchase must be made by written offer (the “offer”) sent to the Holders. The Company will notify the Trustee in writing at least 15 days (or such shorter period as is acceptable to the Trustee) prior to sending the offer to Holders of its obligation to make an Offer to Purchase, and the offer will be sent by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.
(b) The offer must include or state the following as to the terms of the Offer to Purchase:
(1) the provision of this Indenture pursuant to which the Offer to Purchase is being made;
(2) the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes offered to be purchased by the Company pursuant to the Offer to Purchase (including, if less than 100%, the manner by which such amount has been determined pursuant to this Indenture) (the “purchase amount”);
(3) the purchase price, including the portion thereof representing accrued interest;
(4) an expiration date (the “expiration date”) not less than 30 days or more than 60 days after the date of the offer, and a settlement date for purchase (the “purchase date”) not more than five Business Days after the expiration date;
(5) a Holder may tender all or any portion of its Notes, subject to the requirement that any portion of a Note tendered must be in equal to $2,000 or a higher multiple of $1,000;
(6) the place or places where Notes are to be surrendered for tender pursuant to the Offer to Purchase;
(7) each Holder electing to tender a Note pursuant to the offer will be required to surrender such Note at the place or places specified in the offer prior to the close of business on the expiration date (such Note being, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, duly endorsed or accompanied by a duly executed written instrument of transfer);
44
(8) interest on any Note not tendered, or tendered but not purchased by the Company pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, will continue to accrue;
(9) on the purchase date the purchase price will become due and payable on each Note accepted for purchase, and interest on Notes purchased will cease to accrue on and after the purchase date;
(10) Holders are entitled to withdraw Notes tendered by giving notice, which must be received by the Company or the Trustee not later than the close of business on the expiration date, setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the tendered Notes, the certificate number of the tendered Notes and a statement that the Holder is withdrawing all or a portion of the tender;
(11) (i) if Notes in an aggregate principal amount less than or equal to the purchase amount are duly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, the Company will purchase all such Notes, and (ii) if the Offer to Purchase is for less than all of the outstanding Notes, and Notes in an aggregate principal amount in excess of the purchase amount are tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the offer, the Company will purchase Notes having an aggregate principal amount equal to the purchase amount on a pro rata basis based on principal amount tendered, with adjustments so that only Notes in multiples of $1,000 principal amount will be purchased;
(12) if any Note is purchased in part, new Notes of such series equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Note will be issued; and
(13) if any Note contains a CUSIP or ISIN number, no representation is being made as to the correctness of the CUSIP or ISIN number either as printed on the Notes or as contained in the offer and that the Holder should rely only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes.
(c) Prior to or on the purchase date, the Company will accept tendered Notes for purchase as required by the Offer to Purchase and deliver to the Trustee all Notes so accepted together with an Officer’s Certificate specifying which Notes have been accepted for purchase. On the purchase date the purchase price will become due and payable on each Note accepted for purchase, and interest on Notes purchased will cease to accrue on and after the purchase date. The Trustee will promptly return to Holders any Notes not accepted for purchase and send to Holders new Notes equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of any Notes accepted for purchase in part.
(d) The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable in connection with any Offer to Purchase. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the Offer to Purchase provisions of the Indenture, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Indenture by virtue of such compliance.
45
Section 3.05 Mandatory Redemption. The Company is not required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.
ARTICLE 4
Covenants
Covenants
Section 4.01 Payment of Notes. (a) The Company agrees to pay the principal of and interest on the Notes on the dates and in the manner provided in the Notes and this Indenture. Not later than 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the due date of any principal of or interest on any Notes, or any redemption or purchase price of the Notes, the Company will deposit with the Trustee (or Paying Agent) money in immediately available funds sufficient to pay such amounts, provided that if the Company or any Affiliate of the Company is acting as Paying Agent, it will, on or before each due date, segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders a sum of money sufficient to pay such amounts until paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as provided in this Indenture. In each case the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its compliance with this paragraph.
(b) An installment of principal or interest will be considered paid on the date due if the Trustee (or Paying Agent, other than the Company or any Affiliate of the Company) holds on that date money designated for and sufficient to pay the installment. If the Company or any Affiliate of the Company acts as Paying Agent, an installment of principal or interest will be considered paid on the due date only if paid to the Holders.
(c) The Company agrees to pay interest on overdue principal, and, to the extent lawful, overdue installments of interest at the rate per annum specified in the Notes.
(d) Payments in respect of the Notes represented by the Global Notes are to be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Holders of the Global Notes. With respect to Certificated Notes, the Company will make all payments by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Holders thereof at least ten Business Days prior to the date of such payment or, if no such account is specified, by mailing a check to each Holder’s registered address.
Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Company will maintain in the United States of America, an office or agency where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange or for presentation for payment and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served. The Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as such office of the Company. The Company will 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 to the Trustee.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be surrendered or presented for any of such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations. The Company will give prompt written notice to the
46
Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
Section 4.03 Existence. The Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence and the existence of each of its Restricted Subsidiaries in accordance with their respective organizational documents, and the material rights, licenses and franchises of the Company and each Restricted Subsidiary, provided that the Company is not required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the existence of any Restricted Subsidiary, if (i) the maintenance or preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (ii) where the failure to so preserve such right, license or franchise would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries; and provided further that this Section does not prohibit any transaction otherwise permitted by Section 4.12 or Article 5.
Section 4.04 Payment of Taxes and other Claims. The Company will pay or discharge, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to pay or discharge before the same become delinquent (i) all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company or any Subsidiary or its income or profits or property, and (ii) all material lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies that, if unpaid, might by law become a Lien upon the property of the Company or any Subsidiary, other than any such tax, assessment or charge the amount, applicability or validity of which is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been established or where failure to pay would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.
Section 4.05 Maintenance of Properties and Insurance. (a) The Company will cause all properties used or useful in the conduct of its business or the business of any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order as in the judgment of the Company may be necessary so that the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times; provided that nothing in this Section prevents the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from discontinuing the use, operation or maintenance of any of such properties or disposing of any of them, if such discontinuance or disposal is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
(b) The Company will provide or cause to be provided, for itself and its Restricted Subsidiaries, insurance (including appropriate self-insurance) against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by corporations similarly situated and owning like properties, including, but not limited to, products liability insurance and public liability insurance, with reputable insurers, in such amounts, with such deductibles and by such methods as are customary for corporations similarly situated in the industry in which the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries are then conducting business.
Section 4.06 Limitation on Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock. (a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, incur any Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt), and the Company will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to issue any Preferred Stock; provided, however, that the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may incur Indebtedness, if the Fixed Charge
47
Coverage Ratio for the Company’s most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred would have been at least 2.0 to 1.0, determined on a pro forma basis (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred at the beginning of such four-quarter period; provided, further, that any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor may not incur Indebtedness or issue shares of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock in a principal amount (or accreted value, as applicable) that, when aggregated with the principal amount (or accreted value, as applicable) of all Indebtedness then outstanding and incurred by such non-Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries under this clause (a), together with all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to refund, refinance or replace any such Indebtedness, exceeds the greater of $650.0 million and 65.0% of the Consolidated Cash Flow of the Company for the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding such date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred and after giving pro forma effect thereto (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom) as if such indebtedness had been incurred at the beginning of such four fiscal quarters.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, Section 4.06(a) will not prohibit the incurrence of any of the following items of Indebtedness (collectively, “Permitted Debt”):
(1) the incurrence by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness (including Indebtedness under the Credit Agreement) under Credit Facilities (and the incurrence of Guarantees thereof) in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding pursuant to this clause (1) (with letters of credit being deemed to have a principal amount equal to the maximum potential liability of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries thereunder) not to exceed the sum of (A) the greater of $1,000 million and the Borrowing Base and (B) the greater of (x) $2,800 million and (y) an amount such that, on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the incurrence of such Indebtedness (and application of the net proceeds therefrom), the Secured Leverage Ratio would be no greater than 3.25 to 1.0 (provided that all Indebtedness incurred under clause (B)(y), whether or not secured, shall be included when calculating the Secured Leverage Ratio for purposes of this clause (B)(y)); less the aggregate amount of all Net Proceeds of Asset Sales applied by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to permanently repay any such Indebtedness (and, in the case of any revolving credit Indebtedness, to effect a corresponding commitment reduction thereunder) pursuant to Section 4.12;
(2) the incurrence of Existing Indebtedness;
(3) the incurrence by the Company and the Guarantors of Indebtedness represented by the Notes (excluding any Additional Notes) and the related Note Guarantees;
(4) the incurrence by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of Indebtedness (including Capital Lease Obligations, mortgage financings or purchase money obligations), incurred for the purpose of financing or reimbursing all or any part of the purchase price or cost of the acquisition, development, construction, purchase, lease, repair, addition or improvement of property (real or personal), plant, equipment
48
or other fixed or capital assets that are used or useful in the Permitted Business, whether through the direct purchase of assets or the purchase of Equity Interests of any Person owning such assets (in each case, incurred within 365 days of such acquisition, development, construction, purchase, lease, repair, addition or improvement), in a principal amount that, when aggregated with the principal amount of all Indebtedness then outstanding under this clause (4), together with all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to refund, refinance or replace any such Indebtedness incurred under this clause (4), does not exceed the greater of (a) $300.0 million and (b) 30% of Consolidated Cash Flow of the Company for the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding such date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred and after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such event occurred at the beginning of such four fiscal quarters;
(5) the incurrence by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to refund, refinance or replace Indebtedness (other than intercompany Indebtedness) that was permitted by the Indenture to be incurred under Section 4.06(a) or clause (2), (3), (4), (5), (8), (10), (11) or (16) of this Section 4.06(b);
(6) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of intercompany Indebtedness owing to and held by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided, however, that:
(a) if the Company or any Guarantor is the obligor on such Indebtedness, such Indebtedness must be unsecured and expressly subordinated to the prior payment in full in cash of all Obligations with respect to the Notes, in the case of the Company, or the Note Guarantee, in the case of a Guarantor; and
(b) (i) any subsequent issuance or transfer of Equity Interests that results in any such Indebtedness being held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof and (ii) any sale or other transfer of any such Indebtedness to a Person that is not either the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof, shall be deemed, in each case, to constitute an incurrence of such Indebtedness by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, that was not permitted by this clause (6);
(7) the Guarantee by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that was permitted to be incurred by another provision of this Section 4.06;
(8) the incurrence by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of other Indebtedness in a principal amount (or accreted amount as applicable) that, when aggregated with the principal amount of all Indebtedness then outstanding under this clause (8), together with all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to refund, refinance or replace any such Indebtedness incurred under this clause (8), does not exceed the greater of (a) $550.0 million and (b) 55% of Consolidated Cash Flow of the Company for the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding such date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred and after
49
giving pro forma effect thereto (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom) as if such event occurred at the beginning of such four fiscal quarters;
(9) the incurrence of Indebtedness by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument inadvertently (except in the case of daylight overdrafts) drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business; provided that such Indebtedness is extinguished within five Business Days of incurrence;
(10) Acquired Debt; provided that after giving effect to the incurrence thereof, the Company either (x) could incur $1.00 of indebtedness under Section 4.06(a) or (y) would have had a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio equal to or greater than the actual Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Company for the four-quarter period immediately prior to such transaction;
(11) the incurrence of Indebtedness by Foreign Subsidiaries; provided that the principal amount (or accreted value, as applicable) incurred under this clause (11), when aggregated with the principal amount (or accreted value, as applicable) of all other Indebtedness then outstanding and incurred under this clause (11), together with all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness incurred to refund, refinance or replace any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this clause (11), does not exceed the greater of $750.0 million and 75% of Consolidated Cash Flow of the Company for the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding such date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred and after giving pro forma effect thereto (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom) as if such event occurred at the beginning of such four fiscal quarters, and Guarantees thereof by any Foreign Subsidiary;
(12) (A) Indebtedness in respect of bid, performance or surety bonds, workers’ compensation claims, self-insurance obligations or health, disability or other benefits to employees or former employees or their families, and Indebtedness incurred in connection with the maintenance of, or pursuant to the requirements of, environmental or other permits or licenses from governmental authorities, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business, including guarantees or obligations of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary with respect to letters of credit supporting such obligations (in each case other than for an obligation for money borrowed); and (B) Indebtedness consisting of the financing of insurance premiums, in the ordinary course of business;
(13) Indebtedness arising in connection with endorsement of instruments for deposit in the ordinary course of business;
(14) Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary incurred in the ordinary course of business under guarantees of Indebtedness of suppliers, licensees, franchisees or customers in an aggregate amount not to exceed $10.0 million at any time outstanding;
50
(15) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness solely in respect of premium financing or similar deferred payment obligations with respect to insurance policies purchased in the ordinary course of business;
(16) Contribution Debt;
(17) Indebtedness incurred on behalf of, or representing Guarantees of Indebtedness of, joint ventures of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided however, that the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness incurred under this clause (17) when aggregated with the principal amount of all other Indebtedness then outstanding and incurred pursuant to this clause (17) does not exceed the greater of $100.0 million and 10.0% of Consolidated Cash Flow of the Company for the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding such date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred and after giving pro forma effect thereto (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom) as if such event occurred at the beginning of such four fiscal quarters; and
(18) Indebtedness in connection with Permitted Securitization Financings.
(c) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.06, in the event that any proposed Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of Permitted Debt described in clauses (1) through (18) above, or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.06(a), the Company will be permitted to divide, classify or reclassify at the time of its incurrence such item of Indebtedness in any manner that complies with this Section 4.06. In addition, any Indebtedness originally classified as incurred pursuant to Section 4.06(a) or clauses (1) through (18) above may later be reclassified by the Company such that it will be deemed as having been incurred pursuant to another of such clauses or Section 4.06(a) above to the extent that such reclassified Indebtedness could be incurred pursuant to such new clause or Section 4.06(a) at the time of such reclassification (based on circumstances existing at the time of such reclassification). An item of Indebtedness may be divided or classified in more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in Section 4.06(a) and clauses (1) through (18) above (other than with respect to Indebtedness Incurred under clause (10)) without giving pro forma effect to the Indebtedness simultaneously Incurred pursuant to clauses (1) through (18) above when calculating the amount of Indebtedness that may be Incurred pursuant to Section 4.06(a). If any Contribution Debt is designated as incurred under any provision other than under Section 4.06(b)(16), the related issuance of Equity Interests may be included in any calculation under Section 4.07(a)(iii)(B).
Subject to the foregoing, any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 4.06(b)(1) shall be deemed for purposes of this covenant to have been incurred on the date such Indebtedness was first incurred until such Indebtedness is actually repaid, other than pursuant to “cash sweep” provisions or any similar provisions under any Credit Facility that provides that such Indebtedness is deemed to be repaid daily (or otherwise periodically).
(d) The amount of Indebtedness incurred in any foreign currency for purposes of this Indenture shall be converted into U.S. dollars at the time of first incurrence, in
51
the case of term debt, or first committed or first incurred (whichever yields the lower U.S. dollar equivalent), in the case of revolving credit debt, and the amount of such Indebtedness outstanding will not be deemed to change as a result of fluctuations in currency exchange rates after such date of incurrence. However, if the Indebtedness is incurred to refinance other Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency, and the refinancing would cause the applicable U.S. dollar-denominated restriction to be exceeded if calculated at the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date of the refinancing, the U.S. dollar-denominated restriction will be deemed not to have been exceeded so long as the principal amount of the refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount of the Indebtedness being refinanced.
Section 4.07 Limitation on Restricted Payments. (a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:
(1) declare or pay any dividend or make any other payment or distribution on account of the Company’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ Equity Interests (including, without limitation, any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) or to the direct or indirect holders of the Company’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ Equity Interests in their capacity as such (other than (A) dividends, payments or distributions payable in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company and (B) dividends, payments or distributions by a Restricted Subsidiary so long as, in the case of any dividends, payments or distributions payable on or in respect of any class or series of securities issued by a Restricted Subsidiary that is not Wholly Owned, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary receives at least its pro rata share of such dividends, payments or distributions in accordance with its Equity Interests in such class or series of securities);
(2) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire for value (including, without limitation, in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Company) any Equity Interests of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company, including Holdings;
(3) make any payment on or with respect to, or purchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value any Indebtedness that is contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or the Note Guarantees, except (a) payments of interest on or after Stated Maturity thereof, (b) payments, purchases, redemptions, defeasances or other acquisitions or retirements for value of principal on or after the date that is one year prior to the Stated Maturity thereof or (c) payments on Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to clause (6) of Section 4.06(b), or
(4) make any Restricted Investment
(all such payments and other actions set forth in clauses (1) through (4) above being collectively referred to as “Restricted Payments”), unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such Restricted Payment:
52
(i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof; and
(ii) The Company would, at the time of such Restricted Payment and after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Restricted Payment had been made at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, have been permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.06(a); and
(iii) such Restricted Payment, together with the aggregate amount of all other Restricted Payments made by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries after December 4, 2014 (excluding Restricted Payments permitted by clauses (2), (3) and (4) (to the extent such dividends are paid to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) and (5), (6), (8), (9)(i), (ii) or (iv), (10), (11), (12) and (13) of the next succeeding paragraph (b)), is less than the sum, without duplication, of:
(A) 50% of the Consolidated Net Income of the Company for the period (taken as one accounting period) from October 1, 2014 to the end of the Company’s most recently ended fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available at the time of such Restricted Payment (or, if such Consolidated Net Income for such period is a deficit, less 100% of such deficit); plus
(B) 100% of the aggregate net cash proceeds (and fair market value of marketable securities or other property) received by the Company after December 4, 2014 as a contribution to its common equity capital or from the issue or sale of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or from the issue or sale of convertible or exchangeable Disqualified Stock or convertible or exchangeable debt securities of the Company that have been converted into or exchanged for such Equity Interests (other than Equity Interests (or Disqualified Stock or debt securities) sold to a Subsidiary of the Company); plus
(C) with respect to Restricted Investments made by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries after December 4, 2014, an amount equal to the net reduction in Investments (other than reductions in Permitted Investments) in any Person resulting from repayments of loans or advances, or other transfers of assets, in each case to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or from the net cash proceeds from the sale of any such Investment (except, in each case, to the extent any such payment or proceeds are included in the calculation of Consolidated Net Income) from the release of any Guarantee (except to the extent any amounts are paid under such Guarantee) or from redesignations of Unrestricted Subsidiaries as Restricted Subsidiaries, not to exceed, in each case, the amount of Investments previously made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in such Person or Unrestricted Subsidiary; plus
(D) $350.0 million.
(b) So long as, in the case of clauses (7), (8) and (15), no Default has occurred and is continuing or would be caused thereby, the preceding provisions will not prohibit:
53
(1) the payment of any dividend or distribution or consummation of a redemption within 60 days after the date of declaration thereof or the giving of the redemption notice, as applicable, if at said date of declaration or notice such payment would have complied with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) the redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition of any subordinated Indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor or of any Equity Interests (including Disqualified Stock) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for, or out of the net cash proceeds of a contribution to the common equity of the Company or sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Company) of, Equity Interests of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) contributed to the equity of the Company, in each case, within 60 days of such redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition; provided that the amount of any such net cash proceeds that are utilized for any such redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition shall be excluded from clause (iii)(B) of the preceding paragraph (a);
(3) the defeasance, repayment, redemption, repurchase or other acquisition of subordinated Indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor with the net cash proceeds from an incurrence of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness;
(4) the payment of any dividend or distribution by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to the holders of its common Equity Interests on a pro rata basis;
(5) Investments acquired as a capital contribution to, or in exchange for, or out of the net cash proceeds of an offering of, Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or other contributions to the common equity capital of the Company, in each case within 60 days of the acquisition of such Investment; provided that the amount of any such net cash proceeds that are utilized for any such acquisition or exchange shall be excluded from clause (3)(B) of the preceding paragraph (a);
(6) the repurchase of Capital Stock deemed to occur upon the exercise of options, warrants or other convertible or exchangeable securities or the vesting of restricted stock, restricted stock units, or similar instruments if such Capital Stock represents fractional shares or all or a portion of the exercise price thereof or withholding taxes payable in connection with the exercise thereof;
(7) the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement for value of (or payments to Holdings to fund any such repurchase, redemption or other acquisition of value) any Equity Interests of Holdings (or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) or the Company held by any employee, former employee, director or former director of the Company (or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) or Holdings (or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) or any permitted transferee of any of the foregoing pursuant to the terms of any employee equity subscription agreement, stock option agreement or similar agreement; provided that the aggregate price paid for all such repurchased, redeemed, acquired or retired Equity Interests in any fiscal year, and any payment by the Company to Holdings to enable Holdings (or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) to make such payments, shall not exceed the sum of (x) $5.0 million and (y) the amount of Restricted Payments permitted but not made
54
pursuant to this clause (7) in prior fiscal years; provided that no more than $10.0 million may be carried forward in any fiscal year; provided, further, however, that such amount in any calendar year may be increased by an amount not to exceed;
(A) the cash proceeds received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from the sale of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company (to the extent contributed to the Company) to members of management, directors, employees or consultants of the Company, its Restricted Subsidiaries or any direct or indirect parent of the Company that occurs after December 4, 2014 (provided that the amount of cash proceeds utilized for any such repurchase, redemption or other acquisition or dividend will not increase the amount available for Restricted Payments under clause (3)(b) of the preceding paragraph (A)); plus
(B) the cash proceeds of key man life insurance policies received by the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company (to the extent contributed to the Company) or the Restricted Subsidiaries after December 4, 2014; provided that cancellation of Indebtedness owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from any present or former employees, directors, officers or consultants of the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary or the direct or indirect parents of the Company in connection with a repurchase of Equity Interests of the Company or any of its direct or indirect parents will not be deemed to constitute a Restricted Payment for purposes of this Section 4.07 or any other provision of this Indenture;
(8) the payment, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of any subordinated Indebtedness required in accordance with provisions applicable thereto similar to those described under Sections 4.11 and 4.12; provided that all Notes tendered by Holders in connection with a Change of Control Offer or Asset Sale Offer, as applicable, have been repurchased, redeemed or acquired for value;
(9) payments made to Holdings (i) to allow Holdings (or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) to pay administrative expenses and corporate overhead, franchise fees, public company costs (including SEC and auditing fees) and customary director fees in an aggregate amount not to exceed $5.0 million in any calendar year; (ii) to allow Holdings to pay premiums and deductibles in respect of directors and officers insurance policies and umbrella excess insurance policies obtained from third-party insurers and indemnities for the benefit of its directors, officers and employees, (iii) to allow Holdings or such other parent of the Company to pay reasonable fees and expenses incurred in connection with any unsuccessful debt or equity offering or any unsuccessful acquisition or strategic transaction by such direct or indirect parent company of the Company and (iv) to allow Holdings (or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) to pay income taxes attributable to the Company and its Subsidiaries in an amount not to exceed the amount of such taxes that would be payable by the Company and its Subsidiaries on a stand-alone basis (if the Company were a corporation and parent of a consolidated group including its Subsidiaries); provided that any payments pursuant to this clause (iv) in any period not otherwise deducted in calculating Consolidated Net Income shall be deducted in calculating Consolidated Net Income for such period (and shall be deemed to be a provision for taxes for purposes of calculating Consolidated Cash Flow for such period);
55
(10) Restricted Payments not otherwise permitted hereby in an aggregate amount not to exceed the greater of 17.5% of Consolidated Cash Flow and $175.0 million;
(11) (A) the declaration and payment of dividends to holders of any class or series of Disqualified Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary issued in accordance with Section 4.06 to the extent such dividends are included in the definition of Fixed Charges and payment of any redemption price or liquidation value of any such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock when due at final maturity in accordance with its terms and (B) the declaration and payment of dividends to a direct or indirect parent company of the Company, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the payment of dividends to holders of any class or series of Preferred Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of such parent company issued after December 4, 2014; provided that (i) the aggregate amount of dividends paid pursuant to this clause (B) shall not exceed the aggregate amount of cash actually contributed to the Company from the sale of such Preferred Stock and (ii) the amount of cash used to make any payments pursuant to this clause (B) shall be excluded from calculations pursuant to clause (3) of the first paragraph above and shall not be used for the purpose of any other Restricted Payment;
(12) (a) any Restricted Payments used to fund the Transactions and the fees and expenses related thereto, including those owed to Affiliates and (b) any Restricted Payments used to fund the Prior Transactions and the fees and expenses related thereto, including those owed to Affiliates;
(13) any “deemed dividend” resulting under the tax laws from, or in connection with, the filing of a consolidated or combined tax return by Holdings or any direct or indirect parent of the Company (and not involving any cash distribution from the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary except as permitted by clause (9)(iv) above);
(14) the payment of dividends to Holdings to fund a payment of dividends on Holdings’ common stock (or the common stock of any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) of up to 6% per annum of the net cash proceeds received by or contributed to the Company as a contribution to equity in or from any public offering of common stock of Holdings (or the common stock of any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) other than public offerings registered on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (or their successor or equivalent forms);
(15) any Restricted Payment if, at the time of making of such payment and after giving effect thereto (including the incurrence of any Indebtedness to finance such payments) the Consolidated Total Debt Ratio shall be no greater than 4.0 to 1.0; and
(16) purchases of Securitization Assets pursuant to a Securitization Repurchase Obligation in connection with a Permitted Securitization Financing and the payment or distribution of Securitization Fees.
(c) The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) shall be the fair market value on the date of the Restricted Payment of the asset(s) or securities proposed to be transferred or issued to or by the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may
56
be, pursuant to the Restricted Payment. The fair market value of any assets or securities in excess of $10.0 million that are required to be valued by this covenant shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
(d) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.07, in the event that a proposed Restricted Payment (or portion thereof) meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of Restricted Payments described in clauses (1) through (16) above, or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.07(a), the Company will be entitled to divide, classify or re-classify (based on circumstances existing on the date of such reclassification) such restricted payment or portion thereof in any manner that complies with this Section 4.07 and such Restricted Payment will be treated as having been made pursuant to only such clause or clauses or Section 4.07(a).
Section 4.08 Limitation on Liens. (a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, create, incur, assume or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any Lien of any kind (other than Permitted Liens) upon any of their property or assets, now owned or hereafter acquired, without effectively providing that the Notes are secured equally and ratably with (or, if the obligation to be secured by the Lien is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or any Note Guarantee, prior to) the obligations so secured for so long as such obligations are so secured.
(b) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.08, (A) a Lien securing an item of Indebtedness need not be permitted solely by reference to one category of permitted Liens described in clauses (1) through (28) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” or pursuant to clause (a) of this Section 4.08 but may be permitted in part under any combination thereof and (B) in the event that a Lien securing an item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) meets the criteria of one or more of the categories of permitted Liens described in clauses (1) through (28) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” or pursuant to Section 4.08(a), the Company shall, in its sole discretion, classify or reclassify, or later divide, classify or reclassify, such Lien securing such item of Indebtedness (or any portion thereof) in any manner that complies with this covenant and will only be required to include the amount and type of such Lien or such item of Indebtedness secured by such Lien in one of the clauses of the definition of “Permitted Liens” and such Lien securing such item of Indebtedness will be treated as being incurred or existing pursuant to only one of such clauses or pursuant to the first paragraph hereof.
(c) With respect to any Lien securing Indebtedness that was permitted to secure such Indebtedness at the time of the incurrence of such Indebtedness, such Lien shall also be permitted to secure any Increased Amount of such Indebtedness. The “Increased Amount” of any Indebtedness shall mean any increase in the amount of such Indebtedness in connection with any accrual of interest, the accretion of accreted value, the amortization of original issue discount, the payment of interest in the form of additional Indebtedness with the same terms, the payment of dividends on preferred stock in the form of additional shares of preferred stock of the same class, accretion of original issue discount or liquidation preference and increases in the amount of Indebtedness outstanding solely as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate of currencies or increases in the value of property securing Indebtedness described in subclause (x) of the second paragraph of the definition of “Indebtedness”.
57
Section 4.09 Limitation on Dividend and other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this Section 4.09, the Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to:
(1) pay dividends or make any other distributions on its Capital Stock (or with respect to any other interest or participation in, or measured by, its profits) to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or pay any liabilities owed to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(2) make loans or advances to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; or
(3) transfer any of its properties or assets to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
(b) The provisions of 4.09(a) do not apply to any encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of or with respect to:
(1) the Credit Agreement, Existing Indebtedness or any other agreements as in effect on the Issue Date;
(2) applicable law, rule, regulation or order;
(3) any Person or the property or assets of a Person acquired by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries existing at the time of such acquisition and not incurred in connection with or in contemplation of such acquisition, which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person, or the property or assets of the Person, so acquired;
(4) in the case of clause (a)(3) of this Section 4.09:
(a) provisions that restrict in a customary manner the subletting, assignment or transfer of any property or asset that is a lease, license, conveyance or contract or similar property or asset;
(b) restrictions existing by virtue of any transfer of, agreement to transfer, option or right with respect to, or Lien on, any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary not otherwise prohibited by this Indenture; or
(c) restrictions arising or agreed to in the ordinary course of business, not relating to any Indebtedness, and that do not, individually or in the aggregate, detract from the value of property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in any manner material to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(5) customary provisions with respect to the disposition or distribution of assets or property in joint venture agreements and other agreements;
58
(6) any agreement for the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the capital stock of, or property and assets of, a Restricted Subsidiary that restricts distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary pending such sale or other disposition;
(7) Indebtedness of a Foreign Subsidiary permitted to be incurred under this Indenture; provided that (a) such encumbrances or restrictions are ordinary and customary with respect to the type of Indebtedness being incurred and (b) such encumbrances or restrictions will not materially (in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) impair the Company’s ability to make principal and interest payments on the Notes;
(8) this Indenture, the Notes, any Additional Notes or the Guarantees;
(9) restrictions on cash or other deposits or net worth imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(10) other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries permitted to be incurred after the Issue Date pursuant to Section 4.06; provided that such restrictions will not materially (in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company) impair the Company’s ability to make principal and interest payments on the Notes;
(11) restrictions or conditions contained in any trading, netting, operating, construction, service, supply, purchase or other agreement to which the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is a party and entered into in the ordinary course of business; provided that such agreement prohibits the encumbrance of solely the property or assets of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary that are the subject of such agreement, the payment rights arising thereunder or the proceeds thereof and does not extend to any other asset or property of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or the assets or property of any other Restricted Subsidiary;
(12) any instrument governing any Indebtedness or Capital Stock of a Person that is an Unrestricted Subsidiary as in effect on the date that such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person who became a Restricted Subsidiary, or the property or assets of the Person who became a Restricted Subsidiary and was not entered into in contemplation of the designation of such Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that, in the case of Indebtedness, the incurrence of such Indebtedness as a result of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary was permitted by the terms of this Indenture;
(13) purchase money obligations for property acquired and Capital Lease Obligations in the ordinary course of business that impose restrictions of the nature discussed in Section 4.09 (a)(3) above, on the property so acquired;
(14) any encumbrances or restrictions of the type referred to in clauses (1), (2) and (3) of Section 4.09(a) imposed by any amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings of the
59
contracts, instruments or obligations referred to in clauses (1) through (13) above; provided that such amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings are, in the good faith judgment of the Company’s Board of Directors, not materially more restrictive with respect to such encumbrance and other restrictions than those prior to such amendment, modification, restatement, renewal, increase, supplement, refunding, replacement or refinancing; and
(15) any encumbrances or restrictions contained in any Permitted Securitization Document with respect to any Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiary that are necessary or advisable to effect a Permitted Securitization Financing (as determined by the Company in good faith).
For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.09, (i) the priority of any Preferred Stock in receiving dividends or liquidating distributions prior to dividends or liquidating distributions being paid on common stock shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make distributions on Capital Stock and (ii) the subordination of loans or advances made to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to other Indebtedness incurred by the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary shall not be deemed a restriction on the ability to make loans or advances.
Section 4.10 Guarantees. (a) If an existing or newly acquired or created Domestic Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor guarantees Indebtedness under a Credit Facility or any of the Existing Notes on or after the Issue Date, then that newly acquired or created Domestic Subsidiary must promptly become a Guarantor and execute a supplemental indenture in the form of Exhibit B and deliver an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee.
(b) A Guarantor may not sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets to, or consolidate with or merge with or into (whether or not such Guarantor is the surviving Person), another Person, other than the Company or another Guarantor unless:
(1) immediately after giving effect to that transaction, no Default or Event of Default exists; and
(2) either:
(a) the Person acquiring the property in any such sale or disposition or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Guarantor) is a Person organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and assumes all the obligations of that Guarantor under the Indenture and Note Guarantee pursuant to a supplemental indenture satisfactory to the Trustee; or
(b) except in the case of Holdings, such sale or other disposition or consolidation or merger complies with Section 4.12.
Section 4.11 Repurchase of Notes Upon a Change of Control. (a) If a Change of Control occurs, each Holder of Notes shall have the right to require the Company to
60
repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 or a higher multiple of $1,000) of that Holder’s Notes pursuant to an Offer to Purchase (the “Change of Control Offer”). In such Change of Control Offer, the Company will offer a payment (such payment, a “Change of Control Payment”) in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the date of purchase.
(b) Within 30 days following any Change of Control, the Company will mail, or deliver electronically if held by DTC, a notice to each Holder describing the transaction or transactions that constitute the Change of Control and offering to repurchase Notes on the date specified in such notice (the “Change of Control Payment Date”), which date shall be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is delivered, pursuant to the procedures required by this Indenture and described in such notice.
(c) On or before the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful:
(1) accept for payment all Notes or portions thereof properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;
(2) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions thereof properly tendered; and
(3) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes so accepted together with an Officer’s Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions thereof being purchased by the Company.
(d) The Paying Agent will promptly mail or wire transfer to each Holder of Notes properly tendered the Change of Control Payment for such Notes, and the Trustee will promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered, if any; provided that such new Note will be in a principal amount of $2,000 or a higher integral multiple of $1,000.
(e) This Section 4.11 shall be applicable regardless of whether any other Sections of this Indenture are applicable.
(f) The Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if (1) a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Company and purchases all Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer or (2) notice of redemption has been given pursuant to this Indenture as described under Section 3.01, unless and until there is a default in payment of the applicable redemption price.
(g) A Change of Control Offer may be made in advance of a Change of Control, conditional upon such Change of Control or other events, if a definitive agreement is in place for the Change of Control at the time of making of the Change of Control Offer.
61
(h) If holders of not less than 90% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes validly tender and do not withdraw such notes in a Change of Control Offer and the Company, or any third party making a Change of Control Offer in lieu of the Company as described under the preceding clause (f), purchases all of the Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn by such holders, the Company or such third party will have the right, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice, given not more than 30 days following such purchase pursuant to the Change of Control Offer, to redeem all Notes that remain outstanding following such purchase at a price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the date of redemption.
(i) Notes repurchased by the Company pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will have the status of Notes issued but not outstanding or will be retired and canceled at the option of the Company. Notes purchased by a third party pursuant to the preceding clause (f) will have the status of Notes issued and outstanding unless and until they are delivered to the Company for cancellation.
Section 4.12 Limitation on Asset Sales. (a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, consummate an Asset Sale unless:
(1) The Company (or the Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be) receives consideration at the time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the fair market value of the assets or Equity Interests issued or sold or otherwise disposed of; and
(2) at least 75% of the consideration therefore received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary is in the form of Cash Equivalents or Replacement Assets. For purposes of this clause, each of the following shall be deemed to be Cash Equivalents:
(A) any liabilities (as shown on the Company’s or such Restricted Subsidiary’s most recent balance sheet) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than contingent liabilities, Indebtedness that is by its terms subordinated to the Notes or any Note Guarantee and liabilities to the extent owed to the Company or any Affiliate of the Company) that are assumed by the transferee of any such assets and with respect to which the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries are unconditionally released from further liability in writing or that are otherwise cancelled or terminated in connection with the transaction with such transferee;
(B) any securities, notes or other obligations or assets received by the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary from such transferee that are converted by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash (to the extent of the cash received in that conversion) within 360 days of the applicable Asset Sale; and
(C) any Designated Non-cash Consideration received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in such Asset Sale having an aggregate fair market value, taken together with all other Designated Non-cash Consideration received pursuant to this clause (C) that is at that time outstanding, not to exceed the greater of $20.0 million or 2.0% of Consolidated Cash Flow at the time of the receipt of such Designated Non-cash Consideration (with the fair market value of each item of Designated Non-cash
62
Consideration being measured at the time received and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value).
If at any time any non-cash consideration received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, in connection with any Asset Sale is repaid or converted into or sold or otherwise disposed of for cash (other than interest received with respect to any such non-cash consideration), then the date of such repayment, conversion or disposition shall be deemed to constitute the date of an Asset Sale hereunder and the Net Proceeds thereof shall be applied in accordance with this Section 4.12.
(b) Within 365 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds from an Asset Sale, the Company may apply such Net Proceeds at its option:
(1) to repay secured Indebtedness or Indebtedness of a non- Guarantor Restricted Subsidiary owed to a Person that is not an Affiliate of the Company and, except in the case of Indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, if the Indebtedness repaid is revolving credit Indebtedness, to correspondingly reduce commitments with respect thereto;
(2) to prepay, repay or repurchase any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries which is not expressly subordinated to the prior payment in full in cash of all Obligations with respect to the Notes, in the case of the Company, or the Note Guarantee, in the case of a Guarantor; or
(3) to purchase Replacement Assets or make a capital expenditure in or that is used or useful in a Permitted Business; provided that, if during the 365 day period following the consummation of an Asset Sale, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary enters into a definitive binding agreement committing it to apply the Net Proceeds in accordance with the requirements of this clause (3) after such 365 day period, such 365 day period will be extended with respect to the amount of Net Proceeds so committed until such Net Proceeds are required to be applied in accordance with such agreement (but such extension will in no event be for a period longer than 180 days) or, if earlier, the date of termination of such agreement; provided, further, that in the event such binding commitment is later canceled or terminated for any reason before such Net Proceeds are so applied, then such Net Proceeds shall constitute Excess Proceeds unless the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary enters into another binding commitment (a “Second Commitment”) within six months of such cancellation or termination of the prior binding commitment; provided, further, that the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary may only enter into a Second Commitment under the foregoing provision one time with respect to each Asset Sale and to the extent such Second Commitment is later cancelled or terminated for any reason before such Net Proceeds are applied or are not applied within 180 days of such Second Commitment, then such Net Proceeds shall constitute Excess Proceeds.
Following the entering into of a binding agreement with respect to an Asset Sale and prior to the consummation thereof, Cash Equivalents (whether or not actual Net Proceeds of such Asset Sale) used for the purposes described in clause (3) that are designated as used in accordance with clause (3), and not previously or subsequently so designated in respect of any other Asset Sale, shall be deemed to be Net Proceeds applied in accordance with clause (3).
63
(c) Pending the final application of any such Net Proceeds, the Company may temporarily reduce revolving credit borrowings or otherwise invest such Net Proceeds in any manner that is not prohibited by this Indenture.
(d) Any Net Proceeds from Asset Sales that are not applied or invested as provided in clause (1), (2) or (3) of Section 4.12(b) will constitute “Excess Proceeds.” Within 30 days after the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $50.0 million, the Company will make an Asset Sale Offer (using the procedures set forth in Section 3.04) to all Noteholders and all holders of other Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes or any Note Guarantee containing provisions similar to those set forth in this Indenture with respect to offers to purchase with the proceeds of sales of assets, to purchase the maximum principal amount of the Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness that may be purchased out of the Excess Proceeds. The Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may make an Asset Sale Offer under this section using Net Proceeds prior to the time any such Net Proceeds become Excess Proceeds, in which case such Net Proceeds shall be deemed to have been applied within the time frame required by this Section 4.12. The offer price in any Asset Sale Offer will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase, and will be payable in cash. If any Excess Proceeds remain after consummation of an Asset Sale Offer, the Company may use such Excess Proceeds for any purpose not otherwise prohibited by this Indenture. If the aggregate principal amount of the Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness tendered into such Asset Sale Offer exceeds the amount of Excess Proceeds, the Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness shall be purchased on a pro rata basis based on the principal amount of the Notes and such other pari passu Indebtedness tendered. Upon completion of each Asset Sale Offer, the amount of Excess Proceeds shall be reset at zero.
Section 4.13 Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates. (a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any payment to, or sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets to, or purchase any property or assets from, or enter into, make, amend, renew or extend any transaction, contract, agreement, understanding, loan, advance or Guarantee with, or for the benefit of, any Affiliate (each, an “Affiliate Transaction”) involving payments of consideration in excess of $5.0 million, unless:
(1) such Affiliate Transaction is on terms that are no less favorable to the Company or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable arm’s-length transaction by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary with a Person that is not an Affiliate of the Company as determined in good faith by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board of Directors; and
(2) the Company delivers to the Trustee with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions involving aggregate consideration in excess of $50.0 million, a resolution of the Board of Directors set forth in an Officer’s Certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions complies with clause (1) of this Section 4.13(a) and that such Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions has been approved by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board of Directors.
64
(b) The following items shall not be deemed to be Affiliate Transactions and, therefore, will not be subject to Section 4.13(a):
(1) transactions between or among the Company and/or its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(2) payment of reasonable and customary fees and compensation to, and reasonable and customary indemnification arrangements and similar payments on behalf of, directors of the Company;
(3) Restricted Payments that are permitted by Section 4.07 or any Permitted Investments;
(4) any sale of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company;
(5) loans and advances to officers and employees of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Holdings (or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) for bona fide business purposes in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(6) any employment, consulting, service or termination agreement, or reasonable and customary indemnification arrangements, entered into by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries with officers and employees of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Holdings (or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) and the payment of compensation to officers and employees of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (including amounts paid pursuant to employee benefit plans, employee stock option or similar plans), in each case in the ordinary course of business;
(7) any agreements or arrangements in effect on the Issue Date, or any amendment, modification, or supplement thereto or any replacement thereof, as long as such agreement or arrangement, as so amended, modified, supplemented or replaced, taken as a whole, is not more disadvantageous to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries than the original agreement as in effect on the Issue Date, as determined in good faith by the Company’s Board of Directors, and any transactions contemplated by any of the foregoing agreements or arrangements;
(8) transactions with customers, clients, suppliers, joint ventures, joint venture partners, Unrestricted Subsidiaries or purchasers or sellers of goods and services, in each case in the ordinary course of business and on terms no less favorable than that available from non-affiliates (as determined by the Company) and otherwise not prohibited by this Indenture;
(9) any transaction with an Affiliate (i) where the only consideration paid by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary is Qualified Equity Interests or (ii) consisting of the provision of customary registration rights;
65
(10) (a) the payment of all Transaction Expenses by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (b) the payment of all Prior Transaction Expenses by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(11) any merger, consolidation or reorganization of the Company (otherwise permitted by this Indenture) with an Affiliate of the Company solely for the purpose of (a) reorganizing to facilitate an initial public offering of securities of the Company or a direct or indirect parent of the Company, (b) forming or collapsing a holding company structure or (c) reincorporating the Company in a new jurisdiction;
(12) transactions between the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and any Person that is an Affiliate solely because one or more of its directors is also a director of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company; provided that such director abstains from voting as a director of the Company or such direct or indirect parent, as the case may be, on any matter involving such other Person;
(13) the entering into of any tax sharing agreement or arrangement or any other transactions undertaken in good faith that is consistent with paragraph (b)(9)(iv) of Section 4.07;
(14) any transaction by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary with any Affiliate for any financial advisory, financing (including the extension of credit or making of loans by any Affiliate), underwriting or placement services or in respect of other investment banking activities, including in connection with acquisitions or divestitures, which payments are approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith;
(15) transactions in which the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, delivers to the Trustee a letter from an independent accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm of national standing stating that such transaction is fair to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from a financial point of view or meets the requirements of Section 4.13(a)(1); and
(16) any customary transaction (as determined by the Company in good faith) with a Special Purpose Securitization Subsidiary pursuant to any Permitted Securitization Financing.
Section 4.14 Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries. (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may designate any Restricted Subsidiary to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided that:
(1) any Guarantee by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Indebtedness of the Subsidiary being so designated will be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary (or both, if applicable) at the time of such designation, and such incurrence of Indebtedness would be permitted under Section 4.06;
66
(2) the aggregate fair market value of all outstanding Investments owned by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the Subsidiary being so designated (including any Guarantee by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary) will be deemed to be a Restricted Investment made as of the time of such designation and that such Investment would be permitted under Section 4.07;
(3) such Subsidiary does not own any Equity Interests of, or hold any Liens on any Property of, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(4) the Subsidiary being so designated:
(a) is not party to any agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that would not be permitted under Section 4.13 and;
(b) except as permitted under clauses (1) and (2) above, is a Person with respect to which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has any direct or indirect obligation (a) to subscribe for additional Equity Interests or (b) to maintain or preserve such Person’s financial condition or to cause such Person to achieve any specified levels of operating results.
(5) no Default or Event of Default would be in existence following such designation.
(b) (1) If, at any time, any Unrestricted Subsidiary would fail to meet any of the preceding requirements described in clause (4) above, it shall thereafter cease to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary for purposes of this Indenture and any Indebtedness, Investments, or Liens on the property, of such Subsidiary shall be deemed to be incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company as of such date and, if such Indebtedness, Investments or Liens are not permitted to be incurred as of such date under this Indenture, the Company shall be in default under this Indenture.
(2) The Board of Directors of the Company may at any time designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that:
(A) such designation shall be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of any outstanding Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary and such designation shall only be permitted if such Indebtedness is permitted under Section 4.06, calculated on a pro forma basis as if such designation had occurred at the beginning of the four-quarter reference period;
(B) all outstanding Investments owned by such Unrestricted Subsidiary will be deemed to be made as of the time of such designation and such Investments shall only be permitted if such Investments would be permitted under Section 4.07;
(C) all Liens upon property or assets of such Unrestricted Subsidiary existing at the time of such designation would be permitted under Section 4.08; and
67
(D) no Default or Event of Default would be in existence following such designation.
Section 4.15 Anti-Layering. The Company shall not incur any Indebtedness that is subordinated or junior in right of payment to any Indebtedness of the Company unless it is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes at least to the same extent. No Guarantor shall incur any Indebtedness that is subordinated or junior in right of payment to the Indebtedness of such Guarantor unless it is subordinated in right of payment to such Guarantor’s Note Guarantee at least to the same extent. For purposes of the foregoing, no Indebtedness will be deemed to be subordinated or junior in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor, as applicable, solely by reason of any Liens or Guarantees arising or created in respect thereof or by virtue of the fact that the holders of any secured Indebtedness have entered into intercreditor agreements giving one or more of such holders priority over the other holders in the collateral held by them.
Section 4.16 Reports. (a) So long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company will file with the Commission and furnish to the Trustee and, upon request, to the Holders:
(1) within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, an annual report on Form 10-K;
(2) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year, a quarterly report on Form 10-Q; and
(3) promptly from time to time after the occurrence of an event required to be therein reported pursuant to Form 8-K, a current report on Form 8-K.
If the Company is no longer subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for any reason, the Company will nevertheless continue filing the reports specified in the preceding paragraphs of this Section 4.16 with the Commission within the time periods specified above unless the Commission will not accept such a filing. If the Commission will not accept the Company’s filings for any reason, the Company will furnish the reports referred to in the preceding paragraphs to the Trustee within the time periods that would apply if the Company were required to file those reports with the Commission. The Company will not take any action for the purpose of causing the Commission not to accept any such filings. Any information filed with, or furnished to, the Commission via EDGAR shall be deemed to have been made available to the Trustee and the registered Holders of the Notes.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) if Holdings or any other direct or indirect parent of the Company fully and unconditionally guarantees the Notes, the filing of such reports by such parent within the time periods specified above will satisfy such obligations of the Company; provided that such reports shall include the information required by Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X with respect to the Company and the Guarantors and (B) if neither the Company nor Holdings is subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the financial statements, information and other documents required to be provided as described above, may be those of (i) the Company or (ii) any direct or indirect parent of the Company, so long as in the case of (ii) such direct or indirect parent of the Company shall not conduct,
68
transact or otherwise engage, or commit to conduct, transact or otherwise engage, in any business or operations other than its direct or indirect ownership of all of the Equity Interests in, and its management of, the Company; provided that, if the financial information so furnished relates to such direct or indirect parent of the Company, the same is accompanied by a reasonably detailed description of the quantitative differences between the information relating to such parent, on the one hand, and the information relating to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a standalone basis, on the other hand.
(c) The Company shall distribute such information and such reports to the Trustee, and make them available, upon request, to any Holder and to any such prospective investor or securities analyst. To the extent not satisfied by the foregoing, the Company shall also make publicly available the information required to be available pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act.
Section 4.17 Reports to Trustee. (a) The Company will deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, commencing with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, an Officer’s Certificate stating that the Company has fulfilled its obligations hereunder or, if there has been a Default or an Event of Default, specifying the Default or Event of Default and its nature and status.
(b) The Company will deliver to the Trustee, as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days after the Company becomes aware or should reasonably become aware of the occurrence of any Default or an Event of Default, an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the details of the Default or Event of Default, and the action which the Company proposes to take with respect thereto.
(c) The Company will notify the Trustee when any Notes are listed on any national securities exchange and of any delisting.
Section 4.18 Limitation on Activities of Holdings. Holdings shall not engage in any material activities or hold any material assets other than holding the Capital Stock of the Company and those activities incidental thereto and will not incur any material liabilities other than liabilities relating to its Guarantee of the Notes, its Guarantee of any other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and any other obligations or liabilities incidental to its activities as a holding company.
Section 4.19 Suspension of Certain Covenants. If at any time after the Issue Date (i) the Notes are rated Investment Grade by each of S&P and Moody’s (or, if either (or both) of S&P and Moody’s have been substituted in accordance with the definition of “Rating Agencies,” by each of the then applicable Rating Agencies) and (ii) no Default has occurred and is continuing under this Indenture (the occurrence of the events described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being collectively referred to as a “Covenant Suspension Event”), the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries will not be subject to the covenants in Section 4.06, Section 4.07, Section 4.09, Section 4.12, Section 4.13 and Section 5.01(a)(2)(C) (the foregoing, the “Suspended Covenants”).
69
Additionally, during such time as the above referenced covenants are suspended (a “Suspension Period”), the Company will not be permitted to designate any Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
The Company shall promptly upon its occurrence deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the occurrence of any Covenant Suspension Event or Reversion Date, and the dates thereof. The Trustee shall not have any obligation to monitor the occurrence and dates of a Covenant Suspension Event or Reversion Date and may rely conclusively on such Officer’s Certificate. The Trustee shall not have any duty to notify the Holders of any such events or dates.
In the event that the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries are not subject to the Suspended Covenants for any period of time as a result of the foregoing, and on any subsequent date (the “Reversion Date”) the condition set forth in clause (i) of the first paragraph of this section is no longer satisfied, then the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries will thereafter again be subject to the Suspended Covenants with respect to future events.
On each Reversion Date, all Indebtedness incurred during the Suspension Period prior to such Reversion Date will be deemed to be Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 4.06(b)(2). For purposes of calculating the amount available to be made as Restricted Payments under Section 4.07(a)(iii), calculations under such covenant shall be made as though such covenant had been in effect since the Issue Date and prior, but not during, the Suspension Period. Restricted Payments made during the Suspension Period will not reduce the amount available to be made as Restricted Payments under Section 4.07(a). For purposes of Section 4.12, on the Reversion Date, the amount of unutilized Excess Proceeds will be reset to zero. Notwithstanding that the Suspended Covenants may be reinstated, no Default or Event of Default shall be deemed to have occurred as a result of a failure to comply with the Suspended Covenants during a Suspension Period (or on the Reversion Date after a Suspension Period based solely on events that occurred during the Suspension Period).
ARTICLE 5
Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets
Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets
Section 5.01 Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets. (a) The Company will not, directly or indirectly:
(1) consolidate or merge with or into another Person (whether or not the Company is the surviving corporation) or
(2) sell, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole, in one or more related transactions, to another Person or Persons, unless:
(A) either: (x) the Company is the surviving corporation; or (y) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition shall have been made (i) is a corporation or limited liability company organized or existing under
70
the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and (ii) assumes all the obligations of the Company under the Notes and this Indenture pursuant to agreements reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee;
(B) immediately after giving effect to such transaction no Default or Event of Default exists; and
(C) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro forma basis, the Company or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition shall have been made, will, on the date of such transaction after giving pro forma effect thereto and any related financing transactions as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period, be (i) permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.06(a) or (ii) have had a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio equal to or greater than the actual Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Company for the four-quarter period immediately prior to such transaction.
In addition, neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary may, directly or indirectly, lease all or substantially all of its properties or assets, in one or more related transactions, to any other Person. Clauses (B) and (C) of Section 5.01(a)(2) will not apply to any merger, consolidation or sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of assets between or among the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
(b) Upon the consummation of any transaction effected in accordance with these provisions, if the Company is not the continuing Person, the resulting, surviving or transferee Person will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture and the Notes with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company in this Indenture. Upon such substitution, except in the case of a sale, conveyance, transfer or disposition of less than all its assets the Company will be released from its obligations under this Indenture and the Notes.
ARTICLE 6
Default and Remedies
Default 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 Notes;
(2) default in payment when due (whether at maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise) of the principal of, or premium, if any, on Notes;
(3) failure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to comply with Sections 4.10(b), 4.11, 4.12 or Article 5;
71
(4) failure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries for 60 days after written notice by the Trustee or Holders representing 25% or more of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes to comply with any of the other agreements in this Indenture;
(5) 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 Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is Guaranteed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) whether such Indebtedness or Guarantee now exists, or is created after the Issue Date (other than Indebtedness owing to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or any Permitted Securitization Financing), if that default:
(a) is caused by a failure to make any payment of principal at the final maturity of such Indebtedness (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 $75.0 million or more;
(6) failure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to pay final judgments (to the extent such judgments are not paid or covered by insurance provided by a carrier that has acknowledged coverage in writing and has the ability to perform) aggregating in excess of $75.0 million, which judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60 days;
(7) except as permitted by this Indenture, any Note 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 authorized Person acting on behalf of any Guarantor, shall deny or disaffirm its obligations under its Note Guarantee;
(8) an involuntary case or other proceeding is commenced against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary with respect to it or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of it or any substantial part of its property, and such involuntary case or other proceeding remains undismissed and unstayed for a period of 60 days; or an order for relief is entered against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary under the federal bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect; and
(9) the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (i) commences a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or consents to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law, (ii) consents to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or for all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or (iii) effects any general assignment for the benefit of creditors (an event of default specified in clause (8) or (9) a “bankruptcy default”).
72
Section 6.02 Acceleration. (a) In the case of an Event of Default arising from a bankruptcy default, with respect to the Company, all outstanding 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 all the Notes to be due and payable immediately by notice in writing to the Company specifying the Event of Default. Upon a declaration of acceleration, such principal and interest will become immediately due and payable.
(b) The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes by written notice to the Company and to the Trustee may waive all past defaults and rescind and annul a declaration of acceleration and its consequences if
(1) all existing Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes that have become due solely by the declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived, and
(2) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Section 6.03 Other Remedies. If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue, in its own name or as trustee of an express trust, any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of principal of 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.
Section 6.04 Waiver of Past Defaults. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 6.02, 6.07 and 9.02, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may, by notice to the Trustee on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes, waive an existing Default and its consequences. Upon such waiver, the Default will cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom will be deemed to have been cured, but no such waiver will extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.05 Control by Majority. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes will have the right to 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 the Trustee with respect to the Notes. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture, that may involve the Trustee in personal liability, or that the Trustee determines in good faith may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of Holders not joining in the giving of such direction and may take any other action it deems proper that is not inconsistent with any such direction received from Holders.
Section 6.06 Limitation on Suits. A Holder may not institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture or the Notes, or form the appointment of a recipient or a trustee, or pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Notes unless:
73
(1) the Holder gives the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default;
(2) the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes make a written request to the Trustee to institute a proceeding or pursue the remedy;
(3) such Holder or Holders offer the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any costs, liability or expense;
(4) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and
(5) during such 60-day period, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes do not give the Trustee a direction that is inconsistent with the request.
Section 6.07 Rights of Holders to Receive Payment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the right of any Holder of a Note to receive payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on its Note on or after the Stated Maturities thereof, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment, on or after the due date expressed in the Notes, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.
Section 6.08 Collection Suit by Trustee. If an Event of Default in payment of principal or interest specified in clause (1) or (2) of Section 6.01 occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust for the whole amount of principal and accrued interest remaining unpaid, together with interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful, overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate specified in the Notes, and such further amount as is sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and any other amounts due the Trustee hereunder.
Section 6.09 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. The Trustee may file 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 compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee hereunder) and the Holders of Notes allowed in any judicial proceedings relating to the Company or any Guarantor or their respective creditors or property, and is entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute any money, securities or other property payable or deliverable upon conversion or exchange of the Notes or upon any such claims. Any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, if the Trustee consents 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 agent and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee hereunder. Nothing in this Indenture will be deemed to empower the Trustee to authorize or consent to, or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder, any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition
74
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, it shall pay out the money in the following order:
First: to the Trustee for all amounts due hereunder;
Second: to Holders for amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Notes, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for principal and interest; and
Third: to the Company or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
The Trustee, upon written notice to the Company, may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section.
Section 6.11 Restoration of Rights and Remedies. If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted a proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and the proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to the Holder, then, subject to any determination in the proceeding, the Company, any Guarantors, the Trustee and the Holders will be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Company, any Guarantors, the Trustee and the Holders will continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 6.12 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 Trustee, a court may require any party litigant in such suit (other than the Trustee) to file an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant (other than the Trustee) in the suit having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section does not apply to a suit by a Holder to enforce payment of principal of or interest on any Note on the respective due dates, or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes.
Section 6.13 Rights and Remedies Cumulative. No right or remedy conferred or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders under this Indenture is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and all such rights and remedies are, to the extent permitted by law, cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or exercise of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, will not prevent the concurrent assertion or exercise of any other right or remedy.
Section 6.14 Delay or Omission Not Waiver. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default will impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to
75
the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 6.15 Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws. The Company and each Guarantor covenants, to the extent that it may lawfully do so, that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law or any usury law or other law that would prohibit or forgive the Company or the Guarantor from paying all or any portion of the principal of, or interest on the Notes as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or that may affect the covenants or the performance of the Indenture. The Company and each Guarantor hereby expressly waives, to the extent that it may lawfully do so, all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not 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 had been enacted.
ARTICLE 7
The Trustee
The Trustee
Section 7.01 General. (a) The duties and responsibilities of the Trustee are as provided by the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act made applicable to this Indenture and as set forth herein. Whether or not expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee is subject to this Article.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations will be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. In case an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and is actually known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall exercise those rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
(c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own bad faith or willful misconduct.
Section 7.02 Certain Rights of Trustee. Subject to Trust Indenture Act Sections 315(a) through (d):
(1) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may rely, and will be protected in acting or refraining from acting, upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document, but, in the case of any document which is specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee pursuant to any provision hereof, the Trustee shall examine the
76
document to determine whether it conforms to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein). The Trustee, in its discretion, may make further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it sees fit.
(2) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel conforming to Section 11.05 and the Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on the certificate or opinion.
(3) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and will not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent (other than an agent who is an employee of the Trustee) appointed with due care.
(4) The Trustee will 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 reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(5) The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers or for any action it takes or omits to take in accordance with the direction of the Holders in accordance with Section 6.05 relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture.
(6) The Trustee may consult with counsel, and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel will be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.
(7) No provision of this Indenture will require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of its rights or powers, unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.
Section 7.03 Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. However, the Trustee is subject to Trust Indenture Act Sections 310(b) and 311. For purposes of Trust Indenture Act Section 311(b)(4) and (6):
(a) “cash transaction” means any transaction in which full payment for goods or securities sold is made within seven days after delivery of the goods or securities in currency or in checks or other orders drawn upon banks or bankers and payable upon demand; and
77
(b) “self-liquidating paper” means any draft, bill of exchange, acceptance or obligation which is made, drawn, negotiated or incurred for the purpose of financing the purchase, processing, manufacturing, shipment, storage or sale of goods, wares or merchandise and which is secured by documents evidencing title to, possession of, or a lien upon, the goods, wares or merchandise or the receivables or proceeds arising from the sale of the goods, wares or merchandise previously constituting the security, provided the security is received by the Trustee simultaneously with the creation of the creditor relationship arising from the making, drawing, negotiating or incurring of the draft, bill of exchange, acceptance or obligation.
Section 7.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee (i) makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes, (ii) is not accountable for the Company’s use or application of the proceeds from the Notes and (iii) is not responsible for any statement in the Notes other than its certificate of authentication.
Section 7.05 Notice of Default. If any Default occurs and is continuing and is known to the Trustee, the Trustee will send notice of the Default to each Holder within 90 days after the Trustee’s receipt of notice of its occurrence, unless the Default has been cured; provided that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Note, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors of the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interest of the Holders. Notice to Holders under this Section will be given in the manner and to the extent provided in Trust Indenture Act Section 313(c).
Section 7.06 [Reserved].
Section 7.07 Compensation And Indemnity. (a) The Company will pay the Trustee compensation as agreed upon in writing for its services. The compensation of the Trustee is not limited by any law on compensation of a Trustee of an express trust. The Company will reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee, including the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel. When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after a “bankruptcy default” has occurred, the expenses and compensation for the services (including the fees and expenses of its agents and counsel) are intended, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to constitute expenses of administration under Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
(b) The Company will indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless against, any loss or liability or expense incurred by it without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this Indenture and its duties under this Indenture and the Notes, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability and of complying with any process served upon it or any of its officers in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties under this Indenture and the Notes. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of any claim asserted against the Trustee or any of its agents for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee and its agents subject to the claim may have separate counsel, and the Company
78
shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel if the Trustee concludes, upon advice of counsel, that there exists a conflict of interest between the Company and the Trustee and its agents subject to the claim in connection with such defense. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its written consent. The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability to the extent incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(c) To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee will have a lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, in its capacity as Trustee, except money or property held in trust to pay principal of, and interest on particular Notes. Such lien will survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
(d) The obligations of the Company under this Section 7.07 will survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or the resignation or removal of the Trustee.
Section 7.08 Replacement of Trustee. (a)(i) The Trustee may resign at any time by providing 30 days prior written notice to the Company.
(ii) The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may remove the Trustee, by written notice to the Trustee.
(iii) If the Trustee is no longer eligible under Section 7.10 or in the circumstances described in Trust Indenture Act Section 310(b), any Holder that satisfies the requirements of Trust Indenture Act Section 310(b) may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(iv) The Company may remove the Trustee if: (i) the Trustee is no longer eligible under Section 7.10; (ii) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent; (iii) a receiver or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or (iv) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee will become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
(b) If the Trustee has been removed by the Holders, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes may appoint a successor Trustee with the consent of the Company. Otherwise, if the Trustee resigns or is removed, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company will promptly appoint a successor Trustee. If the successor Trustee does not deliver its written acceptance within 30 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee (at the Company’s expense), the Company or the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(c) Upon delivery by the successor Trustee of a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company, (i) the retiring Trustee will transfer
79
all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07, (ii) the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee will become effective, and (iii) the successor Trustee will have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. Upon request of any successor Trustee, the Company will execute any and all instruments for fully and vesting in and confirming to the successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts. The successor Trustee will give notice of any resignation and any removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to all Holders, and include in the notice the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.
(d) Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 will continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.
(e) The Trustee agrees to give the notices provided for in, and otherwise comply with, Trust Indenture Act Section 310(b).
Section 7.09 Successor Trustee by Merger. If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation or national banking association, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation or national banking association without any further act will be the successor Trustee with the same effect as if the successor Trustee had been named as the Trustee in this Indenture.
Section 7.10 Eligibility. This Indenture must always have a Trustee that satisfies the requirements of Trust Indenture Act Section 310(a) and has a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.
Section 7.11 Money Held in Trust. The Trustee will not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as it may agree with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law and except for money held in trust under Article 8.
ARTICLE 8
Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance; Satisfaction and Discharge
Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance; Satisfaction and Discharge
Section 8.01 Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance. The Company may, at any time, elect to have either Section 8.02 or Section 8.03 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 of the option applicable to this Section 8.02, the Company shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04, be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes and all obligations of the Guarantors shall be deemed to have been discharged with respect to their obligations under the Note Guarantees, on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding Notes, which
80
shall thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 8.08 and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in (a) and (b) below, and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Notes 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 clauses, which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (a) the rights of Holders of outstanding Notes to receive solely from the trust fund described in Section 8.04 hereof, and as more fully set forth in such Section 8.04, payments in respect of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such Notes when such payments are due, (b) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Notes under Article 2, Section 4.02 and Section 8.08, (c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s and Guarantors’ obligations in connection therewith and (d) 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.
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 each of the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04, be released from their respective obligations under the covenants set forth in Sections 4.04 through 4.16, 4.18 and clauses (B) and (C) of 5.01(a)(2), inclusive with respect to the outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 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 shall continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder. For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.01, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.01 of the option applicable to this Section 8.03, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04, clauses (3) through (7) of Section 6.01 hereof shall cease to operate and not constitute Events of Default.
Section 8.04 Conditions to Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance. The following shall be the conditions to the application of either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof to the outstanding Notes:
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance:
(a) the Company shall irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders of Notes, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as shall be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants (or, if two or more nationally recognized firms of independent public accountants decline to issue such opinion as a matter of policy, in the opinion of the Company’s chief financial officer), to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the outstanding Notes on the Stated Maturity or on the
81
applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and the Company shall specify whether such Notes are being defeased to maturity or to a particular redemption date;
(b) in the case of an election under Section 8.02, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (ii) since the Issue Date, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the outstanding Notes shall not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and shall be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(c) in the case of an election under Section 8.03, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that the Holders of the outstanding Notes shall not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and shall be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(d) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit other than a Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit;
(e) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall 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;
(f) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of Notes over any other creditors of the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company or others;
(g) if the Notes are to be redeemed prior to their Stated Maturity, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee irrevocable instructions to redeem all of the Notes on the specified redemption date; and
(h) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent, including, without limitation, the conditions set forth in this Section 8.04, provided for or relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.
In the case of defeasance, upon any redemption that requires the payment of the Applicable Premium, the amount deposited with the trustee shall be sufficient for purposes of clause (a) above and this Indenture to the extent that an amount is deposited with the trustee equal to the Applicable Premium calculated as of the date of such deposit, with any deficit as of the date of redemption (any such amount, the “Applicable Premium Deficit”) only required to be
82
deposited with the trustee on or prior to the date of redemption. Any Applicable Premium Deficit shall be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the trustee simultaneously with the deposit of such Applicable Premium Deficit that confirms that such Applicable Premium Deficit shall be applied toward such redemption.
Section 8.05 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. This Indenture shall be discharged and shall cease to be of further effect as to all Notes issued hereunder when:
(i) 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 making 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 determined by the Company, 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, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption;
(ii) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or shall occur as a result of such deposit (other than from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit) and such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Company or any Guarantor is a party or by which the Company or any Guarantor is bound;
(iii) the Company or any Guarantor has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture; and
(iv) 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 the case of satisfaction and discharge, upon any redemption that requires the payment of the Applicable Premium, the amount deposited with the trustee shall be sufficient for purposes of clause (i) above and this Indenture to the extent that an amount is deposited with the trustee equal to the Applicable Premium calculated as of the date of such deposit, with any Applicable Premium Deficit only required to be deposited with the trustee on or prior to the date of redemption. Any Applicable Premium Deficit shall be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the trustee simultaneously with the deposit of such Applicable Premium Deficit that confirms that such Applicable Premium Deficit shall be applied toward such redemption.
83
In addition, the Company shall deliver an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied.
Section 8.06 Survival of Certain Obligations. Notwithstanding Sections 8.02, 8.03 and 8.05, any obligations of the Company and the Guarantors in Sections 2.03 through 2.11, 6.07, Article 7, and 8.07 through 8.11 shall survive until the Notes have been paid in full. Thereafter, any obligations of the Company and the Guarantors in Article 7 and Sections 8.07, 8.08 and 8.10 shall survive such satisfaction and discharge. Nothing contained in this Article 8 shall abrogate any of the obligations or duties of the Trustee under this Indenture.
Section 8.07 Acknowledgment of Discharge by Trustee. After the conditions of Section 8.02, 8.03 or 8.05 have been satisfied, the Trustee upon written request shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of all of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture except for those surviving obligations specified in this Article 8.
Section 8.08 Deposited Money and Cash Equivalents to Be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions. Subject to Section 8.09, all money and non-callable Cash Equivalents (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 8.08, the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 8.04 in respect of the outstanding Notes shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the 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, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Cash Equivalents deposited pursuant to Section 8.04(a) or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes.
Anything in this Article 8 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the request of the Company any money or non-callable Cash Equivalents held by it as provided in Section 8.04 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 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 8.09 Repayment to Company. Subject to applicable abandoned property law, 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, if any, and interest on any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, and premium, if any, and interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note shall thereafter, as
84
an unsecured creditor, 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, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (national edition), notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining shall be repaid to the Company.
Section 8.10 Indemnity for Government Securities. The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against deposited Government Securities or the principal and interest, if any, received on such Government Securities.
Section 8.11 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, 8.03 or 8.05, 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 obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.02, 8.03 or 8.05 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.02, 8.03 or 8.05, as the case may be; provided, however, that, if the Company makes any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note following 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 held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE 9
Amendment, Supplement and Waivers
Amendment, Supplement and Waivers
Section 9.01 Amendments Without Consent of Holders. Notwithstanding Section 9.02, without the consent of any Holder of Notes, the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, or the Notes or the Note Guarantees:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
(b) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of Certificated Notes;
(c) to provide for the assumption of the Company’s or any Guarantor’s obligations to Holders of Notes in the case of a merger or consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or of such Guarantor;
(d) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders of Notes or that does not adversely affect the legal rights under this Indenture of any such Holder;
85
(e) to comply with requirements of the Commission in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;
(f) to comply with the requirements of Section 4.10;
(g) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment by a successor Trustee;
(h) to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with this Indenture; or
(i) to conform any provision to the “Description of Notes” in the Offering Memorandum.
Section 9.02 Amendments With Consent of Holders. (a) Except as provided in Section 9.01 or below in this Section 9.02, this Indenture, the Notes or the Note Guarantees may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, Notes), and, subject to Sections 6.02, 6.04 and 6.07 hereof, any existing Default or Event of Default or compliance with any provision of this Indenture or the Notes or the Note Guarantees may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, tender offer or exchange offer for, Notes).
(b) It shall 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 shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.
(c) Without the consent of each Holder of Notes affected, an amendment, supplement or waiver may not (with respect to any Notes held by a non-consenting Holder):
(i) reduce the principal amount of Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
(ii) reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any Note or alter the provisions, or waive any payment, with respect to the redemption of the Notes (other than the notice period with respect to the redemption of Notes);
(iii) reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest on any Note;
(iv) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Notes (except a rescission of acceleration of the Notes by the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
86
(v) make any Note payable in money other than U.S. dollars;
(vi) make any change in the provisions of this Indenture relating to waivers of past Defaults or the rights of Holders of Notes to receive payments of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on the Notes;
(vii) release any Guarantor from any of its obligations under its Note Guarantee or this Indenture except in accordance with the terms of this Indenture;
(viii) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to the Notes or the related Note Guarantees;
(ix) amend, change or modify the obligation of the Company to make and consummate an Asset Sale Offer with respect to any Asset Sale in accordance with Section 4.12 after the obligation to make such an Asset Sale Offer has arisen, or the obligation of the Company to make and consummate a Change of Control Offer in the event of a Change of Control in accordance with Section 4.11 after such Change of Control has occurred, including, in each case, amending, changing or modifying any definition relating thereto;
(x) except as otherwise permitted by Article 5, consent to the assignment or transfer by the Company of any of its rights or obligations under this Indenture; or
(xi) make any change in Section 6.02, 6.04 or 6.07 or in this Section 9.02.
(d) An amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section will become effective on receipt by the Trustee of written consents from the Holders of the requisite percentage in principal amount of the outstanding Notes. After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section becomes effective, the Company shall 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, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amended or supplemental indenture or waiver.
Section 9.03 [Reserved].
Section 9.04 Revocation and Effect of Consents. Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Note is a continuing consent by such 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
87
receipt of a certificate of authentication, authenticate new Notes that reflect the amendment, supplement or waiver.
Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.
Section 9.06 Trustee to Sign Amendments, Etc. The Trustee shall sign any amended or supplemental indenture or Note authorized pursuant to this Article 9 if the amendment or supplement does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. In executing any amended or supplemental indenture, Note or any waiver, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and (subject to Section 7.01 hereof) shall be fully protected in relying upon, in addition to the documents required by Section 11.04, an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, execute any such amendment, supplement or waiver which affects the Trustee’s rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise. In signing any amendment, supplement or waiver, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive an indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it.
ARTICLE 10
Guarantees
Guarantees
Section 10.01 The Guarantees. Subject to the provisions of this Article, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees, jointly and severally, on an unsubordinated basis, the full and punctual payment (whether at Stated Maturity, upon redemption, purchase pursuant to an Offer to Purchase or acceleration, or otherwise) of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, and all other amounts payable under, each Note, and the full and punctual payment of all other amounts payable by the Company under this Indenture. Upon failure by the Company to pay punctually any such amount, each Guarantor shall forthwith on demand pay the amount not so paid at the place and in the manner specified in this Indenture.
Section 10.02 Guarantee Unconditional. The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder are unconditional and absolute and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, will not be released, discharged or otherwise affected by
(1) any extension, renewal, settlement, compromise, waiver or release in respect of any obligation of the Company under this Indenture or any Note, by operation of law or otherwise;
(2) any modification or amendment of or supplement to this Indenture or any Note;
(3) any change in the corporate existence, structure or ownership of the Company, or any insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization or other similar proceeding affecting the Company or its assets or any resulting release or discharge of any obligation of the Company contained in this Indenture or any Note;
88
(4) the existence of any claim, set-off or other rights which the Guarantor may have at any time against the Company, the Trustee or any other Person, whether in connection with this Indenture or any unrelated transactions, provided that nothing herein prevents the assertion of any such claim by separate suit or compulsory counterclaim;
(5) any invalidity or unenforceability relating to or against the Company for any reason of this Indenture or any Note, or any provision of applicable law or regulation purporting to prohibit the payment by the Company of the principal of or interest on any Note or any other amount payable by the Company under this Indenture; or
(6) any other act or omission to act or delay of any kind by the Company, the Trustee or any other Person or any other circumstance whatsoever which might, but for the provisions of this paragraph, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of or defense to such Guarantor’s obligations hereunder.
Section 10.03 Discharge; Reinstatement. Each Guarantor’s obligations hereunder will remain in full force and effect until the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes and all other amounts payable by the Company under this Indenture have been paid in full. If at any time any payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note or any other amount payable by the Company under this Indenture is rescinded or must be otherwise restored or returned upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise, each Guarantor’s obligations hereunder with respect to such payment will be reinstated as though such payment had been due but not made at such time.
Section 10.04 Waiver by the Guarantors. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor irrevocably waives acceptance hereof, presentment, demand, protest and any notice not provided for herein, as well as any requirement that at any time any action be taken by any Person against the Company or any other Person.
Section 10.05 Subrogation and Contribution. Upon making any payment with respect to any obligation of the Company under this Article the Guarantor making such payment will be subrogated to the rights of the payee against the Company with respect to such obligation, provided that the Guarantor may not enforce either any right of subrogation, or any right to receive payment in the nature of contribution, or otherwise, from any other Guarantor, with respect to such payment so long as any amount payable by the Company hereunder or under the Notes remains unpaid.
Section 10.06 Stay of Acceleration. If acceleration of the time for payment of any amount payable by the Company under this Indenture or the Notes is stayed upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company, all such amounts otherwise subject to acceleration under the terms of this Indenture are nonetheless payable by the Guarantors hereunder forthwith on demand by the Trustee or the Holders.
Section 10.07 Limitation on Amount of Guarantee. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article, each Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Note Guarantee of such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent conveyance under applicable fraudulent conveyance provisions of the
89
United States Bankruptcy Code or any comparable provision of state law. To effectuate that intention, the Trustee, the Holders and the Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of each Guarantor (other than Holdings) under its Note Guarantee are limited to the maximum amount that would not render the Guarantor’s obligations subject to avoidance under applicable fraudulent conveyance provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code or any comparable provision of state law.
Section 10.08 Execution and Delivery of Guarantee. The execution by each Guarantor of the Indenture (or a supplemental indenture in the form of Exhibit B) evidences the Note Guarantee of such Guarantor, whether or not the person signing as an officer of the Guarantor still holds that office at the time of authentication of any Note. The delivery of any Note by the Trustee after authentication constitutes due delivery of the Note Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of each Guarantor.
Section 10.09 Release of Guarantee. The Note Guarantee of a Guarantor (other than Holdings) will terminate:
(1) in connection with any sale or other disposition of all of the Capital Stock of a Guarantor to a Person that is not (either before or after giving effect to such transaction) the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, if the sale of all such Capital Stock of that Guarantor does not violate Section 4.12;
(2) if the Company designates such Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture;
(3) upon legal or covenant defeasance of the Notes or satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as provided in Article 8;
(4) upon a sale of Capital Stock which causes such Guarantor to cease to be a Subsidiary if such sale does not violate any of the provisions of this Indenture; provided that such Guarantor is concurrently released from any other Guarantees of Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries at such time; or
(5) when such Guarantor does not guarantee Indebtedness under a Credit Facility or any of the Existing Notes.
Upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the foregoing effect, the Trustee will execute any documents reasonably required in order to evidence the release of the Guarantor from its obligations under its Note Guarantee.
ARTICLE 11
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Section 11.01 [Reserved].
90
Section 11.02 Noteholder Communications; Noteholder Actions. (a) The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to this Indenture or the Notes are as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and the Company and the Trustee shall comply with the requirements of Trust Indenture Act Sections 312(a) and 312(b). Neither the Company nor the Trustee will be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
(b) (1) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent to amendment, supplement or waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by a Holder (an “act”) may be evidenced by an instrument signed by such Holder delivered to the Trustee. The fact and date of the execution of the instrument, or the authority of the person executing it, may be proved in any manner that the Trustee deems sufficient.
(2) The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders which will be binding on all the Holders.
(c) Any act by the Holder of any Note binds that Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Note that evidences the same debt as the Note of the acting Holder, even if no notation thereof appears on the Note. Subject to paragraph (d), a Holder may revoke an act as to its Notes, but only if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver or other consequence of the act becomes effective.
(d) The Company may, but is not obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to act with respect to any amendment or waiver or in any other regard, except that during the continuance of an Event of Default, only the Trustee may set a record date as to notices of default, any declaration or acceleration or any other remedies or other consequences of the Event of Default. If a record date is fixed, those Persons that were Holders of Notes at such record date and only those Persons will be entitled to act, or to revoke any previous act, whether or not those Persons continue to be Holders after the record date. No act will be valid or effective if taken more than 90 days after the record date.
Section 11.03 Notices. (a) Any notice or communication to the Company will be deemed given if in writing (i) when delivered in person or (ii) five days after mailing when mailed by first class mail, or (iii) when sent by facsimile transmission, with transmission confirmed. Notices or communications to a Guarantor will be deemed given if given to the Company. Any notice to the Trustee will be effective only upon receipt. In each case the notice or communication should be addressed as follows:
if to the Company:
Spectrum Brands, Inc.
3001 Deming Way
Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
Attention: General Counsel
(608) 275-3340
3001 Deming Way
Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
Attention: General Counsel
(608) 275-3340
if to the Trustee:
91
US Bank National Association
333 Commerce Street, Suite 800
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
(615) 251-0737
333 Commerce Street, Suite 800
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
(615) 251-0737
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
(b) Except as otherwise expressly provided with respect to published notices, any notice or communication to a Holder will be deemed given when mailed to the Holder at its address as it appears on the Register by first class mail or, as to any Global Note registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, as agreed by the Company, the Trustee and DTC. Copies of any notice or communication to a Holder, if given by the Company, will be mailed to the Trustee at the same time. Defect in mailing a notice or communication to any particular Holder will not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.
(c) Where this Indenture provides for notice, the notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and the waiver will be the equivalent of the notice. Waivers of notice by Holders must be filed with the Trustee, but such filing is not a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waivers.
Section 11.04 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 will furnish to the Trustee:
(1) an Officer’s Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(2) an Opinion of Counsel stating that all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
Section 11.05 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture must include:
(1) a statement that each person signing the certificate or opinion has read the covenant or condition and the related definitions;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statement or opinion contained in the certificate or opinion is based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such person, that person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable the person to
92
express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of each such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with, provided that an Opinion of Counsel may rely on an Officer’s Certificate or certificates of public officials with respect to matters of fact.
Section 11.06 Payment Date Other Than a Business Day. If any payment with respect to a payment of any principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note (including any payment to be made on any date fixed for redemption or purchase of any Note) is due on a day which is not a Business Day, then the payment need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such date, and no interest will accrue for the intervening period.
Section 11.07 Governing Law. This Indenture, including any Note Guarantees, and the Notes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
Section 11.08 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture or loan or debt agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company and no such indenture or loan or debt agreement may be used to interpret this Indenture.
Section 11.09 Successors. All agreements of the Company or any Guarantor in the Indenture and the Notes will bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in the Indenture will bind its successor.
Section 11.10 Duplicate Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of the Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.
Section 11.11 Separability. In case any provision in the Indenture or in the Notes 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 11.12 Table of Contents and Headings. The Table of Contents, Cross- Reference Table and headings of the Articles and Sections of the Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part of the Indenture and in no way modify or restrict any of the terms and provisions of the Indenture.
Section 11.13 No Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders. No director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder or controlling person of the Company or any Guarantor, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the Company or the Guarantors under the Notes, this Indenture, the Note Guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by 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.
93
Section 11.14 Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors thereunder, any Paying Agent and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
Section 11.15 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 function.
94
SIGNATURES
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused the Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.
SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC. as Issuer | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | |||
US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION as Trustee | ||||
| By: | /s/ Wally Jones | ||
Name: | Wally Jones | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
SB/RH HOLDINGS, LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary | |||
APPLICA MEXICO HOLDINGS, INC. | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | |||
ALASKA MERGER ACQUISITION CORP. | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
GLOFISH LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President and Secretary | |||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
NATIONAL MANUFACTURING MEXICO A LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | |||
NATIONAL MANUFACTURING MEXICO B LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | |||
NATIONAL OPENINGS, LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
ROV HOLDING, INC. | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Executive Vice President & Corporate Secretary | |||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
ROV INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Executive Vice President & Secretary | |||
SALIX ANIMAL HEALTH, LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Senior Vice President, Secretary & General Counsel | |||
SCHULTZ COMPANY | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
SHASER, INC. | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Secretary | |||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
SPECTRUM BRANDS PET LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
SPECTRUM BRANDS PET GROUP INC. | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President and Secretary | |||
UNITED INDUSTRIES CORPORATION | ||||
| By: | /s/ Ehsan Zargar | ||
Name: | Ehsan Zargar | |||
Title: | Vice President and Assistant Secretary | |||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
EXHIBIT A
[FACE OF NOTE]
SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
5.00% Senior Note Due 2029
| [CUSIP] [ISIN]1 ________ |
No.________ | [Initially]2 $ ________ |
Spectrum Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”, which term includes any successor under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, promises to pay to ___________________, or its registered assigns, the principal sum of _________ DOLLARS ($ ________________) [or such other amount as indicated on the Schedule of Exchange of Notes attached hereto]3 on October 1, 2029.
Interest Rate: 5.00% per annum.
Interest Payment Dates: October 1 and April 1, commencing [April 1, 2020].4
Regular Record Dates: March 15 and September 15.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, which will for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
1 | 144A Cusip: 84762L AV7 144A ISIN: US84762LAV71 Reg S Cusip: U84569 AK5 Reg S ISIN: USU84569AK55 |
2 | For Global Notes. |
3 | For Global Notes. |
4 | For Initial Notes only. |
A-1
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be signed manually or by facsimile by its duly authorized officers.
Date: | SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC. | ||
By: | |||
Name: | |||
Title: |
A-2
(Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication)
This is one of the 5.00% Senior Notes due 2029 described in the Indenture referred to in this Note.
US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION as Trustee | |||
By: | |||
Authorized Signatory | |||
A-3
[REVERSE SIDE OF NOTE]
SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
5.00% Senior Note Due 2029
1. Principal and Interest.
The Company promises to pay the principal of this Note on October 1, 2029.
The Company promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note on each interest payment date, as set forth on the face of this Note, at the rate of 5.00% per annum.
Interest will be payable semiannually (to the holders of record of the Notes at the close of business on the March 15 or September 15 immediately preceding the Interest Payment Date) on each Interest Payment Date, commencing [April 1, 2020].1
Interest on this Note will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid on this Note (or, if there is no existing default in the payment of interest and if this Note is authenticated between a Regular Record Date and the next Interest Payment Date, from such Interest Payment Date) or, if no interest has been paid, from [the Issue Date].2 Interest will be computed in the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
If any Interest Payment Date, the maturity date for this Note or earlier date of redemption or repurchase for this Note falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the required payment will be made on the next Business Day as if it were made on the date the payment was due and no interest will accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, maturity date or date of redemption or repurchase, as the case may be.
The Company will pay interest on overdue principal, premium, if any, and, to the extent lawful, interest at a rate per annum that is 1.0% in excess of 5.00%. Interest not paid when due and any interest on principal, premium or interest not paid when due will be paid to the Persons that are Holders on a special record date, which will be the 15th day preceding the date fixed by the Company for the payment of such interest, whether or not such day is a Business Day. At least 15 days before a special record date, the Company will send to each Holder and to the Trustee a notice that sets forth the special record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid.
2. Indentures; Note Guarantee.
This is one of the Notes issued under an Indenture dated as of September 24, 2019 (as amended from time to time, the “Indenture”), among the Company, the Guarantors party thereto and US Bank National Association, as Trustee. Capitalized terms used herein are used as defined in the Indenture unless otherwise indicated. The terms of the Notes include those stated
1 | Include only for Initial Notes. |
2 | For Additional Notes, should be the date of their original issue. |
A-4
in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture and the Trust Indenture Act for a statement of all such terms. To the extent permitted by applicable law, in the event of any inconsistency between the terms of this Note and the terms of the Indenture, the terms of the Indenture will control.
The Indenture limits the original aggregate principal amount of the Notes to $300,000,000, but Additional Notes may be issued pursuant to the Indenture. The originally issued Notes and all such Additional Notes vote together for all purposes as a single class. This Note is guaranteed, as set forth in the Indenture.
3. Redemption and Repurchase; Discharge Prior to Redemption or Maturity.
This Note is subject to optional redemption, and may be the subject of an Offer to Purchase, as further described in the Indenture. There is no sinking fund or mandatory redemption applicable to this Note.
If the Company deposits with the Trustee money or Government Securities sufficient to pay the then outstanding principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes to redemption or maturity, the Company may in certain circumstances be discharged from the Indenture and the Notes or may be discharged from certain of its obligations under certain provisions of the Indenture.
4. Registered Form; Denominations; Transfer; Exchange.
The Notes are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $2,000 principal amount and any multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof; provided that Notes may be issued in denominations of less than $2,000 solely to accommodate book-entry positions that have been created by a DTC participant in denominations of less than $2,000. A Holder may register the transfer or exchange of Notes in accordance with the Indenture. The Trustee may require a Holder to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. Pursuant to the Indenture, there are certain periods during which the Trustee will not be required to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Note or certain portions of a Note.
5. Defaults and Remedies.
If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, 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. If a bankruptcy or insolvency default with respect to the Company occurs and is continuing, the Notes automatically become due and payable. Holders may not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture. The Trustee may require indemnity satisfactory to it before it enforces the Indenture or the Notes. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding may direct the Trustee in its exercise of remedies.
6. Amendment and Waiver.
A-5
Subject to certain exceptions, the Indenture and the Notes may be amended, or default may be waived, with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes. Without notice to or the consent of any Holder, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture or the Notes to, among other things, cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency if such amendment or supplement does not adversely affect the interests of the Holders in any material respect.
7. Authentication.
This Note is not valid until the Trustee (or Authenticating Agent) signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this Note.
8. Governing Law.
This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
9. 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).
The Company will furnish a copy of the Indenture to any Holder upon written request and without charge.
A-6
[FORM OF TRANSFER NOTICE]
FOR VALUE RECEIVED the undersigned registered holder hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto
Insert Taxpayer Identification No.
Please print or typewrite name and address including zip code of assignee |
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing |
attorney to transfer said Note on the books of the Company with full power of substitution in the premises. |
A-7
[THE FOLLOWING PROVISION TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL CERTIFICATES BEARING A RESTRICTED LEGEND]
In connection with any transfer of this Note occurring prior to ____________________, the undersigned confirms that such transfer is made without utilizing any general solicitation or general advertising and further as follows:
Check One
☐ (1) This Note is being transferred to a “qualified institutional buyer” in compliance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and certification in the form of Exhibit F to the Indenture is being furnished herewith. |
☐ (2) This Note is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in compliance with the exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, provided by Regulation S thereunder, and certification in the form of Exhibit E to the Indenture is being furnished herewith. |
or |
☐ (3) This Note is being transferred other than in accordance with (1) or (2) above and documents are being furnished which comply with the conditions of transfer set forth in this Note and the Indenture. |
If none of the foregoing boxes is checked, the Trustee is not obligated to register this Note in the name of any Person other than the Holder hereof unless and until the conditions to any such transfer of registration set forth herein and in the Indenture have been satisfied.
Date: _________________
Seller |
By: |
NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within-mentioned instrument in every particular, without alteration or any change whatsoever.
A-8
Signature Guarantee:1 | ||
By: | ||
To be executed by an executive officer |
1 Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Trustee, which requirements include membership or participation in the Securities Transfer Association Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Trustee in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
A-9
OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
If you wish to have all of this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.11 or Section 4.12 of the Indenture, check the box: ☐
If you wish to have a portion of this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.11 or Section 4.12 of the Indenture, state the amount (in original principal amount) below:
$ ________________
Date: ____________
Your Signature:_____________________________________
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Note)
Signature Guarantee:1 ________________________________
1 Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Trustee, which requirements include membership or participation in the Securities Transfer Association Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Trustee in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
A-10
SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF NOTES1
The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for Certificated Notes or a part of another 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 | ||||
1 | For Global Notes |
A-11
EXHIBIT B
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
dated as of ___________, _____
among
SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.,
The Guarantor(s) Party Hereto
and
US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee
as Trustee
_____________
5.00% Senior Notes Due 2029
THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), entered into as of _____________, ____ among Spectrum Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) [insert each Guarantor executing this Supplemental Indenture and its jurisdiction of incorporation] (each an “Undersigned”) and US Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company, the Guarantors party thereto and the Trustee entered into the Indenture, dated as of September 24, 2019 (the “Indenture”), relating to the Company’s 5.00% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”);
WHEREAS, as a condition to the Trustee entering into the Indenture and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders, the Company agreed pursuant to the Indenture to cause any existing or newly acquired or created Domestic Subsidiaries to provide Guarantees.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained and intending to be legally bound, the parties to this Supplemental Indenture hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein are used as defined in the Indenture.
Section 2. Each Undersigned, by its execution of this Supplemental Indenture, agrees to be a Guarantor under the Indenture and to be bound by the terms of the Indenture applicable to Guarantors, including, but not limited to, Article 10 thereof.
Section 3. This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Section 4. This Supplemental Indenture may be signed in various counterparts which together will constitute one and the same instrument.
Section 5. This Supplemental Indenture is an amendment supplemental to the Indenture and the Indenture and this Supplemental Indenture will henceforth be read together.
B-1
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC., as Issuer | ||||
| By: | |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | | |||
[guarantor] | ||||
| By: | |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | | |||
US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||||
| By: | |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | | |||
B-2
EXHIBIT C
RESTRICTED LEGEND
THIS NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE ACQUIRER
(1) REPRESENTS THAT
(A) IT AND ANY ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT IS ACTING IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AND THAT IT EXERCISES SOLE INVESTMENT DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO EACH SUCH ACCOUNT,
(B) IT IS AN INSTITUTIONAL “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 501(a) (1), (2), (3) OR (7) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) (AN “INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR”) OR
(C) IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON (WITHIN THE MEANING OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AND
(2) AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS NOTE OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES AND ONLY
(A) TO THE COMPANY, HOLDINGS OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES,
(B) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WHICH HAS BECOME EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT,
(C) TO A PERSON REASONABLY BELIEVED TO BE A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT,
(D) IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT,
(E) IN A PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF NOT LESS THAN $250,000 TO AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR THAT, PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER, DELIVERS TO THE TRUSTEE A DULY COMPLETED AND SIGNED CERTIFICATE (THE FORM OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE
C-1
TRUSTEE) RELATING TO THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE, OR
(F) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.
(3) REPRESENTS THAT
(A) EITHER: (X) THE ACQUIRER IS NOT A PLAN (WHICH TERM IS DEFINED AS (I) “EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS” (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3(3) OF ERISA) THAT ARE SUBJECT TO TITLE I OF ERISA, (II) PLANS, INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE, OR TO PROVISIONS UNDER SIMILAR LAWS AND (III) ENTITIES THE UNDERLYING ASSETS OF WHICH ARE CONSIDERED TO INCLUDE “PLAN ASSETS” OF SUCH PLANS, ACCOUNTS AND ARRANGEMENTS) AND IT IS NOT PURCHASING THIS NOTE ON BEHALF OF, OR WITH THE “PLAN ASSETS” OF, ANY PLAN; OR (Y) THE PURCHASE, HOLDING AND SUBSEQUENT DISPOSITION OF THIS NOTE EITHER (I) ARE NOT A PROHIBITED TRANSACTION UNDER ERISA OR THE CODE AND ARE OTHERWISE PERMISSIBLE UNDER ALL APPLICABLE SIMILAR LAWS OR (II) ARE ENTITLED TO EXEMPTIVE RELIEF FROM THE PROHIBITED TRANSACTION PROVISIONS OF ERISA AND THE CODE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ONE OR MORE AVAILABLE STATUTORY, CLASS OR INDIVIDUAL PROHIBITED TRANSACTION EXEMPTIONS AND ARE OTHERWISE PERMISSIBLE UNDER ALL APPLICABLE SIMILAR LAWS.
PRIOR TO THE REGISTRATION OF ANY TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH (2)(C) ABOVE OR (2)(D) ABOVE, A DULY COMPLETED AND SIGNED CERTIFICATE (THE FORM OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE TRUSTEE) MUST BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE. PRIOR TO THE REGISTRATION OF ANY TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH (2)(E) OR (F) ABOVE, THE COMPANY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF SUCH LEGAL OPINIONS, CERTIFICATIONS OR OTHER EVIDENCE AS MAY REASONABLY BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY RULE 144 EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.
C-2
EXHIBIT D
DTC LEGEND
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“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 IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS 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 A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN.
TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL NOTE ARE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF CEDE & CO. OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL NOTE ARE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRANSFER PROVISIONS OF THE INDENTURE.
D-1
EXHIBIT E
Regulation S Certificate
_____________, ______
US Bank National Association
333 Commerce Street, Suite 800
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
333 Commerce Street, Suite 800
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
Re: | Spectrum Brands, Inc. 5.00% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) Issued under the Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of September 24, 2019 relating to the Notes |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Terms are used in this Certificate as used in Regulation S (“Regulation S”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), except as otherwise stated herein.
[CHECK A OR B AS APPLICABLE.]
☐ A. | This Certificate relates to our proposed transfer of $____________ principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture. We hereby certify as follows: | ||
1. | The offer and sale of the Notes was not and will not be made to a person in the United States (unless such person is excluded from the definition of “U.S. person” pursuant to Rule 902(k)(2)(vi) or the account held by it for which it is acting is excluded from the definition of “U.S. person” pursuant to Rule 902(k)(2)(i) under the circumstances described in Rule 902(h)(3)).and such offer and sale was not and will not be specifically targeted at an identifiable group of U.S. citizens abroad. | ||
2. | Unless the circumstances described in the parenthetical in paragraph 1 above are applicable, either (a) at the time the buy order was originated, the buyer was outside the United States or we and any person acting on our behalf reasonably believed that the buyer was outside the United States or (b) the transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated offshore securities market, and neither we nor any person acting on our behalf knows that the transaction was pre-arranged with a buyer in the United States. | ||
3. | Neither we, any of our affiliates, nor any person acting on our or their behalf has made any directed selling efforts in the United |
E-1
States with respect to the Notes. | |||
4. | The proposed transfer of Notes is not part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration requirements of the Securities Act. | ||
5. | If we are a dealer or a person receiving a selling concession, fee or other remuneration in respect of the Notes, and the proposed transfer takes place during the Restricted Period (as defined in the Indenture), or we are an officer or director of the Company or an Initial Purchaser (as defined in the Indenture), we certify that the proposed transfer is being made in accordance with the provisions of Rule 904(b) of Regulation S. | ||
☐ B. | This Certificate relates to our proposed exchange of $__________ principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture for an equal principal amount of Notes to be held by us. We hereby certify as follows: | ||
1. | At the time the offer and sale of the Notes was made to us, either (i) we were not in the United States or (ii) we were excluded from the definition of “U.S. person” pursuant to Rule 902(k)(2)(vi) or the account held by us for which we were acting was excluded from the definition of “U.S. person” pursuant to Rule 902(k)(2)(i) under the circumstances described in Rule 902(h)(3); and we were not a member of an identifiable group of U.S. citizens abroad. | ||
2. | Unless the circumstances described in paragraph 1(ii) above are applicable, either (a) at the time our buy order was originated, we were outside the United States or (b) the transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated offshore securities market and we did not pre-arrange the transaction in the United States. | ||
3. | The proposed exchange of Notes is not part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration requirements of the Securities Act. |
E-2
You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this Certificate and are irrevocably authorized to produce this Certificate or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.
Very truly yours, | ||||
[NAME OF SELLER (FOR TRANSFERS) OR OWNER (FOR EXCHANGES)] | ||||
| By: | |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Address: | ||||
Date: _______________
E-3
EXHIBIT F
Rule 144A Certificate
US Bank National Association
333 Commerce Street, Suite 800
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
333 Commerce Street, Suite 800
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
Re: | Spectrum Brands, Inc. 5.00% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) Issued under the Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of September 24, 2019 relating to the Notes |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
TO BE COMPLETED BY PURCHASER IF (1) ON THE NOTE IS CHECKED.
This Certificate relates to:
[CHECK A OR B AS APPLICABLE.]
☐ A. | Our proposed purchase of $__________ principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture. |
☐ B. | Our proposed exchange of $__________ principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture for an equal principal amount of Notes to be held by us. |
We and, if applicable, each account for which we are acting in the aggregate owned and invested more than $100,000,000 in securities of issuers that are not affiliated with us (or such accounts, if applicable), as of ___________ , 20__, which is a date on or since close of our most recent fiscal year. We and, if applicable, each account for which we are acting, are a qualified institutional buyer within the meaning of Rule 144A (“Rule 144A”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). If we are acting on behalf of an account, we exercise sole investment discretion with respect to such account. We are aware that the transfer of Notes to us, or such exchange, as applicable, is being made in reliance upon the exemption from the provisions of Section 5 of the Securities Act provided by Rule 144A. Prior to the date of this Certificate we have received such information regarding the Company as we have requested pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) or have determined not to request such information.
F-1
You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this Certificate and are irrevocably authorized to produce this Certificate or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.
Very truly yours, | ||||
[NAME OF PURCHASER (FOR TRANSFERS) OR OWNER (FOR EXCHANGES)] | ||||
| By: | |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Address: | ||||
Date: _______________
F-2
EXHIBIT G
Institutional Accredited Investor Certificate
US Bank National Association
333 Commerce Street, Suite 800
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
333 Commerce Street, Suite 800
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
Re: | Spectrum Brands, Inc. 5.00% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) Issued under the Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of September 24, 2019 relating to the Notes |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This Certificate relates to:
[CHECK A OR B AS APPLICABLE.]
☐ A. | Our proposed purchase of $__________ principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture. | |
☐ B. | Our proposed exchange of $__________ principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture for an equal principal amount of Notes to be held by us. | |
We hereby confirm that: | ||
1. | We are an institutional “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(l), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) (an “Institutional Accredited Investor”). | |
2. . | Any acquisition of Notes by us will be for our own account or for the account of one or more other Institutional Accredited Investors as to which we exercise sole investment discretion | |
3. | We have such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that we are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Notes and we and any accounts for which we are acting are able to bear the economic risks of and an entire loss of our or their investment in the Notes. | |
4. | We are not acquiring the Notes with a view to any distribution thereof in a transaction that would violate the Securities Act or the securities laws of any State of the United States or any other applicable jurisdiction; provided that the disposition of our property and the property of any |
G-1
| accounts for which we are acting as fiduciary will remain at all times within our and their control. | |
5. | We acknowledge that the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and that the Notes may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the benefit of U.S. persons except as set forth below. | |
6. | The principal amount of Notes to which this Certificate relates is at least equal to $250,000. |
We agree for the benefit of the Company, on our own behalf and on behalf of each account for which we are acting, that such Notes may be offered, sold, pledged or otherwise transferred only in accordance with the Securities Act and any applicable securities laws of any State of the United States and only (a) to the Company, Holdings or any of their respective subsidiaries, (b) pursuant to a registration statement which has become effective under the Securities Act, (c) to a qualified institutional buyer in compliance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act, (d) in an offshore transaction in compliance with Rule 904 of Regulation S under the Securities Act, (e) in a principal amount of not less than $250,000, to an Institutional Accredited Investor that, prior to such transfer, delivers to the Trustee a duly completed and signed certificate (the form of which may be obtained from the Trustee) relating to the restrictions on transfer of the Notes or (f) pursuant to an exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
Prior to the registration of any transfer in accordance with (c) or (d) above, we acknowledge that a duly completed and signed certificate (the form of which may be obtained from the Trustee) must be delivered to the Trustee. Prior to the registration of any transfer in accordance with (e) or (f) above, we acknowledge that the Company reserves the right to require the delivery of such legal opinions, certifications or other evidence as may reasonably be required in order to determine that the proposed transfer is being made in compliance with the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. We acknowledge that no representation is made as to the availability of any Rule 144 exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
We understand that the Trustee will not be required to accept for registration of transfer any Notes acquired by us, except upon presentation of evidence satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee that the foregoing restrictions on transfer have been complied with. We further understand that the Notes acquired by us will be in the form of definitive physical certificates and that such certificates will bear a legend reflecting the substance of the preceding paragraph. We further agree to provide to any person acquiring any of the Notes from us a notice advising such person that resales of the Notes are restricted as stated herein and that certificates representing the Notes will bear a legend to that effect.
G-2
We agree to notify you promptly in writing if any of our acknowledgments, representations or agreements herein ceases to be accurate and complete.
We represent to you that we have full power to make the foregoing acknowledgments, representations and agreements on our own behalf and on behalf of any account for which we are acting.
You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this Certificate and are irrevocably authorized to produce this Certificate or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.
Very truly yours, | ||||
[NAME OF PURCHASER (FOR TRANSFERS) OR OWNER (FOR EXCHANGES)] | ||||
| By: | |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Address: | ||||
Date: _______________
G-3
Upon transfer, the Notes would be registered in the name of the new beneficial owner as follows:
By: | ||
Date: | ||
Taxpayer ID number: |
G-4
EXHIBIT H
[COMPLETE FORM I OR FORM II AS APPLICABLE.]
[FORM I]
Certificate of Beneficial Ownership
To: | US Bank National Association 333 Commerce Street, Suite 800 Nashville, Tennessee 37201 Attention: Corporate Trust Services OR |
[Name of DTC Participant]
Re: | Spectrum Brands, Inc. 5.00% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) Issued under the Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of September 24, 2019 relating to the Notes |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are the beneficial owner of $________ principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture and represented by a Temporary Offshore Global Note (as defined in the Indenture).
We hereby certify as follows:
[CHECK A OR B AS APPLICABLE.]
☐ A. | We are a non-U.S. person (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended). |
☐ B. | We are a U.S. person (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) that purchased the Notes in a transaction that did not require registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this Certificate and are irrevocably authorized to produce this Certificate or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.
H-1-1
Very truly yours, | ||||
[NAME OF BENEFICIAL OWNER] | ||||
| By: | |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Address: | ||||
Date: _______________
H-1-2
[FORM II]
Certificate of Beneficial Ownership
To: | US Bank National Association 333 Commerce Street, Suite 800 Nashville, Tennessee 37201 Attention: Corporate Trust Services |
Re: | Spectrum Brands, Inc. 5.00% Senior Notes, due 2029 (the “Notes”) Issued under the Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of September 24, 2019 relating to the Notes |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This is to certify that based solely on certifications we have received in writing, by tested telex or by electronic transmission from Institutions appearing in our records as persons being entitled to a portion of the principal amount of Notes represented by a Temporary Offshore Global Note issued under the above-referenced Indenture, that as of the date hereof, $__________ principal amount of Notes represented by the Temporary Offshore Global Note being submitted herewith for exchange is beneficially owned by persons that are either (i) non-U.S. persons (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) or (ii) U.S. persons that purchased the Notes in a transaction that did not require registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
We further certify that (i) we are not submitting herewith for exchange any portion of such Temporary Offshore Global Note excepted in such certifications and (ii) as of the date hereof we have not received any notification from any Institution to the effect that the statements made by such Institution with respect to any portion of such Temporary Offshore Global Note submitted herewith for exchange are no longer true and cannot be relied upon as of the date hereof.
H-2-1
You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this Certificate and are irrevocably authorized to produce this Certificate or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.
Very truly yours, | ||||
[NAME OF DTC PARTICIPANT] | ||||
| By: | |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Address: | ||||
Date: _______________
H-2-2
EXHIBIT I
THIS NOTE IS A TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE. PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE RESTRICTED PERIOD APPLICABLE HERETO, BENEFICIAL INTERESTS HEREIN MAY NOT BE HELD BY ANY PERSON OTHER THAN (1) A NON-U.S. PERSON OR (2) A U.S. PERSON THAT PURCHASED SUCH INTEREST IN A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”). BENEFICIAL INTERESTS HEREIN ARE NOT EXCHANGEABLE FOR PHYSICAL NOTES OTHER THAN A PERMANENT GLOBAL NOTE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE INDENTURE. TERMS IN THIS LEGEND ARE USED AS USED IN REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.
NO BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF THIS TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL OR INTEREST HEREON UNTIL SUCH BENEFICIAL INTEREST IS EXCHANGED OR TRANSFERRED FOR AN INTEREST IN ANOTHER NOTE
H-2-3