WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION, as Issuer AND WHITING OIL AND GAS CORPORATION WHITING US HOLDING COMPANY WHITINGCANADIAN HOLDING COMPANY ULC WHITING RESOURCES CORPORATION, as Guarantors AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee INDENTURE Dated as of March 27, 2015 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS

EX-4.2 2 d899874dex42.htm EX-4.2 EX-4.2

Exhibit 4.2

Execution Version

 

 

 

WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION,

as Issuer

AND

WHITING OIL AND GAS CORPORATION

WHITING US HOLDING COMPANY

WHITING CANADIAN HOLDING COMPANY ULC

WHITING RESOURCES CORPORATION,

as Guarantors

AND

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,

as Trustee

INDENTURE

Dated as of March 27, 2015

1.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

         PAGE  
ARTICLE 1   
DEFINITIONS   

Section 1.01

 

Definitions

     1   

Section 1.02

 

References to Interest

     14   
ARTICLE 2   
ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF NOTES   

Section 2.01

 

Designation and Amount

     14   

Section 2.02

 

Form of Notes

     14   

Section 2.03

 

Date and Denomination of Notes; Payments of Interest and Defaulted Amounts

     15   

Section 2.04

 

Execution, Authentication and Delivery of Notes

     17   

Section 2.05

 

Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Notes; Restrictions on Transfer; Depositary

     17   

Section 2.06

 

Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Notes

     23   

Section 2.07

 

Temporary Notes

     24   

Section 2.08

 

Cancellation of Notes Paid, Converted, Etc.

     25   

Section 2.09

 

CUSIP Numbers

     25   

Section 2.10

 

Additional Notes; Purchases

     25   

Section 2.11

 

Ranking

     25   
ARTICLE 3   
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE   

Section 3.01

 

Satisfaction and Discharge

     26   
ARTICLE 4   
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY   

Section 4.01

 

Payment of Principal and Interest

     27   

Section 4.02

 

Maintenance of Office or Agency

     27   

Section 4.03

 

Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee’s Office

     28   

Section 4.04

 

Provisions as to Paying Agent

     28   

Section 4.05

 

Additional Guarantors

     29   

Section 4.06

 

Rule 144A Information Requirement; Reporting; and Additional Interest

     29   

Section 4.07

 

Stay, Extension and Usury Laws

     30   

Section 4.08

 

Compliance Certificate; Statements as to Defaults

     31   

Section 4.09

 

Further Instruments and Acts

     31   

 

i


ARTICLE 5   
[RESERVED]   
ARTICLE 6   
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES   

Section 6.01

Events of Default

  31   

Section 6.02

Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment

  33   

Section 6.03

Additional Interest

  34   

Section 6.04

Payments of Notes on Default; Suit Therefor

  35   

Section 6.05

Application of Monies Collected by Trustee

  37   

Section 6.06

Proceedings by Holders

  37   

Section 6.07

Proceedings by Trustee

  38   

Section 6.08

Remedies Cumulative and Continuing

  38   

Section 6.09

Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority of Holders

  38   

Section 6.10

Notice of Defaults

  39   

Section 6.11

Undertaking to Pay Costs

  39   
ARTICLE 7   
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE   

Section 7.01

Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee

  40   

Section 7.02

Certain Rights of the Trustee

  41   

Section 7.03

No Responsibility for Recitals, Etc.

  43   

Section 7.04

Trustee, Paying Agents, Conversion Agents, Bid Solicitation Agent or Note Registrar May Own Notes

  43   

Section 7.05

Monies and Shares of Common Stock to Be Held in Trust

  43   

Section 7.06

Compensation and Expenses of Trustee

  43   

Section 7.07

Officers’ Certificate as Evidence

  44   

Section 7.08

Eligibility of Trustee

  44   

Section 7.09

Resignation or Removal of Trustee

  44   

Section 7.10

Acceptance by Successor Trustee

  46   

Section 7.11

Succession by Merger, Etc.

  46   

Section 7.12

Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company

  47   

Section 7.13

Conflicting Interests of Trustee

  47   
ARTICLE 8   
CONCERNING THE HOLDERS   

Section 8.01

Action by Holders

  47   

Section 8.02

Proof of Execution by Holders

  47   

Section 8.03

Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners

  48   

Section 8.04

Company-Owned Notes Disregarded

  48   

Section 8.05

Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound

  48   

 

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ARTICLE 9   
ACTS OF HOLDERS   

Section 9.01

Acts of Holders

  49   
ARTICLE 10   
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES   

Section 10.01

Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders

  50   

Section 10.02

Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders

  51   

Section 10.03

Effect of Amendment, Supplement and Waiver

  53   

Section 10.04

Notation on Notes

  53   

Section 10.05

Evidence of Compliance of Amendment, Supplement or Waiver to Be Furnished Trustee

  53   
ARTICLE 11   
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE   

Section 11.01

Company May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms

  53   

Section 11.02

Guarantor May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms

  55   

Section 11.03

Opinion of Counsel to Be Given to Trustee

  56   
ARTICLE 12   
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS   

Section 12.01

Indenture, Notes and Guarantees Solely Corporate Obligations

  56   
ARTICLE 13   
GUARANTEES   

Section 13.01

Guarantees

  56   

Section 13.02

Execution and Delivery

  58   

Section 13.03

Releases of Guarantees

  58   

Section 13.04

Limitation on Guarantor Liability

  59   

Section 13.05

Subrogation

  60   

Section 13.06

Benefits Acknowledged

  60   

Section 13.07

Ranking

  60   

Section 13.08

“Trustee” to Include Paying Agent

  60   
ARTICLE 14   
CONVERSION OF NOTES   

Section 14.01

Conversion Privilege

  61   

Section 14.02

Conversion Procedure; Settlement Upon Conversion

  64   

Section 14.03

Increase in Conversion Rate Upon Conversion in Connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change

  69   

Section 14.04

Adjustment of Conversion Rate

  71   

Section 14.05

Adjustments of Prices

  81   

 

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Section 14.06

Shares to Be Fully Reserved

  82   

Section 14.07

Effect of Recapitalizations, Reclassifications and Changes of the Common Stock

  82   

Section 14.08

Certain Covenants

  84   

Section 14.09

Responsibility of Trustee

  84   

Section 14.10

Notice to Holders Prior to Certain Actions

  85   

Section 14.11

Stockholder Rights Plans

  86   
ARTICLE 15   
PURCHASE OF NOTES AT OPTION OF HOLDERS   

Section 15.01

Intentionally Omitted

  86   

Section 15.02

Repurchase at Option of Holders Upon a Fundamental Change

  86   

Section 15.03

Withdrawal of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice

  89   

Section 15.04

Deposit of Fundamental Change Repurchase Price

  90   

Section 15.05

Covenant to Comply with Applicable Laws Upon Repurchase of Notes

  90   
ARTICLE 16   
NO OPTIONAL REDEMPTION   

Section 16.01

No Optional Redemption

  91   
ARTICLE 17   
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS   

Section 17.01

Provisions Binding on Company’s Successors

  91   

Section 17.02

Official Acts by Successor Entity

  91   

Section 17.03

Addresses for Notices, Etc.

  91   

Section 17.04

Governing Law

  92   

Section 17.05

Intentionally Omitted

  92   

Section 17.06

Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent; Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to Trustee

  92   

Section 17.07

Legal Holidays

  93   

Section 17.08

No Security Interest Created

  93   

Section 17.09

Benefits of Indenture

  93   

Section 17.10

Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.

  93   

Section 17.11

Authenticating Agent

  93   

Section 17.12

Execution in Counterparts

  94   

Section 17.13

Severability

  94   

Section 17.14

Waiver of Jury Trial; Submission of Jurisdiction

  95   

Section 17.15

Force Majeure

  95   

Section 17.16

Calculations

  95   

Section 17.17

U.S.A. Patriot Act

  95   

Section 17.18

Tax Withholding

  96   
EXHIBIT   

Exhibit A

Form of Note

  A-1   

Exhibit B

Form of Supplemental Indenture

  B-1   

 

iv


INDENTURE dated as of March 27, 2015 among Whiting Petroleum Corporation, a Delaware corporation, as issuer (the “Company”, as more fully set forth in Section 1.01), the Guarantors listed on the signature page hereof, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”, as more fully set forth in Section 1.01).

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the issuance of its 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (the “Notes”), initially in an aggregate principal amount of $1,250,000,000, and the Guarantors have duly authorized its issuance of the Guarantees, and in order to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Notes are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company and the Guarantors have duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture; and

WHEREAS, the Form of Note, the certificate of authentication to be borne by each Note, the Form of Notice of Conversion, the Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice and the Form of Assignment and Transfer to be borne by the Notes are to be substantially in the forms hereinafter provided; and

WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or a duly authorized authenticating agent, as provided in this Indenture, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and this Indenture the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company and the Guarantors, have been done and performed, and the execution of this Indenture and the issuance hereunder of the Notes and the Guarantees have in all respects been duly authorized.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

That in order to declare the terms and conditions upon which the Notes are, and are to be, authenticated, issued and delivered, and in consideration of the premises and of the purchase and acceptance of the Notes by the Holders thereof, each of the Company and the Guarantors covenants and agrees with the Trustee for the equal and proportionate benefit of the respective Holders from time to time of the Notes (except as otherwise provided below), as follows:

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS

Section 1.01. Definitions. The terms defined in this Section 1.01 (except as herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section 1.01. The words “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision. The terms defined in this Article include the plural as well as the singular.

Additional Interest” means all amounts, if any, payable pursuant to Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) and Section 6.03, as applicable.


Additional Shares” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(a).

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 the purposes of this definition, “control,” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to a Depositary, as to any matter at any time, the policies and procedures of such Depositary, if any, that are applicable to such matter at such time.

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

Bid Solicitation Agent” means the Person appointed by the Company to solicit bids for the Trading Price of the Notes in accordance with Section 14.01(b)(i). The Trustee shall initially act as the Bid Solicitation Agent.

Board of Directors” means, with respect to the Company or any Guarantor, the board of directors of the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be, or a committee of such board duly authorized to act for it hereunder.

Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors, and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is authorized or required by law or executive order to close or be closed.

Capital Markets Indebtedness” means any indebtedness incurred in or under (i) any registered offering of debt securities under the Securities Act or (ii) any private placement of debt securities (including under Rule 144A of the Securities Act) pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Capital Stock” means, for any entity, any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) stock issued by that entity.

Cash Settlement” shall have the meaning provided in Section 14.02(a).

Certificated Notes” means permanent certificated Notes in registered form issued in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and multiples thereof.

 

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Clause A Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Clause B Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Clause C Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

close of business” means 5:00 p.m. (New York City time).

Combination Settlement” shall have the meaning provided in Section 14.02(a).

Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Common Equity” of any Person means Capital Stock of such Person that is generally entitled (a) to vote in the election of directors of such Person or (b) if such Person is not a corporation, to vote or otherwise participate in the selection of the governing body, partners, managers or others that will control the management or policies of such Person.

Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, subject to Section 14.07.

Company” shall have the meaning specified in the first paragraph of this Indenture, and subject to the provisions of Article 11, shall include its successors and assigns.

Company Order” means a written order of the Company, signed by an Officer of the Company.

Conversion Agent” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.02.

Conversion Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(c).

Conversion Obligation” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01(a).

Conversion Price” means as of any date, $1,000, divided by the Conversion Rate as of such date.

Conversion Rate” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01(a).

Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business in Chicago, Illinois shall be principally administered, which office as of the date of this instrument is located at 2 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1020, Chicago, IL 60602, except that with respect to presentation of Notes for payment or for registration of transfer or exchange, such term shall mean the office or agency of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate agency business shall be conducted, which office at the date of this instrument is located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286; Attention: Corporate Trust Division – Corporate Finance Unit, or, in the case of any of such offices or agency, such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company.

 

3


Credit Agreement” means that certain Sixth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of August 27, 2014, as amended, among Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation, the guarantors party thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, the other financial institutions and lenders parties thereto from time to time, providing for revolving credit borrowings, including any related notes, guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and in each case as amended, modified, supplemented, restated, refinanced, renewed, refunded, replaced (whether at maturity, upon early repayment and termination or thereafter) in whole or in part from time to time including by or pursuant to one or more agreements or indentures, or by means of issuance of debt securities to institutional investors, including any agreement or indenture that extends the maturity of any indebtedness thereunder, or increases the amount of available borrowings thereunder, or adds or changes the borrower or guarantor and whether by the same or any other agent, lender, group of lenders, purchasers or debt holders.

Custodian” means the Trustee, as custodian for The Depository Trust Company, with respect to the Global Notes, or any successor entity thereto.

Daily Conversion Value” means, for each of the 20 consecutive VWAP Trading Days during the relevant Observation Period, 1/20th of the product of (i) the Conversion Rate on such VWAP Trading Day and (ii) the Daily VWAP for such VWAP Trading Day.

Daily Measurement Value” shall have the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Settlement Amount.”

Daily Settlement Amount,” for each of the 20 consecutive VWAP Trading Days during the relevant Observation Period, shall consist of:

(a) cash in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the Specified Dollar Amount, if any, divided by 20 (such quotient, the “Daily Measurement Value”) and (ii) the Daily Conversion Value for such VWAP Trading Day; and

(b) if the Daily Conversion Value on such VWAP Trading Day exceeds the Daily Measurement Value, a number of shares of Common Stock equal to (i) the difference between the Daily Conversion Value and the Daily Measurement Value, divided by (ii) the Daily VWAP for such VWAP Trading Day.

Daily VWAP” means, for each of the 20 consecutive VWAP Trading Days during the relevant Observation Period, the per share volume-weighted average price as displayed under the heading “Bloomberg VWAP” on Bloomberg page “WLL<equity> AQR” (or its equivalent successor if such page is not available) in respect of the period from the scheduled open of trading until the scheduled close of trading of the primary trading session on such VWAP Trading Day (or if such volume-weighted average price is

 

4


unavailable, the market value of one share of Common Stock on such VWAP Trading Day determined, using a volume-weighted average method, by a nationally recognized independent investment banking firm retained for this purpose by the Company). The “Daily VWAP” shall be determined without regard to after-hours trading or any other trading outside of the regular trading session trading hours.

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

Defaulted Amounts” means any amounts on any Note (including, without limitation, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, principal and interest) that are payable but are not punctually paid or duly provided for.

Depositary” means, with respect to each Global Note, the Person specified in Section 2.05(b) as the Depositary with respect to such Notes, until a successor shall have been appointed and become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter, “Depositary” shall mean or include such successor.

Distributed Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company other than a Foreign Subsidiary.

effective date” means, for purposes of Section 14.04, the first date on which shares of the Common Stock trade on the Relevant Stock Exchange, regular way, reflecting the relevant share split or share combination, as applicable.

Effective Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(c).

Event of Default” shall have the meaning specified in Section 6.01.

Ex-Dividend Date” means the first date on which shares of Common Stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive the issuance, dividend or distribution in question, from the Company or, if applicable, from the seller of Common Stock on such exchange or market (in the form of due bills or otherwise) as determined by such exchange or market.

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

Expiration Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(e).

Expiration Time” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(e).

Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company that was not formed under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States or the District of Columbia.

 

5


Form of Assignment and Transfer” shall mean the “Form of Assignment and Transfer” attached as Attachment 3 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” shall mean the “Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” attached as Attachment 2 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Form of Notice of Conversion” shall mean the “Form of Notice of Conversion” attached as Attachment 1 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Fundamental Change” shall be deemed to have occurred at the time after the Notes are originally issued if any of the following occurs:

(a) a “person” or “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, other than the Company, its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries and the employee benefit plans of the Company and its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries, has become the direct or indirect “beneficial owner,” as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, of the Company’s Common Equity representing more than 50% of the voting power of the Company’s Common Equity;

(b) the consummation of (A) any recapitalization, reclassification or change of the Common Stock (other than changes resulting from a subdivision or combination or change in par value) as a result of which the Common Stock would be converted into, or exchanged for, stock, other securities, or other property or assets; (B) any consolidation, merger or other combination of the Company or binding share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock will be converted into stock, other securities or other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof); or (C) any sale, lease or other transfer or disposition in one transaction or a series of transactions of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person other than one or more of the Company’s Subsidiaries; provided, however, that neither (i) a transaction described in clause (A) or (B) in which the holders of all classes of the Company’s Common Equity immediately prior to such transaction own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of all classes of the Company’s Common Equity or of the Common Equity of the continuing or surviving entity or transferee or the parent thereof immediately after such transaction in substantially the same proportions as such ownership immediately prior to such transaction, nor (ii) any merger primarily for the purpose of changing the Company’s jurisdiction of organization to another state within the United States of America or the District of Columbia that results in a reclassification, conversion or exchange of outstanding shares of the Common Stock solely into shares of common stock of the surviving entity, shall be a Fundamental Change pursuant to this clause (b);

(c) the stockholders of the Company approve any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or

(d) the Common Stock (or other Common Equity underlying the Notes) ceases to be listed or quoted on any of The New York Stock Exchange, The NASDAQ Global Select Market or The NASDAQ Global Market (or any of their respective successors);

 

6


provided, however, that a transaction or transactions described in clauses (a) or (b) above shall not constitute a Fundamental Change, if at least 90% of the consideration received or to be received by the holders of the Company’s Common Equity, excluding cash payments for fractional shares or pursuant to statutory appraisal rights, in connection with such transaction or transactions consists of shares of common stock that are listed or quoted on any of The New York Stock Exchange, The NASDAQ Global Select Market or The NASDAQ Global Market (or any of their respective successors) or will be so listed or quoted when issued or exchanged in connection with such transaction or transactions and as a result of such transaction or transactions such consideration becomes the Reference Property for the Notes.

For the avoidance of doubt, the creation, incurrence, assumption and existence of liens on all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that secure the Credit Agreement or any other future indebtedness (other than a sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as a result of a foreclosure thereof) shall not constitute a Fundamental Change.

Any event, transaction or series of related transactions that constitute a Fundamental Change under both clause (1) and clause (2) above shall be deemed to be a Fundamental Change solely under clause (2) above.

Fundamental Change Company Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(c).

Fundamental Change Repurchase Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(a).

Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(b)(i).

Fundamental Change Repurchase Price” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(a).

Global Note” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(a).

Guarantee” means the joint and several guarantees of the Company’s payment obligations under this Indenture and the Notes, issued by the Guarantors pursuant to Article 13 of this Indenture.

Guarantor” each of (1) Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation, a Delaware corporation, Whiting US Holding Company, a Delaware corporation, Whiting Canadian Holding Company ULC, a British Columbia unlimited liability company, and Whiting Resources Corporation, a Colorado corporation, and (2) any other Subsidiary of the

 

7


Company that becomes a Guarantor in accordance with Section 4.05 or 11.02 of this Indenture and (c) the respective successors and assigns of such Subsidiaries, as required under Article 13 of this Indenture, in each case until such time as any such Subsidiary shall be released and relieved of its obligations pursuant to Section 13.03 of this Indenture.

Holder,” as applied to any Note, or other similar terms (but excluding the term “beneficial holder”), shall mean any person in whose name at the time a particular Note is registered on the Note Register.

Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or, if amended or supplemented as herein provided, as so amended or supplemented.

Interest Payment Date” means April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning on October 1, 2015.

Issue Date” means March 27, 2015.

Last Reported Sale Price” of the Common Stock (or any other security) on any date means:

(a) the closing sale price per share (or if no closing sale price is reported, the average of the bid and ask prices or, if more than one in either case, the average of the average bid and the average ask prices) on such date as reported in composite transactions for the Relevant Stock Exchange;

(b) if the Common Stock (or such other security) is not listed for trading on a Relevant Stock Exchange on such date, the last quoted bid price per share for the Common Stock in the over-the-counter market on such date as reported by OTC Markets Group Inc. or a similar organization; and

(c) if the Common Stock (or such other security) is not so quoted, the average of the mid-point of the last bid and ask prices per share for the Common Stock on such date from each of at least three nationally recognized independent investment banking firms selected by the Company for this purpose.

Make-Whole Fundamental Change” means any transaction or event that constitutes a Fundamental Change, after giving effect to any exceptions to or exclusions from the definition thereof, but without regard to the proviso in clause (b) of the definition thereof.

Make-Whole Fundamental Change Company Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(b).

 

8


Market Disruption Event” means:

(a) a failure by the Relevant Stock Exchange to open for trading during its regular trading session; or

(b) the occurrence or existence prior to 1:00 p.m., New York City time, on any Scheduled Trading Day for the Common Stock for more than one half-hour period in the aggregate during regular trading hours of any suspension or limitation imposed on trading (by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by the Relevant Stock Exchange or otherwise) in the Common Stock or in any option contracts or futures contracts relating to the Common Stock.

Material Domestic Subsidiary” means any wholly-owned Domestic Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor at the time of determination and that at such time together with its Subsidiaries holds assets in excess of 5.0% of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case based upon the most recent quarterly financial statements available to the Company, but excluding the value of the equity interests of all of its Domestic Subsidiaries and intercompany debt owed to such Domestic Subsidiary from any other Domestic Subsidiary or the Company.

Maturity Date” means April 1, 2020.

Measurement Period” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01(b)(i).

Note” or “Notes” shall have the meaning specified in the first paragraph of the recitals of this Indenture.

Note Register” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05.

Note Registrar” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05.

Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(b)(ii).

Observation Period” with respect to any Note surrendered for conversion means:

(a) if the relevant Conversion Date occurs prior to January 1, 2020, the 20 consecutive VWAP Trading Day period beginning on, and including, the second VWAP Trading Day immediately succeeding such Conversion Date; and

(b) if the relevant Conversion Date occurs on or after January 1, 2020, the 20 consecutive VWAP Trading Day period beginning on, and including, the 22nd Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date.

Offering Memorandum” means the preliminary offering memorandum dated March 23, 2015, as supplemented by the pricing term sheet dated March 24, 2015, relating to the offering and sale of the Notes.

 

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Officer” means, with respect to any Person, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary or any Vice President of such Person.

Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by two Officers of the Company, one of whom must be the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer, the treasurer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, that meets the requirements of Section 17.06.

open of business” means 9:00 a.m. (New York City time).

Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, that meets the requirements of Section 17.06. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or the Trustee.

outstanding,” when used with reference to Notes, shall, subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, mean, as of any particular time, all Notes authenticated and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except:

(a) Notes theretofore canceled by the Trustee or accepted by the Trustee for cancellation;

(b) Notes, or portions thereof, that have become due and payable and in respect of which monies in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any Paying Agent (other than the Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent);

(c) Notes in lieu of which, or in substitution for which, other Notes shall have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.06 unless proof satisfactory to the Trustee is presented that any such Notes are held by protected purchasers in due course;

(d) Notes surrendered for purchase in accordance with Article 15 for which the Paying Agent holds money sufficient to pay the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, in accordance with Section 15.04(b); and

(e) Notes converted pursuant to Article 14 and required to be cancelled pursuant to Section 2.08; and

(f) Notes repurchased by the Company (but excluding Notes repurchased pursuant to cash-settled swaps or other derivatives).

Paying Agent” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.02.

 

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

Physical Settlement” shall have the meaning provided in Section 14.02(a).

Predecessor Note” of any particular Note means every previous Note evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Note; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Note authenticated and delivered under Section 2.06 in lieu of or in exchange for a mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Note shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Note that it replaces.

Record Date” means, with respect to any dividend, distribution or other transaction or event in which the holders of Common Stock (or other applicable security) have the right to receive any cash, securities or other property or in which the Common Stock (or such other security) is exchanged for or converted into any combination of cash, securities or other property, the date fixed for determination of holders of Common Stock (or such other security) entitled to receive such cash, securities or other property (whether such date is fixed by the Board of Directors, statute, contract or otherwise).

Reference Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).

Regular Record Date,” with respect to any Interest Payment Date, shall mean the March 15 or September 15 (whether or not such day is a Business Day), as the case may be, immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date.

Relevant Stock Exchange” means The New York Stock Exchange or, if the Common Stock (or other security for which a Last Reported Sale Price must be determined) is not then listed on The New York Stock Exchange, the principal other U.S. national or regional securities exchange on which the Common Stock (or such other security) is then listed.

Resale Restriction Termination Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(b).

Responsible Officer” means, with respect to the Trustee, any officer assigned to the Corporate Trust Division – Corporate Finance Unit (or any successor division or unit) of the Trustee located at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee having direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

Restricted Securities” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(b).

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

 

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Scheduled Trading Day” means a day that is scheduled to be a Trading Day on the Relevant Stock Exchange. If the Common Stock is not so listed or admitted for trading, “Scheduled Trading Day” means a Business Day.

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

Senior Notes Indenture” means the Indenture, dated as of September 12, 2013, as supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 27, 2015, among the Company, Whiting Oil & Gas Corporation, Whiting US Holding Company, Whiting Canadian Holding Company ULC, Whiting Resources Corporation and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, relating to the 6.25% Senior Notes due 2023 issued by the Company.

Settlement Amount” has the meaning specified in Section 14.02(a)(iii).

Settlement Method” means, with respect to any conversion of Notes, Physical Settlement, Cash Settlement or Combination Settlement, as elected (or deemed to have been elected) by the Company.

Significant Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of the Company that is a “significant subsidiary” as defined under Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Regulation is in effect on the Issue Date.

Specified Corporate Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).

Specified Dollar Amount” means, with respect to any conversion of Notes, the maximum cash amount per $1,000 principal amount of Notes to be received upon conversion as specified by the Company (or deemed specified) in the notice specifying the Company’s chosen Settlement Method.

Spin-Off” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Stock Price” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(c).

Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person:

(a) any corporation, association or other business entity (other than a partnership) of which more than 50% of the total voting power of Capital Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of the Board of Directors of such Person, is at the time owned or controlled, directly or through another Subsidiary, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

(b) any partnership (1) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (2) the only general

 

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partners of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof), but only if such Person and its Subsidiaries are entitled to receive more than 20% of the assets of such partnership upon its dissolution.

Successor Company” shall have the meaning specified in Section 11.01(a)(i).

Successor Guarantor” shall have the meaning specified in Section 11.02(a)(ii).

Trading Day” means a day on which:

(a) trading in the Common Stock (or other security for which a closing sale price must be determined) generally occurs on the Relevant Stock Exchange or, if the Common Stock (or such other security) is not then listed on a Relevant Stock Exchange, on the principal other market on which the Common Stock (or such other security) is then traded; and

(b) a Last Reported Sale Price for the Common Stock (or closing sale price for such other security) is available on the Relevant Stock Exchange or such other market;

provided, that, if the Common Stock (or such other security) is not so listed or traded, “Trading Day” means a “Business Day.”

Trading Price” of the Notes on any date of determination means the average of the secondary market bid quotations per $1,000 principal amount of Notes obtained in writing by the Bid Solicitation Agent for $5,000,000 principal amount of Notes at approximately 3:30 p.m. (New York City time) on such determination date from three independent nationally recognized securities dealers the Company selects for this purpose; provided that if three such bids cannot reasonably be obtained by the Bid Solicitation Agent but two such bids are obtained, then the average of such two bids shall be used, and if only one such bid can reasonably be obtained by the Bid Solicitation Agent, that one bid shall be used. If on any determination date the Bid Solicitation Agent cannot reasonably obtain at least one bid for $5,000,000 principal amount of Notes from a nationally recognized securities dealer, then the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes on such determination date shall be deemed to be less than 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate on such day.

transfer” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(b).

Trigger Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, as it was in force at the date of execution of this Indenture.

Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder.

 

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Unit of Reference Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).

Valuation Period” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

VWAP Trading Day” means a day on which:

(a) there is no Market Disruption Event; and

(b) trading in the Common Stock generally occurs on the Relevant Stock Exchange.

If the Common Stock is not so listed or admitted for trading on any Relevant Stock Exchange, “VWAP Trading Day” means a Business Day.

Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” of any Person means a Subsidiary of such Person, 100% of the outstanding Capital Stock or other ownership interests of which (other than directors’ qualifying shares) shall at the time be owned by such Person or by one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person.

Section 1.02. References to Interest. Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to interest on, or in respect of, any Note in this Indenture shall be deemed to include Additional Interest if, in such context, Additional Interest is, was or would be payable pursuant to any of Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) and Section 6.03. Unless the context otherwise requires, any express mention of Additional Interest in any provision hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Interest in those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made.

ARTICLE 2

ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF NOTES

Section 2.01. Designation and Amount. The Notes shall be designated as the “1.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020.” The aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is initially limited to $1,250,000,000, subject to Section 2.10 and except for Notes authenticated and delivered upon registration or transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of other Notes pursuant to Section 2.05, Section 2.06, Section 2.07, Section 10.04, Section 14.02 and Section 15.04.

Section 2.02. Form of Notes. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by such Notes shall be substantially in the respective forms set forth in Exhibit A, the terms and provisions of which shall constitute, and are hereby expressly incorporated in and made a part of this Indenture. To the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.

 

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Any Global Note may be endorsed with or have incorporated in the text thereof such legends or recitals or changes not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture as may be required by the Custodian or the Depositary, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or any regulation thereunder or with the rules and regulations of any securities exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Notes may be listed or traded or designated for issuance or to conform with any usage with respect thereto, or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular Notes are subject.

Any of the Notes may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such notations, legends or endorsements as any Officer executing the same may approve (execution thereof to be conclusive evidence of such approval) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Notes may be listed or designated for issuance, or to conform to usage or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular Notes are subject.

Each Global Note shall represent such principal amount of the outstanding Notes as shall be specified therein and shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be increased or reduced to reflect purchases, cancellations, conversions, transfers or exchanges permitted hereby. Any endorsement of the Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in such manner and upon instructions given by the Holder of such Notes in accordance with this Indenture. Payment of principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Global Note shall be made to the Holder of such Note on the date of payment, unless a record date or other means of determining Holders eligible to receive payment is provided for herein.

Section 2.03. Date and Denomination of Notes; Payments of Interest and Defaulted Amounts. (a) The Notes shall be issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples thereof. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication and shall bear interest from the date specified on the face of the form of Note attached as Exhibit A hereto. Accrued interest on the Notes shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months and, for a partial month, on the basis of the number of days actually elapsed in a 30-day month.

(b) The Person in whose name any Note (or its Predecessor Note) is registered on the Note Register at the close of business on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the relevant Interest Payment Date shall be entitled to receive the interest payable on such Interest Payment Date. Interest shall be payable at the office or agency of the Company maintained by

 

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the Company for such purposes in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, which shall initially be the Corporate Trust Office. The Company shall pay interest:

(i) on any Certificated Notes (A) to Holders holding Certificated Notes having an aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 or less, by check mailed to the Holders of these Notes at their address as it appears in the Note Register and (B) to Holders holding Certificated Notes having an aggregate principal amount of more than $5,000,000, either by check mailed to such Holders or, upon application by such a Holder to the Note Registrar not later than the relevant Regular Record Date, by wire transfer in immediately available funds to that Holder’s account within the United States, which application shall remain in effect until the Holder notifies, in writing, the Note Registrar to the contrary; and

(ii) on any Global Note by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee.

(c) Any Defaulted Amounts shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant payment date but shall accrue interest per annum at the rate borne by the Notes from, and including, such relevant payment date, and such Defaulted Amounts together with such interest thereon shall be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (i) or (ii) below:

(i) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Amounts to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or their respective Predecessor Notes) are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Amounts, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of the Defaulted Amounts proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment (which shall be not less than 25 days after the receipt by the Trustee of such notice, unless the Trustee shall consent to an earlier date), and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Amounts or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit on or prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Amounts as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Company shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Amounts which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment, and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of such special record date and the Trustee, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Amounts and the special record date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder at its address as it appears in the Note Register, not less than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Amounts and the special record date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Amounts shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or their respective Predecessor Notes) are registered at the close of business on such special record date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (ii) of this Section 2.03(c).

(ii) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Amounts in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange or

 

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automated quotation system on which the Notes may be listed or designated for issuance, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange or automated quotation system, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed satisfactory to the Trustee.

Section 2.04. Execution, Authentication and Delivery of Notes. The Notes shall be signed in the name and on behalf of the Company by the manual or facsimile signature of at least one of its Officers.

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, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Notes, and the Trustee in accordance with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Notes, without any further action by the Company hereunder.

Only such Notes as shall bear thereon a certificate of authentication substantially in the form set forth on the form of Note attached as Exhibit A hereto, executed manually by an authorized signatory of the Trustee (or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee as provided by Section 17.11), shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose. Such certificate by the Trustee (or such an authenticating agent) upon any Note executed by the Company shall be conclusive evidence that the Note so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the Holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

In case any Officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Notes shall cease to be such Officer before the Notes so signed shall have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, or disposed of by the Company, such Notes nevertheless may be authenticated and delivered or disposed of as though the Person who signed such Notes had not ceased to be such Officer of the Company; and any Note may be signed on behalf of the Company by such persons as, at the actual date of the execution of such Note, shall be an Officer of the Company, although at the date of the execution of this Indenture any such Person was not such an Officer.

Section 2.05. Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Notes; Restrictions on Transfer; Depositary. The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office a register (the register maintained in such office or in any other office or agency of the Company designated pursuant to Section 4.02, the “Note Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations or procedures as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Notes and transfers of Notes. Such register shall be in written form or in any form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable period of time. The Trustee is hereby initially appointed the “Note Registrar” for the purpose of registering Notes and transfers of Notes as herein provided. The Company may appoint one or more co-Note Registrars in accordance with Section 4.02.

Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Note to the Note Registrar or any co-registrar, and satisfaction of the requirements for such transfer set forth in this Section 2.05, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Notes of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and bearing such restrictive legends as may be required by this Indenture.

 

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Notes may be exchanged for other Notes of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Notes to be exchanged at any such office or agency maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 4.02. Whenever any Notes are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Notes that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive, bearing registration numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.

All Notes presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange, repurchase or conversion shall (if so required by the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and duly executed, by the Holder thereof or its attorney-in-fact duly authorized in writing.

No service charge shall be imposed by the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar for any registration of transfer or exchange of Notes, but the Company or the Trustee may require a Holder to pay a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or other similar governmental charge required by law or permitted pursuant to Section 14.02(d) or Section 14.02(e).

None of the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar shall be required to exchange or register a transfer of (i) any Notes surrendered for conversion or, if a portion of any Note is surrendered for conversion, such portion thereof surrendered for conversion or (ii) any Notes, or a portion of any Note, surrendered for repurchase (and not withdrawn) in accordance with Article 15.

All Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Notes in accordance with this Indenture shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as the Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(a) So long as the Notes are eligible for book-entry settlement with the Depositary, unless otherwise required by law, subject to the fourth paragraph from the end of Section 2.05(b) all Notes shall be represented by one or more Notes in global form (each, a “Global Note”) registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in a Global Note that does not involve the issuance of a Certificated Note, shall be effected through the Depositary (but not the Trustee or the Custodian) in accordance with this Indenture (including the restrictions on transfer set forth herein) and the Applicable Procedures.

(b) Every Note that bears or is required under this Section 2.05(b) to bear the legend set forth in this Section 2.05(b) (together with any Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Notes and required to bear the legend set forth in Section 2.05(c), collectively, the “Restricted Securities”) shall be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 2.05(b) (including the legend set forth below), unless such restrictions on transfer shall be

 

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eliminated or otherwise waived by written consent of the Company, and the Holder of each such Restricted Security, by such Holder’s acceptance thereof, agrees to be bound by all such restrictions on transfer. As used in this Section 2.05(b) and Section 2.05(c), the term “transfer” encompasses any sale, pledge, transfer or other disposition whatsoever of any Restricted Security.

Until the date (the “Resale Restriction Termination Date”) that is the later of (1) the date that is one year after the Issue Date, or such other period of time as permitted by Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any successor provision thereto, and (2) such later date, if any, as may be required by applicable law, any certificate evidencing such Note (and all securities issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof, other than Common Stock, if any, issued upon conversion thereof which shall bear the legend set forth in Section 2.05(c), if applicable) shall bear a legend in substantially the following form (unless such Notes have been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become or been declared effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer or unless otherwise agreed by the Company in writing, with notice thereof to the Trustee):

THIS SECURITY AND THE COMMON STOCK, IF ANY, ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY HAVE 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 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, AND

(2) AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION (THE “COMPANY”) THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE LAST ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF OR SUCH OTHER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW EXCEPT:

(A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF,

(B) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT OF THE COMPANY THAT COVERS THE RESALE OF THIS SECURITY OR SUCH COMMON STOCK; OR

 

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(C) TO A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT; OR

(D) 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 (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE RESERVE 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 IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.

No transfer of any Note prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date will be registered by the Note Registrar unless the applicable box on the Form of Assignment and Transfer has been checked.

Any Note (or security issued in exchange or substitution therefor) as to which such restrictions on transfer shall have expired in accordance with their terms may, upon surrender of such Note for exchange to the Note Registrar in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.05, be exchanged for a new Note or Notes, of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, which shall not bear the restrictive legend required by this Section 2.05(b) and shall not be assigned a restricted CUSIP number. The Company shall be entitled to instruct the Custodian in writing to so surrender any Global Note as to which such restrictions on transfer shall have expired in accordance with their terms for exchange, and, upon such instruction, the Custodian shall so surrender such Global Note for exchange; and any new Global Note so exchanged therefor shall not bear the restrictive legend specified in this Section 2.05(b) and shall not be assigned a restricted CUSIP number. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee upon the occurrence of the Resale Restriction Termination Date and promptly after a registration statement, if any, with respect to the Notes or any Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Notes has been declared effective under the Securities Act.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture (other than the provisions set forth in this Section 2.05(b)), a Global Note may not be transferred as a whole or in part except (i) by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary and (ii) for transfers of portions of a Global Note in certificated form made upon request of a member of, or a participant in, the Depositary (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 Applicable Procedures and in compliance with this Section 2.05(b).

 

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The Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act. The Company initially appoints The Depository Trust Company to act as the “Depositary” with respect to each Global Note. Initially, each Global Note shall be issued to the Depositary, registered in the name of Cede & Co., as the nominee of the Depositary, and deposited with the Trustee as custodian for Cede & Co.

If:

(a) the Depositary (i) notifies the Company at any time that the Depositary is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for the Global Notes and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days or (ii) ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and in either event the Company fails to appoint a successor depositary within 90 days; or

(b) there has occurred and is continuing an Event of Default and the Depositary notifies the Trustee of its decision to exchange the Global Note for Certificated Notes,

the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officers’ Certificate, Opinion of Counsel and a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of Notes, shall authenticate and deliver Certificated Notes to each beneficial owner of the related Global Notes (or a portion thereof) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of such Global Notes in exchange for such Global Notes, and upon delivery of the Global Notes to the Trustee such Global Notes shall be canceled.

Certificated Notes issued in exchange for all or a part of the Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.05(b) shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. Upon execution and authentication, the Trustee shall deliver such Certificated Notes to the Persons in whose names such Certificated Notes are so registered.

At such time as all interests in a Global Note have been converted, canceled, purchased or transferred, such Global Note shall be, upon receipt thereof, canceled by the Trustee in accordance with Applicable Procedures and existing instructions between the Depositary and the Custodian. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any interest in a Global Note is exchanged for Certificated Notes, converted, canceled, purchased or transferred to a transferee who receives Certificated Notes therefor or any Certificated Note is exchanged or transferred for part of such Global Note, the principal amount of such Global Note shall, in accordance with the Applicable Procedures and instructions existing between the Depositary and the Custodian, be appropriately reduced or increased, as the case may be, and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note, by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, to reflect such reduction or increase.

Neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Note or maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

 

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(c) Until the Resale Restriction Termination Date, any stock certificate representing Common Stock issued upon conversion of a Note shall bear a legend in substantially the following form (unless the Note or such Common Stock has been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become or been declared effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer or unless otherwise agreed by the Company in writing, with notice thereof to the Trustee and any transfer agent for the Common Stock):

THIS SECURITY 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 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, AND

(2) AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION (THE “COMPANY”) THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE LAST ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF OR SUCH OTHER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW EXCEPT:

(A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF,

(B) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT OF THE COMPANY THAT COVERS THE RESALE OF THIS SECURITY OR SUCH COMMON STOCK; OR

(C) TO A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT; OR

(D) 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 (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE RESERVE THE

 

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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 IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.

(d) Any such Common Stock as to which such restrictions on transfer shall have expired in accordance with their terms may, upon surrender of the certificates representing such shares of Common Stock for exchange in accordance with the procedures of the transfer agent for the Common Stock, be exchanged for a new certificate or certificates for a like aggregate number of shares of Common Stock, which shall not bear the restrictive legend required by Section 2.05(c).

(e) Any Note that is repurchased or owned by an Affiliate of the Company may not be resold by such Affiliate unless registered under the Securities Act or resold pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in a transaction that results in such Note no longer being a “restricted security” (as defined under Rule 144 under the Securities Act). The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Note (including any transfers between or among members of, or participants in, the Depositary or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Note) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

(f) Neither the Trustee nor any agent of the Trustee shall have any responsibility for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary.

Section 2.06. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Notes. In case any Note shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company in its discretion may execute, and upon its written request the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, a new Note, bearing a registration number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Note, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Note so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted Note shall furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent such security or indemnity as may be reasonably required by them to save each of them harmless from any loss, liability, cost or expense caused by or connected with such substitution, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of such Note and of the ownership thereof.

The Trustee or such authenticating agent may authenticate any such substituted Note and deliver the same upon the receipt of such security or indemnity as the Trustee, the Company and,

 

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if applicable, such authenticating agent may reasonably require. Upon the issuance of any substitute Note, the Company or the Trustee may require the payment by the Holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses connected therewith. In case any Note that has matured or is about to mature or has been surrendered for required repurchase or is about to be converted in accordance with Article 14 shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, in its sole discretion, instead of issuing a substitute Note, pay or authorize the payment of or convert or authorize the conversion of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated Note), as the case may be, if the applicant for such payment or conversion shall furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent such security or indemnity as may be reasonably required by them to save each of them harmless for any loss, liability, cost or expense caused by or connected with such substitution, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee and, if applicable, any Paying Agent or Conversion Agent evidence of their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of such Note and of the ownership thereof.

Every substitute Note issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 2.06 by virtue of the fact that any Note is destroyed, lost or stolen shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Note shall be found at any time, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of (but shall be subject to all the limitations set forth in) this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Notes duly issued hereunder. To the extent permitted by law, all Notes shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment or conversion or repurchase of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes and shall preclude any and all other rights or remedies notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement or payment or conversion of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.

Section 2.07. Temporary Notes. Pending the preparation of Certificated Notes, the Company may execute and the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee shall, upon written request of the Company, authenticate and deliver temporary Notes (printed or lithographed). Temporary Notes shall be issuable in any authorized denomination, and substantially in the form of the Certificated Notes but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Notes, all as may be determined by the Company. Every such temporary Note shall be executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee or such authenticating agent upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with the same effect, as the Certificated Notes. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall execute and deliver to the Trustee or such authenticating agent Certificated Notes (other than any Global Note) and thereupon any or all temporary Notes (other than any Global Note) may be surrendered in exchange therefor, at each office or agency maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 4.02 and the Trustee or such authenticating agent shall authenticate and deliver in exchange for such temporary Notes an equal aggregate principal amount of Certificated Notes. Such exchange shall be made by the Company at its own expense and without any charge therefor. Until so exchanged, the temporary Notes shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits and subject to the same limitations under this Indenture as Certificated Notes authenticated and delivered hereunder.

 

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Section 2.08. Cancellation of Notes Paid, Converted, Etc. The Company shall cause all Notes surrendered for the purpose of payment, repurchase (but excluding Notes repurchased pursuant to cash-settled swaps or other derivatives), registration of transfer or exchange or conversion, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee (including any of the Company’s Agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates), to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation. All Notes delivered to the Trustee shall be canceled promptly by it. No Notes shall be authenticated in exchange for any Notes cancelled, except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. The Trustee shall dispose of canceled Notes in accordance with its customary procedures and, after such disposition, shall deliver a certificate of such disposition to the Company, at the Company’s written request in a Company Order. If the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall acquire any of the Notes, such acquisition shall not operate as a purchase or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Notes unless and until the same are delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Section 2.09. CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Notes may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in all notices issued to Holders as a convenience to such Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or on such notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the “CUSIP” numbers.

Section 2.10. Additional Notes; Purchases. (a) The Company may, from time to time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Holders, issue additional Notes under this Indenture with the same terms and with the same CUSIP number as the Notes issued on the Issue Date (other than differences in the issue price and interest accrued prior to the issue date of such additional Notes) in an unlimited aggregate principal amount; provided that if any such additional Notes are not fungible with the Notes issued on the Issue Date for U.S. federal income tax or securities law purposes, such additional Notes shall have a separate CUSIP number. Such Notes issued on the Issue Date and the additional Notes shall rank equally and ratably and shall be treated as a single series for all purposes under this Indenture. Prior to the issuance of any such additional Notes, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee a Company Order, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, such Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel to cover such matters, in addition to those required by Section 17.06, as the Trustee shall reasonably request.

(b) The Company may, to the extent permitted by law, directly or indirectly (regardless of whether such Notes are surrendered to the Company), repurchase Notes in the open market or otherwise, whether by the Company or its Subsidiaries or through a private or public tender or exchange offer or through counterparties to private agreements or otherwise, including by cash-settled swaps or other derivatives. The Company shall cause any Notes so repurchased (but excluding Notes repurchased pursuant to cash-settled swaps or other derivatives) to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation in accordance with Section 2.08, and they will no longer be considered outstanding under this Indenture upon their repurchase.

Section 2.11. Ranking. The Notes constitute a senior general unsecured obligation of the Company, ranking equally in right of payment with all existing and future unsubordinated

 

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indebtedness of the Company and ranking senior in right of payment to all existing and future indebtedness of the Company that is expressly made subordinate to the Notes by the terms of such indebtedness.

ARTICLE 3

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

Section 3.01. Satisfaction and Discharge. This Indenture shall upon request of the Company contained in an Officers’ Certificate cease to be of further effect (except as set forth in the last paragraph of this Section 3.01), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when:

(i) either:

(A) all Notes theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (x) Notes which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.06 and (y) Notes for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust with the Trustee or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 4.04(d)) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(B) the Company or any Guarantor has deposited with the Paying Agent or delivered to Holders, as applicable, after all of the outstanding Notes have (i) become due and payable, whether at the Maturity Date or any Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, and/or (ii) have been converted (and the related Settlement Amounts have been determined), cash or cash and/or shares of Common Stock (solely to satisfy the Company’s Conversion Obligations), as applicable, sufficient to pay all of the outstanding Notes and/or satisfy all conversions, as the case may be, and pay all other sums due and payable under this Indenture by the Company and the Guarantors; and

(ii) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company and the Guarantors to the Trustee under Section 7.06, Sections 2.05 and 2.06 and, if cash or shares of Common Stock shall have been deposited with the Paying Agent pursuant to Section 3.01(i)(B), Section 4.04 shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.

 

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ARTICLE 4

PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

Section 4.01. Payment of Principal and Interest. The Company shall pay or cause to be paid the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, the Settlement Amount owed on conversion, and interest on the Notes on the dates and in the manner provided in the Notes. Principal, Settlement Amount and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company or a Guarantor, holds as of 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the due date money deposited by the Company or a Guarantor in immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, Settlement Amount and interest then due. Unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee, the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of any failure to take such action.

The Company shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) and Settlement Amount owed on conversion to the extent it includes cash, at the rate equal to the interest rate on the Notes to the extent lawful; it shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest (without regard to any applicable grace period), at the same rate to the extent lawful.

Section 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Company shall maintain an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee or an Affiliate of the Trustee) where Notes may be presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange or for payment or repurchase (“Paying Agent”) or for conversion (“Conversion Agent”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations. Further, if at any time there shall be no such office or agency in the City of New York where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for payment, the Company shall forthwith designate and maintain such an office or agency in the City of New York, in order that the Notes shall at all times be payable in the City of New York. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency. The terms “Paying Agent” and “Conversion Agent” include any such additional or other offices or agencies, as applicable.

The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as Paying Agent, Note Registrar, Custodian and Conversion Agent and designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Company.

 

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Section 4.03. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee’s Office. The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.09, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.

Section 4.04. Provisions as to Paying Agent. (a) If the Company shall appoint a Paying Agent other than the Trustee, the Company will cause such Paying Agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 4.04:

(i) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment of the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, the Settlement Amount owed on conversion to the extent it includes cash, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes in trust for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes;

(ii) that it will give the Trustee prompt notice of any failure by the Company to make any payment of the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, the Settlement Amount owed on conversion to the extent it includes cash, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes when the same shall be due and payable; and

(iii) that at any time during the continuance of an Event of Default, upon request of the Trustee, it will forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust.

(b) If the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent, it will, on or before each due date of the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, the Settlement Amount owed on conversion to the extent it includes cash, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes a sum sufficient to pay such principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) and accrued and unpaid interest so becoming due and will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any failure to take such action and of any failure by the Company to make any payment of the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, the Settlement Amount owed on conversion to the extent it includes cash, or accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes when the same shall become due and payable.

(c) Anything in this Section 4.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, or for any other reason, pay, cause to be paid or deliver to the Trustee all sums or amounts held in trust by the Company or any Paying Agent hereunder as required by this Section 4.04, such sums or amounts to be held by the Trustee upon the trusts herein contained and upon such payment or delivery by the Company or any Paying Agent to the Trustee, the Company or such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability but only with respect to such sums or amounts.

(d) Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, the Settlement Amount owed on conversion to the extent it includes cash, and accrued and unpaid interest on, any Note and remaining unclaimed for two

 

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years after such principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable), the Settlement Amount owed on conversion to the extent it includes cash, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on request of the Company contained in an Officers’ Certificate, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company and the Guarantors 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.

Section 4.05. Additional Guarantors. If the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that constitutes a “Restricted Subsidiary” (as defined in the Senior Notes Indenture) under the Senior Notes Indenture acquires or creates a Material Domestic Subsidiary after the Issue Date, or if any other Subsidiary of the Company that is not already a Guarantor either (a) becomes a borrower or guarantees any indebtedness of the Company or another Subsidiary of the Company under the Credit Agreement or (b)(i) guarantees any other Capital Markets Indebtedness of the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company or (ii) incurs any Capital Markets Indebtedness, then in either case that Material Domestic Subsidiary or Subsidiary, as the case may be, will become a Guarantor by executing a supplemental indenture substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto and delivering it to the Trustee within 20 Business Days of the date on which it was acquired or created or guaranteed such indebtedness, as the case may be, together with any Opinion of Counsel described in Section 17.06 of this Indenture.

Section 4.06. Rule 144A Information Requirement; Reporting; and Additional Interest . (a) For as long as any Notes are outstanding hereunder, at any time the Company is not subject to the reporting requirements (including Sections 13 and 15(d)) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall, so long as any of the Notes or any shares of Common Stock issuable or issued upon conversion of the Notes shall, at such time, constitute “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act, upon the written request of a Holder, beneficial owner or prospective purchaser of the Notes or the Common Stock issuable or issued upon conversion of the Notes, promptly furnish such Holder, beneficial owner or prospective purchaser the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act to facilitate the resale of such Notes or such Common Stock, as the case may be, pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time. For as long as any Notes are outstanding hereunder, the Company shall take such further action as any Holder or beneficial owner of such Notes or such Common Stock, as the case may be, may reasonably request to the extent from time to time required to enable such Holder or beneficial owner to sell the Notes or the Common Stock, as the case may be, in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time.

(b) The Company shall file with the Trustee within 15 days after the same are required to be filed with the Commission (after giving effect to any grace period provided by Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act or any successor rule under the Exchange Act), copies of any documents or reports that the Company is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Any such document or report that the Company files with the Commission via the Commission’s EDGAR system (or any successor thereto) shall be deemed to be filed with the Trustee for purposes of this Section 4.06(b) as of the time such documents are filed via the EDGAR system (or such successor).

 

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(c) Delivery of the reports and documents described in Section 4.06(b) to the Trustee is for informational purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely on an Officers’ Certificate).

(d) Subject to Section 6.03(b), if, at any time during the six-month period beginning on, and including, the date that is six months after the Issue Date, the Company fails to timely file any document or report that it is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as applicable (other than reports on Form 8-K), the Company shall pay Additional Interest on the Notes. Additional Interest shall accrue on the Notes at a rate equal to 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day during such period for which the Company’s failure to file has occurred and is continuing.

(e) Subject to Section 6.03(b), if, and for so long as, the restrictive legend on the Notes specified in Section 2.05(b) has not been removed, the Notes are assigned a restricted CUSIP or the Notes are not otherwise freely tradable by Holders other than the Company’s Affiliates or Holders that were the Company’s Affiliates within the prior three months (without restrictions pursuant to U.S. securities law or the terms of this Indenture or the Notes) as of the 365th day after the Issue Date, the Company shall pay Additional Interest on the Notes at a rate equal to 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of Notes outstanding until the restrictive legend on the Notes has been removed, the Notes are assigned an unrestricted CUSIP and the Notes are freely tradable by such Holders.

(f) Additional Interest will be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date following accrual in the same manner as regular interest on the Notes. No Additional Interest will be payable with respect to the Common Stock, if any, received upon conversion of the Notes.

(g) If Additional Interest is payable by the Company pursuant to Section 4.06(d) or Section 4.06(e) or Section 6.03(a), the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to that effect stating (i) the amount of such Additional Interest that is payable and (ii) the date on which such Additional Interest is payable. Unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee receives at the Corporate Trust Office such a certificate, the Trustee may assume without inquiry that no such Additional Interest is payable.

Section 4.07. Stay, Extension and Usury Laws. Each of the Company and the Guarantors covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it shall not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but shall suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

 

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Section 4.08. Compliance Certificate; Statements as to Defaults.

(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year (beginning with the year ended December 31, 2015), an Officers’ Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (or, if a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto) and that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has occurred and remains in existence by reason of which payments of interest on the Notes are prohibited or if such event has occurred, a description of the event and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

(b) The Company shall, so long as any of the Notes are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, forthwith upon the occurrence thereof, an Officers’ Certificate specifying any event that would constitute a Default or Event of Default, the status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

Section 4.09. Further Instruments and Acts. Upon request of the Trustee, each of the Company and the Guarantors will execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purposes of this Indenture.

ARTICLE 5

[RESERVED]

ARTICLE 6

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.01. Events of Default. The following events shall be “Events of Default” with respect to the Notes:

(a) default in any payment of interest on any Note when due and payable, and the default continues for a period of 30 days;

 

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(b) default in the payment of principal of any Note when due and payable on the Maturity Date, upon any required repurchase, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise;

(c) failure by the Company to comply with its obligation to convert the Notes in accordance with this Indenture upon exercise of a Holder’s conversion right and such failure continues for a period of three Business Days;

(d) failure by the Company to issue a Fundamental Change Company Notice in accordance with Section 15.02(c) or notice of a specified corporate transaction in accordance with Section 14.01(b)(ii) or (iii) or a Make-Whole Fundamental Change Company Notice in accordance with Section 14.03(b), in each case when due;

(e) failure by the Company or any Guarantor to comply with its obligations under Article 11;

(f) failure by the Company or any Guarantor for 60 days after written notice from the Trustee to the Company or from the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding to the Company and the Trustee has been received to comply with any of the other agreements of the Company or such Guarantor contained in the Notes or this Indenture;

(g) default by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company with respect to any mortgage, agreement or other instrument under which there may be outstanding, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for money borrowed having a principal amount in excess of $100,000,000 (or its foreign currency equivalent) in the aggregate of the Company and/or any such Subsidiary, whether such indebtedness exists on the Issue Date or shall hereafter be created (i) resulting in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable or (ii) constituting a failure to pay the principal or interest of any such indebtedness when due and payable at its stated maturity, upon required repurchase, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise; provided that if any such Default is cured or waived or any such acceleration is rescinded, or such indebtedness is repaid, within a period of 20 days from the continuation of such Default beyond the applicable grace period or the occurrence of such acceleration, as the case may be, such Event of Default under this Indenture and any consequential acceleration of the Notes shall be automatically rescinded unless such rescission would conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction;

(h) the Company, any Significant Subsidiary of the Company or any group of Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of Bankruptcy Law:

(i) commences a voluntary case;

(ii) consents in writing to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case;

(iii) consents in writing to the appointment of a custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property;

 

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(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or

(v) admits in writing it generally is not paying its debts as they become due; or

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

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

(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company, any Significant Subsidiary of the Company or any group of Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company, any Significant Subsidiary of the Company or any group of Subsidiaries of the Company, that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary; or

(iii) orders the liquidation of the Company, any Significant Subsidiary of the Company or any group of Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary;

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

(j) a final judgment or judgments for the payment of $100,000,000 (or its foreign currency equivalent) or more (excluding any amounts covered by insurance) in the aggregate rendered against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary of the Company, which judgments are not discharged or stayed within 60 days after (i) the date on which the right to appeal thereof has expired if no such appeal has commenced, or (ii) the date on which all rights to appeal have been extinguished; or

(k) any Guarantee is held in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid or ceases for any reason to be in full force and effect or any Guarantor, or any Person acting on behalf of any Guarantor, denies or disaffirms its obligations under its Guarantee (other than by reason of release of a Guarantor from its Guarantee in accordance with the terms of this Indenture).

Section 6.02. Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment. In case one or more Events of Default shall have occurred and be continuing (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body), then, and in each and every such case (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(h) or Section 6.01(i) with respect to the Company, any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any group of Subsidiaries of the Company, that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary), either the Trustee by notice in writing to the Company, or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, by notice in writing to the Company and the Trustee, may, and the Trustee, at the request of such Holders shall, declare 100% of the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, all the Notes to be

 

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due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become and shall be immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(h) or Section 6.01(i) with respect to the Company, any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any group of Subsidiaries of the Company, that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary occurs and is continuing, 100% of the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, all Notes shall become and shall automatically be immediately due and payable.

Section 6.03. Additional Interest.

(a) Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture or in the Notes to the contrary, to the extent the Company elects, the sole remedy for an Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b) shall, for the first 180 days after the occurrence of such an Event of Default, consist exclusively of the right to receive Additional Interest on the Notes at a rate equal to:

(i) 0.25% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day during the 90-day period beginning on, and including, the occurrence of such an Event of Default during which such Event of Default is continuing; and

(ii) 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day during the 90-day period beginning on, and including, the 91st day following, and including, the occurrence of such an Event of Default during which such Event of Default is continuing.

(b) Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, in no event shall Additional Interest accrue on any day under the terms of this Indenture (taking into consideration any Additional Interest payable pursuant to Section 6.03(a) above, together with Additional Interest payable pursuant to Sections 4.06(d) and 4.06(e)) at a rate in excess of 0.50% per annum, in the aggregate, for any violation or default caused by the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b).

(c) If the Company so elects, the Additional Interest payable pursuant to Section 6.03(a) above shall be payable in the same manner and on the same dates as the stated interest payable on the Notes and will accrue on all Notes then outstanding from, and including, the date on which the Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b) first occurs to, but not including, the 181st day thereafter (or such earlier date on which such Event of Default is cured or waived by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding). On the 181st day after such Event of Default (if the Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b) is not cured or waived prior to such 181st day), such Additional Interest will cease to accrue and the Notes will be subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02. In the event the Company does not elect to pay Additional Interest following an Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b) in accordance with this Section 6.03, or the Company elects to make such payment but does not pay the Additional Interest when due, the Notes shall immediately be subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02. In no event shall Additional Interest payable pursuant to the foregoing election accrue at a rate per year in excess of the

 

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applicable rate specified in Section 6.03(a), regardless of the number of events or circumstances giving rise to requirements to pay such Additional Interest. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Section 6.03 shall not affect the rights of Holders in the event of the occurrence of any other Event of Default.

(d) In order to elect to pay Additional Interest as the sole remedy during the first 180 days after the occurrence of an Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b), the Company must notify all Holders of the Notes, the Trustee and the Paying Agent of such election on or before the close of business on the date on which such Event of Default first occurs. Upon the Company’s failure to timely give such notice, the Notes shall be immediately subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02.

(e) Subject to Section 6.03(b), any Additional Interest payable as the remedy for an Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b) shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any Additional Interest payable pursuant to Sections 4.06(d) and 4.06(e).

Section 6.04. Payments of Notes on Default; Suit Therefor. If an Event of Default described in clause (a), (b) or (c) of Section 6.01 shall have occurred, the Company shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, the whole amount then due and payable on the Notes for principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable), satisfaction of the Conversion Obligation with respect to all Notes that have been converted, and interest, if any, with (to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) interest on any such overdue amounts, at the rate borne by the Notes at such time, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.06. If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company, the Guarantors or any other obligor upon the Notes and collect the monies adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company, the Guarantors or any other obligor upon the Notes, wherever situated.

In the event there shall be pending proceedings for the bankruptcy or for the reorganization of the Company, a Guarantor or any other obligor on the Notes under Bankruptcy Law, or any other applicable law, or in case a receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official shall have been appointed for or taken possession of the Company, a Guarantor or such other obligor, the property of the Company, such Guarantor or such other obligor, or in the event of any other judicial proceedings relative to the Company, such Guarantor or such other obligor upon the Notes, or to the creditors or property of the Company, such Guarantor or such other obligor, the Trustee, irrespective of whether the principal of the Notes shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand pursuant to the provisions of this Section 6.04, shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceedings or otherwise, to file and prove a claim or claims for the whole amount of

 

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principal and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, in respect of the Notes, and, in case of any judicial proceedings, to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents and to take such other actions as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceedings relative to the Company, the Guarantors or any other obligor on the Notes, its or their creditors, or its or their property, and to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the same after the deduction of any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.06; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization, liquidator, custodian or similar official is hereby authorized by each of the Holders to make such payments to the Trustee, as administrative expenses, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for reasonable compensation, expenses, advances and disbursements, including agents and counsel fees, and including any other amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.06, incurred by it up to the date of such distribution. To the extent that such payment of reasonable compensation, expenses, advances and disbursements out of the estate in any such proceedings shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, monies, securities and other property that the Holders of the Notes may be entitled to receive in such proceedings, whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise.

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting such Holder or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the Notes, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Notes, or the production thereof at any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes.

In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and in any proceedings involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to which the Trustee shall be a party) the Trustee shall be held to represent all the Holders of the Notes, and it shall not be necessary to make any Holders of the Notes parties to any such proceedings.

In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of any waiver pursuant to Section 6.09 or any rescission and annulment pursuant to Section 6.02 or for any other reason or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case the Company, the Guarantors, the Holders, and the Trustee shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored respectively to their several positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Company, the Holders, and the Trustee shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

 

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Section 6.05. Application of Monies Collected by Trustee. Any monies collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article 6 with respect to the Notes shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for the distribution of such monies, upon presentation of the several Notes, and stamping thereon the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof, if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.06;

SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price (if applicable) of, and/or satisfaction of the Conversion Obligation with respect to all Notes that have been converted of and interest on the Notes in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Notes; and

THIRD: To the Company.

Section 6.06. Proceedings by Holders. Except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal (including, if applicable, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price) or interest when due, or the right to receive payment and/or delivery of the consideration due upon conversion, no Holder of any Note shall have any right by virtue of or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver, trustee, liquidator, custodian or other similar official, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

(a) such Holder has previously given the Trustee written notice that an Event of Default is continuing;

(b) the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes have requested the Trustee in writing to pursue the remedy;

(c) such Holders have offered the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

(d) the Trustee has not complied with such request within 60 days after the receipt thereof and the offer of such security or indemnity; and

(e) the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes have not given the Trustee a direction that, in the opinion of the Trustee, is inconsistent with such request within such 60-day period.

A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder, it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not any actions or forbearances by a Holder are unduly prejudicial to other Holders.

 

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Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture and any provision of any Note, the right of any Holder to receive payment or delivery, as the case may be, of (x) the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, (y) accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, and (z) the consideration due upon conversion of, such Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed or provided for in such Note or in this Indenture, or to institute suit against the Company for the enforcement of any such payment or delivery, as the case may be, and such right to receive such payment or delivery, as the case may be, on or after such respective dates shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

Section 6.07. Proceedings by Trustee. In case of an Event of Default, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as are necessary to protect and enforce any of such rights, either by suit in equity or by action at law or by proceeding in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.

Section 6.08. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing. Except as provided in the last paragraph of Section 2.06, all powers and remedies given by this Article 6 to the Trustee or to the Holders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any thereof or of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the Holders of the Notes, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture, and no delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any of the Notes to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Default or Event of Default shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such Default or Event of Default or any acquiescence therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.06, every power and remedy given by this Article 6 or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders.

Section 6.09. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority of Holders.

(a) The Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to Notes; provided, however, that (i) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, and (ii) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction. The Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with any rule of law or with this Indenture, it determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other Holder or that would involve the Trustee in personal liability.

(b) The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any past Default or Event of Default hereunder and rescind any acceleration with respect to the Notes and its consequences hereunder except:

(i) a default in the payment of the principal (including any Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, or accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes;

 

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(ii) a failure by the Company to deliver the consideration due upon conversion of the Notes; or

(iii) a default in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article 10 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of each Holder of an outstanding Note affected;

provided that, in the case of the rescission of any acceleration with respect to the Notes, (1) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) all existing Events of Default (other than the nonpayment of the principal of and interest on the Notes that have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration) have been cured or waived.

Whenever any Default or Event of Default hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section 6.09, said Default or Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Notes and this Indenture be deemed to have been cured and to be not continuing; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.10. Notice of Defaults. If a Default occurs and is continuing and is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to all Holders as the names and addresses of such Holders appear upon the Note Register notice of such Default within 90 days after it occurs. Except in the case of a Default in the payment of principal of (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) or accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on any Note or a Default in the payment or delivery of the consideration due upon conversion, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as a committee of trust officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Holders.

Section 6.11. Undertaking to Pay Costs. All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Note by its acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may, in its discretion, require, 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, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; provided that the provisions of this Section 6.11 (to the extent permitted by law) shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (including, but not limited to, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price with respect to the Notes being purchased as provided in this Indenture) or accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on any Note on or after the due date expressed or provided for in such Note or to any suit for the enforcement of the payment or delivery of consideration due upon conversion.

 

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ARTICLE 7

CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE

Section 7.01. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.

(a) Prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default that may have occurred:

(i) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(ii) in the absence of bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, unless a Responsible Officer has actual knowledge to the contrary, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of any mathematical calculations);

(b) In the event an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in 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 willful misconduct, except that:

(i) this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of Subsection (a) of this Section;

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

(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the written direction of the Holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding

 

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determined as provided in Section 8.04 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; and

(iv) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(d) Whether or not therein provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of, or affording protection to, the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 7.01.

Section 7.02. Certain Rights of the Trustee.

(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, note, coupon or other paper or document believed by it in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

(b) any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed); and any Board Resolution may be evidenced to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company;

(c) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and require an Opinion of Counsel and any advice of such counsel or Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such advice or Opinion of Counsel;

(d) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled, at a reasonable time on any Business Day, to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the expense of the Company and shall incur no liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;

(e) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through duly authorized agents, custodians, nominees or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent, custodian, nominee or attorney appointed by it with due care hereunder;

(f) the permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties;

 

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(g) the Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder;

(h) the Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of Officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture;

(i) in no event shall the Trustee be liable for any special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action;

(j) the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes, unless either (1) a Responsible Officer shall have actual knowledge of such Default or Event of Default or (2) written notice of such Default or Event of Default shall have been given to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee by the Company or by any Holder of the Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee;

(k) the Trustee shall not be liable in respect of any payment (as to the correctness of amount, entitlement to receive or any other matters relating to payment) or notice effected by the Company or any Paying Agent or any records maintained by any co-Note Registrar with respect to the Notes;

(l) if any party fails to deliver a notice relating to an event the fact of which, pursuant to this Indenture, requires notice to be sent to the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely on its failure to receive such notice as reason to act as if no such event occurred, unless such Responsible Officer of the Trustee had actual knowledge of such event;

(m) in the absence of written investment direction from the Company, all cash received by the Trustee shall be placed in a non-interest bearing trust account, and in no event shall the Trustee be liable for the selection of investments or for investment losses, fees, taxes or other charges incurred thereon or for losses incurred as a result of the liquidation of any such investment prior to its maturity date or the failure of the party directing such investments prior to its maturity date or the failure of the party directing such investment to provide timely written investment direction, and the Trustee shall have no obligation to invest or reinvest any amounts held hereunder in the absence of such written investment direction from the Company;

(n) the rights and protections afforded to the Trustee pursuant to this Article 7 shall also be afforded to the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder;

(o) subject to this Article 7, if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability and expense which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction; and

 

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(p) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and reasonably believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

Section 7.03. No Responsibility for Recitals, Etc. The recitals contained herein and in the Notes (except in the Trustee’s certificate of authentication) shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Notes. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any Notes or the proceeds of any Notes authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture.

Section 7.04. Trustee, Paying Agents, Conversion Agents, Bid Solicitation Agent or Note Registrar May Own Notes. The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Conversion Agent, the Custodian, Bid Solicitation Agent or Note Registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee, Paying Agent, Conversion Agent, the Custodian, Bid Solicitation Agent or Note Registrar.

Section 7.05. Monies and Shares of Common Stock to Be Held in Trust. All monies and shares of Common Stock received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received. Money and shares of Common Stock held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money or shares of Common Stock received by it hereunder except as may be agreed from time to time by the Company and the Trustee.

Section 7.06. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee. The Company covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee from time to time, and the Trustee shall be entitled to, such compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder in any capacity (which shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust) as mutually agreed to in writing between the Trustee and the Company, and the Company will pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances reasonably incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture in any capacity hereunder (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel and of all Persons not regularly in its employ) except any such expense, disbursement or advance as shall have been caused by its negligence or willful misconduct. The Company also covenants to indemnify the Trustee (which for purposes of this Section 7.06 shall include its officers, directors, employees and agents) in any capacity under this Indenture and any other document or transaction entered into in connection herewith and its agents and any authenticating agent for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense incurred without negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, its officers, directors, agents or employees, or such agent or authenticating agent, as the case may be, and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this Indenture or in any other capacity hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending themselves against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, a Holder or any other Person) of liability in the

 

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premises. The obligations of the Company under this Section 7.06 to compensate or indemnify the Trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall be secured by a senior claim to which the Notes are hereby made subordinate on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except, subject to the effect of Section 6.05, funds held in trust herewith for the benefit of the Holders of particular Notes. The Trustee’s right to receive payment of any amounts due under this Section 7.06 shall not be subordinate to any other liability or indebtedness of the Company. The obligation of the Company under this Section 7.06 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, final payment of the Notes and the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The indemnification provided in this Section 7.06 shall extend to the officers, directors, agents and employees of the Trustee.

Without prejudice to any other rights available to the Trustee under applicable law, when the Trustee and its agents and any authenticating agent incur expenses or render services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(h) or Section 6.01(i) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws.

Section 7.07. Officers’ Certificate as Evidence. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence, willful misconduct, recklessness and bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee, and such Officers’ Certificate, in the absence of negligence, willful misconduct, recklessness and bad faith on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.

Section 7.08. Eligibility of Trustee. There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act to act as such and has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. If such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of any supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section 7.08, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article 7.

Section 7.09. Resignation or Removal of Trustee. The Trustee may at any time resign by giving written notice of such resignation to the Company and by mailing notice thereof to the Holders at their addresses as they shall appear on the Note Register. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee. If no successor trustee

 

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shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of resignation to the Holders, the resigning Trustee may, at the expense of the Company, upon ten Business Days’ notice to the Company and the Holders, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee, or any Holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Note or Notes for at least six months may, subject to the provisions of Section 6.11, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.

(a) In case at any time any of the following shall occur:

(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 7.13 within a reasonable time after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Note or Notes for at least six (6) months;

(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.08 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder, or

(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, the Company may by a Board Resolution remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or, subject to the provisions of Section 6.11, any Holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Note or Notes for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.

(b) The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee that shall be deemed appointed as successor trustee unless within ten days after notice to the Company of such nomination the Company objects thereto. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days after removal of the Trustee by the Holders, the Trustee may, at the expense of the Company, upon ten Business Days’ notice to the Company and the Holders, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee.

(c) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section 7.09 shall become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.10.

 

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Section 7.10. Acceptance by Successor Trustee. Any successor trustee appointed as provided in Section 7.09 shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to its predecessor trustee an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the predecessor trustee shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee herein; but, nevertheless, on the written request of the Company or of the successor trustee, the predecessor trustee shall, upon payment of any amounts then due it pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.06, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all the rights and powers of the trustee so ceasing to act. Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments in writing for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights and powers. Any trustee ceasing to act shall, nevertheless, retain a senior claim to which the Notes are hereby made subordinate on all money or property held or collected by such trustee as such, except for funds held in trust for the benefit of Holders of particular Notes, to secure any amounts then due it pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.06.

No successor trustee shall accept appointment as provided in this Section 7.10 unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 7.08.

Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section 7.10, each of the Company and the successor trustee, at the written direction and at the expense of the Company shall mail or cause to be mailed notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder to the Holders at their addresses as they shall appear on the Note Register. If the Company fails to mail such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be mailed at the expense of the Company.

Section 7.11. Succession by Merger, Etc. Any corporation or other entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or other entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee (including the administration of this Indenture), shall be the successor to the Trustee hereunder without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that in the case of any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee such corporation or other entity shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 7.08.

In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture, any of the Notes shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee or authenticating agent appointed by such predecessor trustee, and deliver such Notes so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Notes shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by such successor trustee may authenticate such Notes either in the name of any predecessor trustee hereunder or in the name of the successor trustee; and in all such cases such certificates of authentication shall have the full

 

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force which it is anywhere in the Notes or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of authentication of the Trustee shall have; provided, however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee or to authenticate Notes in the name of any predecessor trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.

Section 7.12. Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company. Any application by the Trustee for written instructions from the Company (other than with regard to any action proposed to be taken or omitted to be taken by the Trustee that affects the rights of the Holders of the Notes under this Indenture) may, at the option of the Trustee, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Trustee under this Indenture and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Trustee in accordance with a proposal included in such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than three Business Days after the date any Officer actually receives such application, unless any such Officer shall have consented in writing to any earlier date), unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of any omission), the Trustee shall have received written instructions in accordance with this Indenture in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.

Section 7.13. Conflicting Interests of Trustee. If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of this Indenture.

ARTICLE 8

CONCERNING THE HOLDERS

Section 8.01. Action by Holders. Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the Holders of a specified percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action, the Holders of such specified percentage have joined therein may be evidenced (i) by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by Holders in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing, or (ii) by the record of the Holders voting in favor thereof at any meeting of Holders duly called and held, or (iii) by a combination of such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a meeting of Holders. Whenever the Company or the Trustee solicits the taking of any action by the Holders of the Notes, the Company or the Trustee may, but shall not be required to, fix in advance of such solicitation, a date as the record date for determining Holders entitled to take such action. The record date if one is selected shall be not more than fifteen days prior to the date of commencement of solicitation of such action. The Trustee may act at the direction of the requisite Holders without liability.

Section 8.02. Proof of Execution by Holders. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01 and Section 7.02, proof of the execution of any instrument by a Holder or its agent or proxy shall be

 

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sufficient if made in accordance with such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Trustee or in such manner as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee. The holding of Notes shall be proved by the Note Register or by a certificate of the Note Registrar.

Section 8.03. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners. The Company, the Trustee, any authenticating agent, any Paying Agent, any Conversion Agent and any Note Registrar may deem the Person in whose name a Note shall be registered upon the Note Register to be, and may treat it as, the absolute owner of such Note (whether or not such Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon made by any Person other than the Company or any Note Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of and (subject to Section 2.03) accrued and unpaid interest on such Note, for conversion of such Note and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any Paying Agent nor any Conversion Agent nor any Note Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. All such payments or deliveries so made to any Holder for the time being, or upon its order, shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sums or shares of Common Stock so paid or delivered, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for monies payable or shares deliverable upon any such Note. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture or the Notes following an Event of Default, any Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note may directly enforce against the Company, without the consent, solicitation, proxy, authorization or any other action of the Depositary or any other Person, such Holder’s right to exchange such beneficial interest for a Note in certificated form in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.

Section 8.04. Company-Owned Notes Disregarded. In determining whether the Holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, consent, waiver or other action under this Indenture, Notes that are owned by the Company or by any Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded (from both the numerator and the denominator) and deemed not to be outstanding for the purpose of any such determination; provided that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent, waiver or other action only Notes that a Responsible Officer actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section 8.04 if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to so act with respect to such Notes and that the pledgee is not the Company or any Affiliate of the Company. In the case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officers’ Certificate listing and identifying all Notes, if any, known by the Company to be owned or held by or for the account of any of the above described Persons; and, subject to Section 7.01, the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such Officers’ Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Notes not listed therein are outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.

Section 8.05. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound. At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the Holders of the percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any Holder of a Note that is shown by the evidence to

 

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be included in the Notes the Holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Note. Except as aforesaid, any such action taken by the Holder of any Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders and owners of such Note and of any Notes issued in exchange or substitution therefor or upon registration of transfer thereof, irrespective of whether any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Note or any Note issued in exchange or substitution therefor or upon registration of transfer thereof.

ARTICLE 9

ACTS OF HOLDERS

Section 9.01. Acts of Holders.

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

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

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

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

 

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(e) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of outstanding Notes have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the outstanding Notes shall be computed as of such record date; provided that no such authorization, agreement or consent by the Holders on such record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.

ARTICLE 10

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

Section 10.01. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders. Notwithstanding Section 10.02, without the consent of any Holder, the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees to:

(a) cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency in this Indenture or in the Notes in a manner that does not adversely affect any Holder in any material respect;

(b) provide for the assumption by a Successor Company of the obligations of the Company or a Successor Guarantor of the obligations of any Guarantor under this Indenture, the Notes or the Guarantees in accordance with Article 11;

(c) add Guarantees with respect to the Notes;

(d) release a Guarantor from its obligations under its Guarantee or this Indenture in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture;

(e) secure the Notes and the Guarantees;

(f) add to the covenants or Events of Default for the benefit of the Holders or make changes that would provide additional rights to Holders or surrender any right or power conferred upon the Company or any Guarantor;

(g) make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder;

(h) in connection with any Specified Corporate Event, provide that the Notes are convertible into Reference Property, subject to Section 14.02, and make certain related changes to the terms of this Indenture and the Notes to the extent expressly required by this Indenture;

 

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(i) evidence and provide for the acceptance of an appointment under this Indenture of a successor Trustee; provided that the successor Trustee is otherwise qualified and eligible to act as such under the terms of this Indenture;

(j) conform the provisions of this Indenture or the Notes to the “Description of convertible notes” section of the Offering Memorandum;

(k) provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of Certificated Notes;

(l) provide for the issuance of additional Notes in accordance with Section 2.01(a); or

(m) comply with Applicable Procedures.

The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company and the Guarantors in the execution of any such amendment, supplement or waiver, to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to, but may in its discretion, enter into any amendment, supplement or waiver that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

Any amendment, supplement or waiver to this Indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section 10.01 may be executed by the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee without the consent of the Holders of any of the Notes at the time outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 10.02.

Section 10.02. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders. Except as provided above in Section 10.01 and below in this Section 10.02, the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time amend or supplement this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees with the consent (evidenced as provided in Article 8) of the Holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (determined in accordance with Article 8 and including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a repurchase of, or tender or exchange offer for, Notes) and any existing Default or Event of Default (other than (i) a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal (including any Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, or accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes, except a payment default resulting from an acceleration that has been rescinded, and (ii) a Default or Event of Default as a result of a failure by the Company to deliver the consideration due upon conversion of the Notes) or compliance with any provision of this Indenture, the Notes or the Guarantees may be waived with the consent (evidenced as provided in Article 8) of the Holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (determined in accordance with Article 8 and including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a repurchase of, or tender or exchange offer for, Notes); provided, however, that, without the consent of each Holder of an outstanding Note affected, no such amendment shall:

(a) reduce the amount of Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment;

(b) reduce the rate of or extend the stated time for payment of interest on any Note;

 

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(c) reduce the principal of or extend the Maturity Date of any Note;

(d) reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the maturity of the Notes;

(e) impair or adversely affect the right of Holders to convert Notes or otherwise modify the provisions with respect to conversion, or reduce the Conversion Rate (subject to such modifications as are required under this Indenture);

(f) reduce the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price of any Note or amend or modify in any manner adverse to the Holders the Company’s obligation to make such payments, whether through an amendment or waiver of provisions in the covenants, definitions or otherwise;

(g) make any Note payable in a money, or at a place of payment, other than that stated in the Note;

(h) change the ranking of the Notes in a manner adverse to Holders;

(i) impair the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and interest on, such Holder’s Notes, or the consideration due upon conversion, on or after the due dates thereof or to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to such Holder’s Notes or the consideration due upon conversion;

(j) make any change in this Article 10 that requires each Holder’s consent or in the waiver provisions (including in Section 6.09), except to increase the percentage required for modification or amendment or waiver or to provide for consent of each affected Holder of Notes; or

(k) modify the Guarantees in any manner adverse to the Holders.

Upon the written request of the Company, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Holders as aforesaid and subject to Section 10.05, the Trustee shall join with the Company and the Guarantors in the execution of such amendment, supplement or waiver unless such amendment, supplement or waiver affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such amendment, supplement or waiver.

Holders do not need under this Section 10.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver of this Indenture. It shall be sufficient if such Holders approve the substance thereof. After any such amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, the Company shall deliver to the Holders a notice briefly describing such amendment, supplement or waiver. However, the failure to give such notice to all the Holders, or any defect in the notice, will not impair or affect the validity of the amendment, supplement or waiver.

 

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Section 10.03. Effect of Amendment, Supplement and Waiver. Upon the execution of any amendment, supplement or waiver of this Indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article 10, this Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company, the Guarantors and the Holders shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments and all the terms and conditions of any such amendment or supplement shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.

Section 10.04. Notation on Notes. Notes authenticated and delivered after the execution of any amendment, supplement or waiver to this Indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article 10 may, at the Company’s expense, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such amendment, supplement or waiver. If the Company or the Trustee shall so determine, new Notes so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Board of Directors, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such amendment, supplement or waiver may, at the Company’s expense, be prepared and executed by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee (or an authenticating agent duly appointed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 17.11) and delivered in exchange for the Notes then outstanding, upon surrender of such Notes then outstanding. 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 10.05. Evidence of Compliance of Amendment, Supplement or Waiver to Be Furnished Trustee. In addition to the documents required by Section 17.06, the Trustee shall receive an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any amendment, supplement or waiver to this Indenture executed pursuant hereto complies with the requirements of this Article 10 and is permitted or authorized by this Indenture and it is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms.

ARTICLE 11

CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE

Section 11.01. Company May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms.

(a) The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into another Person, or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to another Person, unless:

(i) the Company is the surviving Person or the resulting, surviving or transferee Person (if not the Company) (the “Successor Company”) is an entity organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, and such Person (if not the Company) expressly assumes by supplemental indenture all of the Company’s obligations under the Notes and this Indenture; provided that if the Successor Company (if not the Company) is not classified for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a corporation, then such Person shall obtain either (a) an opinion, in

 

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form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, of tax counsel of recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, which counsel may be Foley & Lardner LLP, or (b) a ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, in either case to the effect that (i) such merger or consolidation, or such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition, will not cause the Holders to recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes and (ii) such Holders will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such merger, consolidation, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition, as the case may be, had not occurred;

(ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing under this Indenture; and

(iii) each Guarantor (unless it is the other party to the transaction, in which case the provisions in Section 11.02 shall apply) confirms by supplemental indenture that its Guarantee applies to the obligations of such resulting, surviving or transferee Person (if not the Company) under this Indenture and the Notes.

For purposes of this Section 11.01, any sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of the assets of one or more Subsidiaries of the Company to another Person that would, if such assets were held directly by the Company instead of such Subsidiaries, have constituted the sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, shall be deemed to be the sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of the assets of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to another Person.

For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 11.01 does not prohibit or govern the creation, incurrence, assumption or existence of liens on all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that secure the Credit Agreement or any other future indebtedness (other than a sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as a result of the foreclosure thereof).

(b) Upon any such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition and upon the assumption by the Successor Company, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the due and punctual payment of the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all of the Notes, the due and punctual delivery and/or payment, as the case may be, of any consideration due upon conversion of the Notes and the due and punctual performance of all of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be performed by the Company, such Successor Company (if not the Company) shall succeed to, and may exercise every right and power of and be substituted for, the Company, with the same effect as if it had been named herein as the party of the first part, and the Company shall be discharged from its obligations under the Notes and this Indenture, except in the case of a lease. Such Successor Company thereupon may cause to be signed, and may issue either in its own name or in the name of the

 

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Company any or all of the Notes issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee; and, upon the order of such Successor Company instead of the Company and subject to all the terms, conditions and limitations in this Indenture prescribed, the Trustee shall authenticate and shall deliver, or cause to be authenticated and delivered, any Notes that previously shall have been signed and delivered by an Officer of the Company to the Trustee for authentication, and any Notes that such Successor Company thereafter shall cause to be signed and delivered to the Trustee for that purpose. All the Notes so issued shall in all respects have the same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Notes theretofore or thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all of such Notes had been issued at the date of the execution hereof. In the event of any such consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or disposition (but not in the case of a lease), upon compliance with this Article 11, the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture shall be released from its liabilities as obligor and maker of the Notes and from its obligations under this Indenture and the Notes.

Section 11.02. Guarantor May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms.

(a) A Guarantor shall not consolidate with or merge with or into (whether or not the Guarantor is the surviving entity), or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties or assets, in one or more related transactions, to another Person, other than the Company or another Guarantor, unless:

(i) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing under this Indenture; and

(ii) either the Person acquiring the properties or assets in any such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance, or other disposition or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Guarantor) is an entity organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia (the “Successor Guarantor”), and unconditionally assumes all the obligations of such Guarantor, pursuant to a supplemental indenture substantially in the form set forth as Exhibit B hereto, under the Notes, this Indenture and its Guarantee.

For the avoidance of doubt, (1) any Guarantor whose Guarantee is to be released in accordance with the terms of such Guarantee shall not be required to comply with clause (ii) of this Section 11.02(a), and (2) this Section 11.02 does not prohibit or govern the creation, incurrence, assumption or existence of liens on all or substantially all of the properties or assets of any Guarantor that secure the Credit Agreement or any other future indebtedness (other than a sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of any Guarantor as a result of a foreclosure thereof).

(b) Upon any such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition and upon the assumption by the Successor Guarantor, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the obligations of such Guarantor under the Notes, this Indenture and its Guarantee, such Successor Guarantor shall succeed to, and may exercise every right and power of and be substituted for, such Guarantor, with the same effect as if it had been named herein as the party of the first part, and such Guarantor shall be discharged from its obligations under the Notes, this Indenture and its Guarantee, except in the case of a lease.

 

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Section 11.03. Opinion of Counsel to Be Given to Trustee. No consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition shall be effective unless the Trustee shall receive an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition and any such assumption complies with the provisions of this Article 11 and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture, complies with the provisions of this Article 11 and Article 10.

ARTICLE 12

IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Section 12.01. Indenture, Notes and Guarantees Solely Corporate Obligations. No recourse for the payment of the principal of or accrued and unpaid interest on, or the payment or delivery of consideration due upon conversion of, any Note or any Guarantee, nor for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company or any Guarantor in this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture or in any Note or any Guarantee, nor because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, employee, agent, Officer or director or Subsidiary, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or any Guarantor or of any of their respective successor corporations or other entities, either directly or through the Company, any Guarantor or any of their respective successor corporations or other entities, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issue of the Notes and the Guarantees.

ARTICLE 13

GUARANTEES

Section 13.01. Guarantees.

(a) Subject to this Article 13, each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, unconditionally guarantees to each Holder of a Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this Indenture, the Notes held thereby and the obligations of the Company hereunder and thereunder, that: (a) the principal of and interest on the Notes will be promptly paid in full when due, subject to any applicable grace period, whether at the Maturity Date, by acceleration, upon repurchase or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of and (to the extent permitted by law) interest on the Notes, and all other payment obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder will be promptly paid in full and performed, all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and (b) in case of any extension of time of

 

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payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, the same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, subject to any applicable grace period, whether at the Maturity Date, by acceleration, upon repurchase or otherwise. Failing payment when so due of any amount so guaranteed for whatever reason, the Guarantors will be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same immediately. An Event of Default with respect to the Notes under this Indenture shall constitute an event of default under the Guarantees, and shall entitle the Holders to accelerate the obligations of the Guarantors hereunder in the same manner and to the same extent as the Obligations of the Company.

(b) The Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder shall be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance (other than complete performance) which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a Guarantor. Each Guarantor further, to the extent permitted by law, hereby waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenants that its Guarantee will not be discharged except by complete performance of the Obligations contained in the Notes and this Indenture, or pursuant to Section 13.03.

(c) Each of the Guarantors also agrees, jointly and severally, to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the Trustee or any Holder in enforcing any rights under this Section 13.01.

(d) If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Company, the Guarantors, or any Custodian, Trustee or other similar official acting in relation to either the Company or the Guarantors, any amount paid by the Company or any Guarantor to the Trustee or such Holder, the Guarantees, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in full force and effect. Each Guarantor agrees that it shall not be entitled to, and hereby waives, any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations guaranteed hereby.

(e) Each Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (a) the maturity of the Obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 of this Indenture for the purposes of its Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed thereby, and (b) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article 6 of this Indenture, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for the purpose of its Guarantee. The Guarantors shall have the right to seek contribution from any non-paying Guarantor so long as the exercise of such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Guarantees.

 

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(f) Each Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be effective should any petition be filed by or against the Company for liquidation or reorganization, should the Company become insolvent or make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or should a receiver or trustee be appointed for all or any significant part of the Company’s assets, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment and performance of the Notes are, pursuant to applicable law, rescinded or reduced in amount, or must otherwise be restored or returned by any obligee on the Notes or the Guarantees, whether as a “voidable preference,” “fraudulent transfer” or otherwise, all as though such payment or performance had not been made. In the event that any payment or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, restored or returned, the Notes shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be reinstated and deemed reduced only by such amount paid and not so rescinded, reduced, restored or returned.

(g) In case any provision of any Guarantee shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

(h) Each payment to be made by a Guarantor in respect of its Guarantee shall be made without set-off, counterclaim, reduction or diminution of any kind or nature.

(i) For the avoidance of doubt, the Guarantees with respect to a Note are not convertible and shall automatically terminate when such Note is converted in accordance with this Indenture.

Section 13.02. Execution and Delivery.

The Guarantees shall be evidenced by the execution and delivery of this Indenture or a supplement to this Indenture and no notation of any Guarantee need be endorsed on any Note. Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Guarantee set forth in Section 13.01 shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the absence of the endorsement of any notation of such Guarantee on the Notes.

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

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

If required by Section 4.05, the Company shall cause any newly acquired or created Material Domestic Subsidiary or such other Subsidiary to comply with the provisions of Section 4.05 and this Article 13.

Section 13.03. Releases of Guarantees.

The Guarantee of a Guarantor shall be released and discharged under this Indenture:

(1) in connection with any sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of that Guarantor (including by way of merger or consolidation) to a Person

 

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that is not (either before or immediately after giving effect to such transaction) a Subsidiary of the Company; provided that all guarantees and other obligations of such Guarantor in respect of all other indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries terminate upon consummation of such sale or other disposition; or

(2) in connection with any sale or other disposition of all of the Capital Stock of that Guarantor to a Person that is not (either before or after giving effect to such transaction) a Subsidiary of the Company; provided that all guarantees and other obligations of such Guarantor in respect of all other indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries terminate upon consummation of such sale or other disposition; or

(3) in the case of any Subsidiary which after the Issue Date is required to guarantee the Notes pursuant to Section 4.05, upon the release or discharge in full from its obligations as a borrower or guarantor (as the case may be) under the Credit Agreement and any other indebtedness which resulted, or would result, in such Subsidiary’s obligation to guarantee the Notes pursuant to Section 4.05 (including by reason of the termination of the Credit Agreement or such other indebtedness but excluding, if such subsidiary was a guarantor under the Credit Agreement or such other indebtedness, a release or discharge as a result of repayment under its guarantee thereof); provided, that such Subsidiary does not thereafter become a borrower or guarantor under the Credit Agreement or incur such other indebtedness which would result in such Subsidiary’s obligation to guarantee the Notes pursuant to Section 4.05 without also guaranteeing the Notes; or

(4) if the Company designates any Subsidiary that is a Guarantor as an “unrestricted subsidiary” under, and in accordance with the applicable provisions of, the Credit Agreement and any other agreement governing the indebtedness which resulted or would result in such Subsidiary’s obligation to guarantee the Notes pursuant to Section 4.05; provided that all borrowings, guarantees and other obligations of such Guarantor in respect of the Credit Agreement and any such other indebtedness terminate upon such designation.

In the event that any released Guarantor thereafter is required to provide a Guarantee pursuant to Section 4.05, such former Guarantor shall again provide a Guarantee in accordance with such Section.

Upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that any of the foregoing clauses (1) – (4) has occurred, the Trustee shall execute any documents reasonably requested by the Company in order to evidence the release of any Guarantor from its obligations under its Guarantee. Any Guarantor not released from its obligations under its Guarantee shall remain liable for the full amount of principal of and interest on the Notes and for the other obligations of such Guarantor under this Indenture as provided in this Article 13.

Section 13.04. Limitation on Guarantor Liability.

Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Guarantee of such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent conveyance or a fraudulent transfer for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the

 

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Holders and the Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of each Guarantor under its Guarantee will be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under its Guarantee or pursuant to its contribution obligations under this Indenture, result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law and not otherwise being void or voidable under any similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally. Each Guarantor that makes a payment under its Guarantee shall be entitled upon payment in full of all guaranteed obligations under this Indenture to a contribution from each other Guarantor in an amount equal to such other Guarantor’s pro rata portion of such payment based on the respective net assets of all the Guarantors at the time of such payment determined in accordance with GAAP.

Section 13.05. Subrogation.

Each Guarantor shall be subrogated to all rights of Holders against the Company in respect of any amounts paid by any Guarantor pursuant to the provisions of Section 13.01; provided that, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, no Guarantor shall be entitled to enforce or receive any payments arising out of, or based upon, such right of subrogation until all amounts then due and payable by the Company under this Indenture or the Notes shall have been paid in full.

Section 13.06. Benefits Acknowledged.

Each Guarantor acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the financing arrangements contemplated by this Indenture and that the guarantee and waivers made by it pursuant to its Guarantee are knowingly made in contemplation of such benefits.

Section 13.07. Ranking.

The Guarantee of each Guarantor constitute a senior general unsecured obligation of such Guarantor, ranking equally in right of payment with all existing and future unsubordinated indebtedness of such Guarantor and ranking senior in right of payment to all existing and future indebtedness of such Guarantor that is expressly made subordinate to such Guarantee by the terms of such indebtedness.

Section 13.08. “Trustee” to Include Paying Agent.

In case at any time any Paying Agent other than the Trustee shall have been appointed by the Company and be then acting hereunder, the term “Trustee” as used in this Article 13 shall in each case (unless the context shall otherwise require) be construed as extending to and including such Paying Agent within its meaning as fully and for all intents and purposes as if such Paying Agent were named in this Article 13 in place of the Trustee.

 

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ARTICLE 14

CONVERSION OF NOTES

Section 14.01. Conversion Privilege.

(a) Subject to and upon compliance with the provisions of this Article 14, each Holder of a Note shall have the right, at such Holder’s option, to convert all or any portion (if the portion to be converted is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) of such Note:

(i) subject to satisfaction of the conditions described in Section 14.01(b), at any time prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding January 1, 2020 under the circumstances and during the periods set forth in Section 14.01(b);

(ii) on or after January 1, 2020, at any time prior to the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date;

in each case, at an initial conversion rate of 25.6410 shares of Common Stock (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 14.04 and, if applicable, Section 14.03, the “Conversion Rate”) per $1,000 principal amount of Notes (subject to the settlement provisions of Section 14.02, the “Conversion Obligation”).

(b) (i) Prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding January 1, 2020, a Holder may surrender all or any portion of its Notes (that is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) for conversion at any time during the five Business Day period immediately after any five consecutive Trading Day period (the “Measurement Period”) in which the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes, as determined following a request by a Holder of Notes in accordance with the procedures described below in this subsection (b)(i), for each Trading Day of the Measurement Period was less than 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate on each such Trading Day.

(A) The Bid Solicitation Agent (if other than the Company) shall have no obligation to determine the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes unless the Company has requested such determination in writing, and the Company shall have no obligation to make such request (or, if the Company is acting as Bid Solicitation Agent, the Company shall have no obligation to determine the Trading Price) unless a Holder provides the Company with reasonable evidence that the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes would be less than 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate on such Trading Day. At such time, the Company shall instruct the Bid Solicitation Agent (if other than the Company) in writing to determine, or if the Company is acting as Bid Solicitation Agent, the Company shall determine, the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes beginning on the Trading Day following the receipt of such evidence and on each successive Trading Day until the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes is greater than or equal to 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate on such Trading Day.

 

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(B) If the Trading Price condition has been met, the Company shall promptly so notify the Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) in writing. If, at any time after the Trading Price condition has been met, the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes is greater than or equal to 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate on such Trading Day, the Company shall promptly so notify the Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) in writing.

(C) If the Company does not, when it is required to, instruct the Bid Solicitation Agent to (or, if the Company is acting as Bid Solicitation Agent, it does not) obtain bids, or if the Company gives such instruction to the Bid Solicitation Agent and the Bid Solicitation Agent fails to make such determination, then, in either case, the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes shall be deemed to be less than 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate on each Trading Day of such failure.

(ii) If, prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding January 1, 2020, the Company elects to:

(A) issue to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock any rights, options or warrants entitling them, for a period of not more than 45 calendar days after the announcement date of such issuance, to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Common Stock, at a price per share that is less than the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock for the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such issuance; or

(B) distribute to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock the Company’s assets, securities or rights, options or warrants to purchase securities of the Company, which distribution has a per share value, as reasonably determined by the Board of Directors, exceeding 10% of the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such distribution,

then, in either case, the Company shall notify all Holders of the Notes, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) at least 30 Scheduled Trading Days prior to the Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance or distribution. Once the Company has given such notice, the Holders may surrender all or any portion of their Notes (that is $1,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) for conversion at any time until the earlier of (1) the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance or distribution and (2) the Company’s announcement that such issuance or distribution will not take place.

 

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Holders may not exercise a conversion right pursuant to this Section 14.01(b)(ii) if they will participate, at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Stock and solely as a result of holding Notes, in any of the transactions described in this Section 14.01(b)(ii), without having to convert their Notes as if such Holders held a number of shares of Common Stock equal to (x) the Conversion Rate multiplied by (y) the principal amount (expressed in thousands) of Notes held by such Holders.

(iii) If, prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding January 1, 2020:

(A) a Fundamental Change occurs (or is anticipated to occur);

(B) a Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurs (or is anticipated to occur); or

(C) the Company is a party to a consolidation, merger, or other combination, share exchange, or sale, lease or other transfer or disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case, pursuant to which the Common Stock would be converted into stock, other securities, other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof);

then, in each case, the Holders may surrender all or any portion of their Notes (that is $1,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) for conversion at any time from or after the open of business on the date that is 30 Scheduled Trading Days prior to the anticipated effective date of the transaction (or, if later, the open of business on the Business Day immediately following the day the Company gives notice of such transaction) until the close of business on the 35th Trading Day after the actual effective date of such transaction or, if such transaction also constitutes a Fundamental Change, until the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the related Fundamental Change Repurchase Date.

The Company shall notify Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) (x) as promptly as practicable following the date the Company publicly announces such transaction but in no event less than 30 Scheduled Trading Days prior to the anticipated effective date of such transaction or (y) if the Company does not have knowledge of such transaction at least 30 Scheduled Trading Days prior to the anticipated effective date of such transaction, within one Business Day of the date upon which the Company receives notice, or otherwise becomes aware, of such transaction, but in no event later than the actual effective date of such transaction.

If a Holder has already delivered a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice with respect to a Note, such Holder may not surrender such Note for conversion until such Holder has validly withdrawn such Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice (or, in the case of a Global Note, has complied with the Applicable Procedures with respect to such a withdrawal) in accordance with

 

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the terms of Section 15.03. If a Holder has already delivered a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice, such Holder’s right to withdraw such notice and convert the Notes that are subject to repurchase will terminate at the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the relevant Fundamental Change Repurchase Date.

(iv) Prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding January 1, 2020, a Holder may surrender all or any portion of its Notes (that is $1,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) for conversion during any calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on June 30, 2015 (and only during such calendar quarter), if the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock for at least 20 Trading Days (whether or not consecutive) during the period of 30 consecutive Trading Days ending on the last Trading Day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the Conversion Price on each applicable Trading Day.

Section 14.02. Conversion Procedure; Settlement Upon Conversion.

(a) Subject to this Section 14.02, Section 14.03(b) and Section 14.07(a), upon conversion of any Note, the Company shall, at its election, pay or deliver, as the case may be, to the converting Holder, in full satisfaction of its Conversion Obligation, cash (“Cash Settlement”), shares of the Common Stock (“Physical Settlement”) or a combination of cash and shares of the Common Stock (“Combination Settlement”), as set forth in this Section 14.02.

(i) All conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs on or after January 1, 2020 shall be settled using the same Settlement Method (including the same relative proportion of cash and/or shares of the Common Stock) as all other conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurring on or after January 1, 2020. Except for any conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs on or after January 1, 2020, the Company shall use the same Settlement Method (including the same relative proportion of cash and/or shares of the Common Stock) for all conversions with the same Conversion Date, but the Company shall not have any obligation to use the same Settlement Method with respect to conversions with different Conversion Dates.

(ii) If the Company elects a Settlement Method, the Company shall deliver notice to Holders through the Conversion Agent of such Settlement Method the Company has selected no later than the close of business on the Trading Day immediately following the related Conversion Date (or in the case of any conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs on or after January 1, 2020, no later than January 1, 2020). If the Company does not timely elect a Settlement Method, the Company shall no longer have the right to elect Cash Settlement or Physical Settlement with respect to that Conversion Date and the Company shall be deemed to have elected Combination Settlement in respect of its Conversion Obligation, and the Specified Dollar Amount per $1,000 principal amount of Notes shall be equal to $1,000. If the Company has timely elected Combination Settlement in respect of any conversion but does not timely notify the Conversion Agent of the Specified Dollar Amount per $1,000 principal amount of Notes, or the Company is deemed to have elected Combination Settlement, the Specified Dollar Amount shall be deemed to be $1,000.

 

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(iii) The cash, shares of Common Stock or combination of cash and shares of Common Stock payable or deliverable by the Company in respect of any conversion of Notes (the “Settlement Amount”) shall be computed by the Company as follows:

(A) if the Company elects to satisfy its Conversion Obligation in respect of such conversion by Physical Settlement, the Company shall deliver to the converting Holder in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes being converted a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate on the Conversion Date (plus cash in lieu of any fractional share of Common Stock issuable upon conversion);

(B) if the Company elects to satisfy its Conversion Obligation in respect of such conversion by Cash Settlement, the Company shall pay to the converting Holder in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes being converted cash in an amount equal to the sum of the Daily Conversion Values for each of the 20 consecutive VWAP Trading Days during the related relevant Observation Period; and

(C) if the Company elects (or is deemed to have elected) to satisfy its Conversion Obligation in respect of such conversion by Combination Settlement, the Company shall pay and deliver, as the case may be, to the converting Holder in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes being converted a Settlement Amount equal to the sum of the Daily Settlement Amounts for each of the 20 consecutive VWAP Trading Days during the related Observation Period (plus cash in lieu of any fractional share of Common Stock issuable upon conversion).

If more than one Note shall be surrendered for conversion at any one time by the same Holder, the Conversion Obligation with respect to such Notes shall be computed on the basis of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes (or specified portions thereof to the extent permitted hereby) so surrendered.

(iv) The Daily Settlement Amounts (if applicable) and the Daily Conversion Values (if applicable) shall be determined by the Company promptly following the last VWAP Trading Day of the related Observation Period. Promptly after such determination of the Daily Settlement Amounts or the Daily Conversion Values, as the case may be, and, if applicable, the amount of cash payable in lieu of any fractional share of Common Stock, the Company shall notify the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) of the Daily Settlement Amounts or the Daily Conversion Values, as the case may be, and, if applicable, the amount of cash payable in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock. The Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) shall have no responsibility for any such determination.

 

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(b) (i) To convert a beneficial interest in a Global Note (which conversion is irrevocable), the holder of such beneficial interest must:

(A) comply with the Applicable Procedures;

(B) if required, pay funds equal to all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax owed as set forth in Section 14.02(d) and Section 14.02(e); and

(C) if required, pay funds equal to any interest payable on the next Interest Payment Date to which such Holder is not entitled as set forth in Section 14.02(g); and

(ii) To convert a Certificated Note, the Holder must:

(A) complete, manually sign and deliver an irrevocable notice to the Conversion Agent as set forth in the Form of Notice of Conversion (or a facsimile thereof) (a “Notice of Conversion”) and such Note to the Conversion Agent;

(B) if required, furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents;

(C) if required, pay funds equal to all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax owed as set forth in Section 14.02(d) and Section 14.02(e); and

(D) if required, pay funds equal to any interest payable on the next Interest Payment Date to which such Holder is not entitled as set forth in Section 14.02(g).

The Trustee (and if different, the Conversion Agent) shall notify the Company of any conversion pursuant to this Article 14 on the Conversion Date for such conversion.

If a Holder has already delivered a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice with respect to a Note, such Holder may not surrender such Note for conversion until such Holder has validly withdrawn such Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice (or, in the case of a Global Note, has complied with the Applicable Procedures with respect to such a withdrawal) in accordance with the terms of Section 15.03. If a Holder has already delivered a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice, such Holder’s right to withdraw such notice and convert the Notes that are subject to repurchase will terminate at the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the relevant Fundamental Change Repurchase Date.

(c) A Note shall be deemed to have been converted immediately prior to the close of business on the date (the “Conversion Date”) that the Holder has complied with the requirements set forth in Section 14.02(b) above.

 

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Subject to the provisions of Section 14.03(b) and Section 14.07(a), the Company shall pay or deliver, as the case may be, the Settlement Amount due in respect of the Conversion Obligation on:

(i) the third Business Day immediately following the relevant Conversion Date, if the Company elects Physical Settlement; or

(ii) the third Business Day immediately following the last VWAP Trading Day of the relevant Observation Period, if the Company elects Cash Settlement or if the Company elects or is deemed to elect Combination Settlement.

If any shares of Common Stock are due to converting Holders, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued, and deliver to such Holder, or such Holder’s nominee or nominees, certificates or a book-entry transfer through the Depositary, as the case may be, for the full number of shares of Common Stock to which such Holder shall be entitled in satisfaction of the Company’s Conversion Obligation.

(d) In case any Certificated Note shall be surrendered for partial conversion, in $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to or upon the written order of the Holder so surrendered a new Note or Notes in authorized denominations in an aggregate principal amount equal to the unconverted portion of the surrendered Note, without payment of any service charge by the converting Holder but, if required by the Company or Trustee, with payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge required by law or that may be imposed in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of the new Notes issued upon such conversion being different from the name of the Holder of the old Notes surrendered for such conversion.

(e) If a Holder submits a Note for conversion, the Company shall pay any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax due on the issuance of any shares of Common Stock upon conversion of such Note, unless the tax is due because the Holder requests such shares to be issued in a name other than the Holder’s name, in which case the Holder shall pay that tax. The Conversion Agent may refuse to deliver the certificates representing the shares of Common Stock being issued in a name other than the Holder’s name until the Trustee receives a sum sufficient to pay any tax that is due by such Holder in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence.

(f) Upon the conversion of an interest in a Global Note, the Trustee, or the custodian of the Global Note at the direction of the Trustee, shall make a notation in the books and records of the Trustee and Depositary as to the reduction in the principal amount represented thereby. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of any conversion of Notes effected through any Conversion Agent other than the Trustee.

(g) Upon conversion of a Note, the converting Holder shall not receive any separate cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest, if any, except as set forth in the paragraph below. The Company’s payment or delivery, as the case may be, of the Settlement Amount upon conversion of any Note shall be deemed to satisfy in full its obligation to pay the principal amount of the Note and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the relevant Conversion Date. As a result, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the relevant Conversion Date shall be deemed to be paid in full rather than canceled, extinguished or forfeited. Upon a conversion of Notes into a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, accrued and unpaid interest shall be deemed to be paid first out of the cash paid upon such conversion.

 

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Notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, if Notes are converted after the close of business on a Regular Record Date for the payment of interest, but prior to the open of business on the immediately following Interest Payment Date, Holders of such Notes after the close of business on such Regular Record Date shall receive the full amount of interest payable on such Notes on the corresponding Interest Payment Date notwithstanding the conversion. Notes surrendered for conversion during the period from the close of business on any Regular Record Date to the open of business on the immediately following Interest Payment Date must be accompanied by funds equal to the amount of interest payable on the Notes so converted on the corresponding Interest Payment Date (regardless of whether the converting Holder was the Holder of record on the corresponding Regular Record Date); provided that no such payment need be made:

(i) if the Notes are surrendered for conversion following the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Maturity Date;

(ii) if the Company has specified a Fundamental Change Repurchase Date that is after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the Business Day immediately following the corresponding Interest Payment Date; or

(iii) to the extent of any overdue interest, if any overdue interest exists at the time of conversion with respect to such Note.

Therefore, for the avoidance of doubt, all Holders of record on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Maturity Date shall receive and retain the full interest payment due on the Maturity Date regardless of whether their Notes have been converted following such Regular Record Date.

(h) The Person in whose name any shares of Common Stock delivered upon conversion is registered shall become the holder of record of such shares as of the close of business on (i) the relevant Conversion Date if the Company elects Physical Settlement or (ii) the last VWAP Trading Day of the relevant Observation Period if the Company elects or is deemed to elect Combination Settlement. Upon a conversion of Notes, such Person shall no longer be a Holder of such Notes surrendered for conversion; provided that (a) the converting Holder shall have the right to receive the Settlement Amount due upon conversion and (b) in the case of a conversion between a Regular Record Date and the corresponding Interest Payment Date, the Holder of record as of the close of business on such Regular Record Date shall have the right to receive the interest payable on such Interest Payment Date, in accordance with Section 14.02(g).

(i) The Company shall not issue any fractional share of Common Stock upon conversion of the Notes and shall instead pay cash in lieu of any fractional share of Common Stock issuable upon conversion in an amount based on (i) the Daily VWAP on the relevant Conversion Date if the Company elects Physical Settlement or (ii) the Daily VWAP on the last VWAP Trading Day of the relevant Observation Period if the Company elects or is deemed to

 

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elect Combination Settlement. For each Note surrendered for conversion, if the Company has elected (or is deemed to elect) Combination Settlement, the full number of shares that shall be issued upon conversion thereof shall be computed on the basis of the aggregate Daily Settlement Amounts for the relevant Observation Period and, if applicable, any fractional share remaining after such computation shall be paid in cash.

Section 14.03. Increase in Conversion Rate Upon Conversion in Connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change. (a) If the Effective Date of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurs prior to the Maturity Date and a Holder elects to convert its Notes in connection with such Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Company shall, under the circumstances described below, increase the Conversion Rate for the Notes so surrendered for conversion by a number of additional shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”), as described below. A conversion of Notes shall be deemed for these purposes to be “in connection with” such Make-Whole Fundamental Change if the relevant Notice of Conversion (or, in the case of a Global Note, the relevant notice of conversion in accordance with the Applicable Procedures) is received by the Conversion Agent during the period from the open of business on the Effective Date of the Make-Whole Fundamental Change to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the related Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (or, in the case of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change that would have been a Fundamental Change but for the proviso in clause (b) of the definition thereof, the 35th Trading Day immediately following the Effective Date of such Make-Whole Fundamental Change).

(b) Upon surrender of Notes for conversion in connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Company shall, at its option, satisfy its Conversion Obligation by Physical Settlement, Cash Settlement or Combination Settlement in accordance with Section 14.02; provided, however, that, if the consideration for the Common Stock in any Make-Whole Fundamental Change described in clause (b) of the definition of Fundamental Change is composed entirely of cash, for any conversion of Notes following the Effective Date of such Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Conversion Obligation shall be calculated based solely on the Stock Price for the transaction and shall be deemed to be an amount of cash per $1,000 principal amount of converted Notes equal to (i) the Conversion Rate (including any increase to reflect the Additional Shares as described in this Section 14.03), multiplied by (ii) such Stock Price. The Company shall notify Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) of the Effective Date of any Make-Whole Fundamental Change and issue a press release announcing such Effective Date and publish the information on its website or through such other public medium as it may use at that time no later than five Business Days after such Effective Date (the “Make-Whole Fundamental Change Company Notice”). In such event, the Conversion Obligation shall be determined and paid to Holders in cash on the third Business Day following the Conversion Date.

(c) The number of Additional Shares, if any, by which the Conversion Rate shall be increased shall be determined by reference to the table below, based on the date on which the Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurs or becomes effective (the “Effective Date”) and the price (the “Stock Price”) paid (or deemed to be paid) per share of the Common Stock in the Make-Whole Fundamental Change. If the holders of the Common Stock receive only cash in a Make-Whole Fundamental Change described in clause (b) of the definition of Fundamental

 

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Change, the Stock Price shall be the cash amount paid per share. Otherwise, the Stock Price shall be the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the five Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the Effective Date of the Make-Whole Fundamental Change. The Board of Directors shall make appropriate adjustments to the Stock Price, in its good faith determination, to account for any adjustment to the Conversion Rate that becomes effective, or any event requiring an adjustment to the Conversion Rate where the Ex-Dividend Date of the event occurs, during such five Trading Day period.

(d) The Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table below shall be adjusted as of any date on which the Conversion Rate is otherwise adjusted. The adjusted Stock Prices shall equal (i) the Stock Prices applicable immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the Conversion Rate immediately prior to such adjustment giving rise to the Stock Price adjustment and the denominator of which is the Conversion Rate as so adjusted. The number of Additional Shares set forth in the table below shall be adjusted in the same manner and at the same time as the Conversion Rate as set forth in Section 14.04.

(e) The following table sets forth the number of Additional Shares by which the Conversion Rate shall be increased per $1,000 principal amount of Notes pursuant to this Section 14.03 for each Stock Price and Effective Date set forth below:

 

     Stock price  

Effective date

   $30.00      $33.00      $36.00      $39.00      $42.00      $45.00      $50.00      $60.00      $75.00      $90.00      $120.00  

March 27, 2015

     7.6923         7.1021         5.8770         4.9064         4.1275         3.4953         2.6827         1.6381         0.8258         0.4250         0.0955   

April 1, 2016

     7.6923         7.3362         6.0145         4.9747         4.1467         3.4803         2.6336         1.5686         0.7710         0.3946         0.0981   

April 1, 2017

     7.6923         7.1234         5.7324         4.6511         3.8015         3.1276         2.2887         1.2749         0.5673         0.2618         0.0469   

April 1, 2018

     7.6923         6.7695         5.2834         4.1494         3.2777         2.6034         1.7933         0.8827         0.3260         0.1231         0.0080   

April 1, 2019

     7.6923         5.9954         4.3758         3.1862         2.3160         1.6819         0.9867         0.3434         0.0745         0.0144         0.0000   

April 1, 2020

     7.6923         4.6620         2.1368         0.0000         0.0000         0.0000         0.0000         0.0000         0.0000         0.0000         0.0000   

The exact Stock Price and Effective Date may not be set forth in the table above, in which case:

(i) if the Stock Price is between two Stock Prices in the table or the Effective Date is between two Effective Dates in the table, the number of Additional Shares by which the Conversion Rate shall be increased shall be determined by a straight-line interpolation between the number of Additional Shares set forth for the higher and lower Stock Prices and the earlier and later Effective Dates, as applicable, based on a 365-day year;

 

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(ii) if the Stock Price is greater than $120.00 per share (subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table above), no Additional Shares shall be added to the Conversion Rate; and

(iii) if the Stock Price is less than $30.00 per share (subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table above), no Additional Shares shall be added to the Conversion Rate.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Conversion Rate per $1,000 principal amount of Notes exceed 33.3333 shares of Common Stock, subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04.

(f) Nothing in this Section 14.03 shall prevent an adjustment to the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04 in respect of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change.

(g) Notwithstanding the above, certain listing standards of The New York Stock Exchange may limit the amount by which the Company may increase the Conversion Rate pursuant to the events described in clauses (b) through (e) in Section 14.04 and as described in this Section 14.03. These standards generally require the Company to obtain the approval of its stockholders before entering into certain transactions that potentially result in the issuance of 20% or more of the Common Stock outstanding at the time the Notes are issued unless the Company obtain stockholder approval of issuances in excess of such limitations. In accordance with these listing standards, these restrictions shall apply at any time when the Notes are outstanding, regardless of whether the Company then has a class of securities listed on The New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, in the event of an increase in the Conversion Rate above that which would result in the Notes, in the aggregate, becoming convertible into shares of Common Stock in excess of such limitations, the Company shall, at its option, either obtain stockholder approval of such issuances or pay cash in lieu of delivering any shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable upon conversions in excess of such limitations based on the Daily VWAP for each VWAP Trading Day of the relevant Observation Period in respect of which, in lieu of delivering the shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay cash pursuant to this Section 14.03(g).

Section 14.04. Adjustment of Conversion Rate. The Conversion Rate shall be adjusted from time to time by the Company if any of the following events occurs, except that the Company shall not make any adjustments to the Conversion Rate if Holders of the Notes participate (other than in the case of a share split or share combination), at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Stock and solely as a result of holding the Notes, in any of the transactions described in this Section 14.04, without having to convert their Notes, as if they held a number of shares of Common Stock equal to (i) the Conversion Rate, multiplied by (ii) the principal amount (expressed in thousands) of Notes held by such Holder.

(a) If the Company exclusively issues shares of Common Stock as a dividend or distribution on shares of the Common Stock, or if the Company effects a share split or share combination, the Conversion Rate shall be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

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CR1 = CR0 ×   OS1 
OS0 

where,

 

CR0 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date of such dividend or distribution, or immediately prior to the open of business on the effective date of such share split or share combination, as applicable;
CR1 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date or effective date, as applicable;
OS0 = the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date or effective date, as applicable, before giving effect to such dividend, distribution, share split or share combination; and
OS1 = the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such dividend, distribution, share split or share combination.

Any adjustment made under this Section 14.04(a) shall become effective immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution, or immediately after the open of business on the effective date for such share split or share combination, as applicable. If any dividend or distribution of the type described in this Section 14.04(a) is declared that results in an adjustment under this Section 14.04(a) but is not so paid or made, the Conversion Rate shall be immediately readjusted, effective as of the date the Board of Directors determines not to pay such dividend or distribution, to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution.

(b) If the Company issues to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock any rights, options or warrants entitling them, for a period of not more than 45 calendar days after the announcement date of such issuance, to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock at a price per share that is less than the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock for the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such issuance, the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

CR1 = CR0 ×   (OS0 + X) 
(OS0 + Y) 

 

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where,

 

CR0 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance;
CR1 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date;
OS0 = the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date;
X = the total number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to such rights, options or warrants; and
Y = the number of shares of Common Stock equal to (i) the aggregate price payable to exercise such rights, options or warrants, divided by (ii) the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of the issuance of such rights, options or warrants.

Any increase made under this Section 14.04(b) shall be made successively whenever any such rights, options or warrants are issued and shall become effective immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance. To the extent that such rights, options or warrants are not exercised prior to their expiration or shares of Common Stock are not delivered after the exercise of such rights, options or warrants, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect had the increase with respect to the issuance of such rights, options or warrants been made on the basis of delivery of only the number of shares of Common Stock actually delivered. To the extent such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Conversion Rate shall be immediately readjusted, effective as of the date the Board of Directors determines not to pay such dividend, to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance had not occurred.

For purposes of this Section 14.04(b) and Section 14.01(b)(ii)(A), in determining whether any rights, options or warrants entitle the holders of Common Stock to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Common Stock at less than such average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such issuance, and in determining the aggregate offering price of such shares of Common Stock, there shall be taken into account any consideration received by the Company for such rights, options or warrants and any amount payable on exercise or conversion thereof, the value of such consideration, if other than cash, to be determined by the Board of Directors.

(c) If the Company distributes shares of its Capital Stock, evidences of its indebtedness, other assets or property of the Company or rights, options or warrants to acquire its Capital Stock or other securities, to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock, excluding:

(i) dividends, distributions or issuances as to which an adjustment was effected pursuant to Section 14.04(a) or Section 14.04(b);

(ii) dividends or distributions paid exclusively in cash as to which an adjustment was effected pursuant to Section 14.04(d);

 

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(iii) any dividends and distributions in connection with a recapitalization, reclassification, change, consolidation, merger or other combination, share exchange, or sale, lease or other transfer or disposition resulting in the change in the conversion consideration as described below under Section 14.07;

(iv) except as otherwise set forth in Section 14.11, rights issued pursuant to a shareholder rights plan adopted by the Company; and

(v) Spin-Offs as to which the provisions set forth below in this Section 14.04(c) shall apply (any of such shares of Capital Stock, evidences of indebtedness, other assets or property or rights, options or warrants to acquire Capital Stock or other securities of the Company, the “Distributed Property”), then the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

CR1 = CR0 ×  

SP0 
(SP0 – FMV) 

where,

 

CR0 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution;
CR1 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date;
SP0 = the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution; and
FMV = the fair market value (as determined by the Board of Directors) of the Distributed Property so distributed, expressed as an amount per share of the Common Stock on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution.

Any increase made under the portion of this Section 14.04(c) above shall become effective immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution. If such distribution is not so paid or made, the Conversion Rate shall be immediately readjusted, effective as of the date the Board of Directors determines not to pay such dividend or distribution, to be the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution had not been declared.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if “FMV” (as defined above) is equal to or greater than “SP0” (as defined above), in lieu of the foregoing increase, each Holder of a Note shall receive, in respect of each $1,000 principal amount thereof, at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Stock receive the Distributed Property, the amount and kind of Distributed Property that such Holder would have received if such Holder owned a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate in effect on the Ex-Dividend Date for the distribution.

 

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With respect to an adjustment pursuant to this Section 14.04(c) where there has been a payment of a dividend or other distribution on the Common Stock of shares of Capital Stock of any class or series, or similar equity interest, of or relating to a Subsidiary or other business unit of the Company, that are, or, when issued, will be, listed or admitted for trading on a U.S. national securities exchange (a “Spin-Off”), the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

CR1 = CR0 × (FMV0 + MP0)
MP0

where,

 

CR0 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution;
CR1 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution;
FMV0 = the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Capital Stock or similar equity interest distributed to holders of the Common Stock applicable to one share of the Common Stock (determined by reference to the definition of Last Reported Sale Price as set forth in Section 1.01 as if references therein to Common Stock were to such Capital Stock or similar equity interest) over the first 10 consecutive Trading Day period after, and including, the Ex-Dividend Date of the Spin-Off (the “Valuation Period”); and
MP0 = the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the Valuation Period.

The increase to the Conversion Rate under the preceding paragraph shall occur on the last Trading Day of the Valuation Period but shall be given effect at the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such Spin-Off. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in respect of any conversion during the Valuation Period, the references to “10” in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed between the Ex-Dividend Date of such Spin-Off and the Conversion Date in determining the Conversion Rate. In addition, if the Ex-Dividend Date for such Spin-Off is less than 10 Trading Days prior to, and including, the end of any Observation Period in respect of a conversion of Notes, references to “10” or “10th” in the preceding paragraph and this paragraph shall be deemed replaced, solely in respect of that conversion, with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed from, and including, the Ex-Dividend Date for the Spin-Off to, and including, the last VWAP Trading Day of such Observation Period.

For purposes of this Section 14.04(c) (and subject in all respect to Section 14.11), rights, options or warrants distributed by the Company to all holders of the Common Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Company’s Capital Stock, including Common

 

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Stock (either initially or under certain circumstances), which rights, options or warrants, until the occurrence of a specified event or events (“Trigger Event”):

(i) are deemed to be transferred with such shares of the Common Stock;

(ii) are not exercisable; and

(iii) are also issued in respect of future issuances of the Common Stock,

shall be deemed not to have been distributed for purposes of this Section 14.04(c) (and no adjustment to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(c) will be required) until the occurrence of the earliest Trigger Event, whereupon such rights, options or warrants shall be deemed to have been distributed and an appropriate adjustment (if any is required) to the Conversion Rate shall be made under this Section 14.04(c). If any such right, option or warrant, including any such existing rights, options or warrants distributed prior to the date of this Indenture, are subject to events, upon the occurrence of which such rights, options or warrants become exercisable to purchase different securities, evidences of indebtedness or other assets, then the date of the occurrence of any and each such event shall be deemed to be the date of distribution and Ex-Dividend Date with respect to new rights, options or warrants with such rights (in which case the existing rights, options or warrants shall be deemed to terminate and expire on such date without exercise by any of the holders thereof). In addition, in the event of any distribution (or deemed distribution) of rights, options or warrants, or any Trigger Event or other event (of the type described in the immediately preceding sentence) with respect thereto that was counted for purposes of calculating a distribution amount for which an adjustment to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(c) was made:

(A) in the case of any such rights, options or warrants that shall all have been redeemed or purchased without exercise by any holders thereof, upon such final redemption or purchase (x) the Conversion Rate shall be readjusted as if such rights, options or warrants had not been issued and (y) the Conversion Rate shall then again be readjusted to give effect to such distribution, deemed distribution or Trigger Event, as the case may be, as though it were a cash distribution, equal to the per share redemption or purchase price received by a holder or holders of Common Stock with respect to such rights, options or warrants (assuming such holder had retained such rights, options or warrants), made to all holders of Common Stock as of the date of such redemption or purchase, and

(B) in the case of such rights, options or warrants that shall have expired or been terminated without exercise by any holders thereof, the Conversion Rate shall be readjusted as if such rights, options and warrants had not been issued.

 

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For purposes of Section 14.04(a), Section 14.04(b) and this Section 14.04(c), any dividend or distribution to which this Section 14.04(c) is applicable that also includes one or both of:

(i) a dividend or distribution of shares of Common Stock to which Section 14.04(a) is applicable (the “Clause A Distribution”); or

(ii) a dividend or distribution of rights, options or warrants to which Section 14.04(b) is applicable (the “Clause B Distribution”),

then:

(A) such dividend or distribution, other than the Clause A Distribution and the Clause B Distribution, shall be deemed to be a dividend or distribution to which this Section 14.04(c) is applicable (the “Clause C Distribution”) and any Conversion Rate adjustment required by this Section 14.04(c) with respect to such Clause C Distribution shall then be made; and

(B) the Clause A Distribution and Clause B Distribution shall be deemed to immediately follow the Clause C Distribution and any Conversion Rate adjustment required by Section 14.04(a) and Section 14.04(b) with respect thereto shall then be made, except that, if determined by the Company (I) the “Ex-Dividend Date” of the Clause A Distribution and the Clause B Distribution shall be deemed to be the Ex-Dividend Date of the Clause C Distribution and (II) any shares of Common Stock included in the Clause A Distribution or Clause B Distribution shall be deemed not to be “outstanding immediately prior to the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date or effective date” within the meaning of Section 14.04(a) or “outstanding immediately prior to the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date” within the meaning of Section 14.04(b).

(d) If any cash dividend or distribution is made to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock, the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

CR1 = CR0 ×   SP0 
(SP0 – C) 

where,

 

CR0 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution;
CR1 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution;
SP0 = the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution; and
C = the amount in cash per share the Company distributes to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock.

 

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Any increase made pursuant to this Section 14.04(d) shall become effective immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution. If such dividend or distribution is not so paid, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased, effective as of the date the Board of Directors determines not to make or pay such dividend or distribution, to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution had not been declared.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if “C” (as defined above) is equal to or greater than “SP0” (as defined above), in lieu of the foregoing increase, each Holder of a Note shall receive, for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes, at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of shares of the Common Stock, the amount of cash that such Holder would have received if such Holder owned a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate on the Ex-Dividend Date for such cash dividend or distribution.

(e) If the Company or any of its Subsidiaries makes a payment in respect of a tender or exchange offer for the Common Stock, to the extent that the cash and value of any other consideration included in the payment per share of the Common Stock exceeds the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period commencing on, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the last date on which tenders or exchanges may be made pursuant to such tender or exchange offer (such date, the “Expiration Date”), the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

CR1 = CR0 ×   (AC + (SP1 × OS1)) 
(OS0 × SP1

where,

 

CR0 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Date;
CR1 = the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Date;
AC = the aggregate value of all cash and any other consideration (as determined by the Board of Directors) paid or payable for shares of Common Stock purchased in such tender or exchange offer;
OS0 = the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the time (the “Expiration Time”) such tender or exchange offer expires (prior to giving effect to the purchase of all shares of Common Stock accepted for purchase or exchange in such tender or exchange offer);
OS1 = the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after the Expiration Time (after giving effect to the purchase of all shares of Common Stock accepted for purchase or exchange in such tender or exchange offer); and
SP1 = the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period commencing on, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Date.

 

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The increase to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(e) shall occur at the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Date, but will be given effect at the open of business on the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in respect of any conversion within the 10 Trading Days immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Date of any tender or exchange offer, the reference to “10” or “10th” in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed between such Expiration Date of such tender or exchange offer and the Conversion Date in determining the Conversion Rate. In addition, if the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Date of such tender or exchange offer is less than 10 Trading Days prior to, and including, the end of any Observation Period in respect of a conversion of Notes, references to “10” or “10th” in the preceding paragraph and this paragraph shall be deemed to be replaced, solely in respect of that conversion, with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed from, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Date of such tender or exchange offer to, and including, last VWAP Trading Day of such Observation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, no adjustment under this Section 14.04(e) shall be made if such adjustment would result in a decrease in the Conversion Rate.

In the event that the Company or one of its Subsidiaries is obligated to purchase shares of Common Stock pursuant to any such tender or exchange offer, but the Company or such Subsidiary is permanently prevented by applicable law from effecting any such purchases, or all such purchases are rescinded, then the Conversion Rate shall again be adjusted to be the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such tender or exchange offer had not been made.

(f) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 14.04 or any other provision of this Indenture or the Notes, if a Conversion Rate adjustment becomes effective on any Ex-Dividend Date and a Holder that has converted its Notes on or after such Ex-Dividend Date and on or prior to the related Record Date would be treated as the record holder of the shares of Common Stock as of the related Conversion Date as described under Section 14.02(h) based on an adjusted Conversion Rate for such Ex-Dividend Date, then, notwithstanding the Conversion Rate adjustment provisions in this Section 14.04, the Conversion Rate adjustment relating to such Ex-Dividend Date shall not be made for such converting Holder. Instead, such Holder shall be treated as if such Holder were the record owner of the shares of Common Stock on an unadjusted basis and participate in the related dividend, distribution or other event giving rise to such adjustment.

(g) All calculations and other determinations under this Article 14 shall be made by the Company and all adjustments to the Conversion Rate shall be made to the nearest one-ten

 

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thousandth (1/10,000th) of a share. Notwithstanding anything in this Article 14 to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to adjust the Conversion Rate unless the adjustment would result in a change of at least 1% to the Conversion Rate. However, the Company shall carry forward, and take into account in any future adjustment, any adjustments that are less than 1% of the Conversion Rate and make such carried-forward adjustments, regardless of whether the aggregate adjustment is less than 1%, (i) on the effective date of any Fundamental Change or the Effective Date of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, (ii) upon any conversion of the Notes, (iii) on each VWAP Trading Day of any Observation Period and (iv) on the Maturity Date of the Notes.

(h) In addition to those adjustments required by clauses (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this Section 14.04, and to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to the applicable rules of The New York Stock Exchange, the Company from time to time may increase the Conversion Rate by any amount for a period of at least 20 Business Days if the Board of Directors determines that such increase would be in the Company’s best interest. In addition, the Company may also (but is not required to) increase the Conversion Rate to avoid or diminish any income tax to holders of Common Stock or rights to purchase shares of Common Stock in connection with a dividend or distribution of shares of Common Stock (or rights to acquire shares of Common Stock) or similar event. Whenever the Conversion Rate is increased pursuant to either of the preceding two sentences, the Company shall mail to the Holder of each Note at its last address appearing on the Note Register a notice of the increase at least 15 days prior to the date the increased Conversion Rate takes effect, and such notice shall state the increased Conversion Rate and the period during which it will be in effect.

(i) Except as stated herein, the Company shall not adjust the Conversion Rate for the issuance of shares of the Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of the Common Stock or the right to purchase shares of the Common Stock or such convertible or exchangeable securities. In addition, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 14, the Conversion Rate shall not be adjusted:

(i) upon the issuance of any shares of Common Stock pursuant to any present or future plan providing for the reinvestment of dividends or interest payable on the Company’s securities and the investment of additional optional amounts in shares of Common Stock under any plan;

(ii) upon the issuance of any shares of Common Stock or options or rights to purchase those shares pursuant to any present or future employee, director or consultant benefit plan or program of or assumed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

(iii) upon the issuance of any shares of the Common Stock pursuant to any option, warrant, right or exercisable, exchangeable or convertible security not described in clause (ii) of this subsection and outstanding as of the date the Notes were first issued;

(iv) for ordinary course of business stock repurchases that are not tender offers referred to in Section 14.04(e), including structured or derivative transactions or pursuant to a stock repurchase program approved by the Board of Directors;

 

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(v) solely for a change in the par value of the Common Stock; or

(vi) for accrued and unpaid interest, if any.

(j) Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 14.04, certain listing standards of The New York Stock Exchange may limit the amount by which the Company may increase the Conversion Rate pursuant to the events described in clauses (b) through (e) in this Section 14.04 and as described in Section 14.03. These standards generally require the Company to obtain the approval of its stockholders before entering into certain transactions that potentially result in the issuance of 20% or more of the Common Stock outstanding at the time the Notes are issued unless the Company obtain stockholder approval of issuances in excess of such limitations. In accordance with these listing standards, these restrictions shall apply at any time when the Notes are outstanding, regardless of whether the Company then has a class of securities listed on The New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, in the event of an increase in the Conversion Rate above that which would result in the Notes, in the aggregate, becoming convertible into shares of Common Stock in excess of such limitations, the Company shall, at its option, either obtain stockholder approval of such issuances or pay cash in lieu of delivering any shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable upon conversions in excess of such limitations based on the Daily VWAP for each VWAP Trading Day of the relevant Observation Period in respect of which, in lieu of delivering the shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay cash pursuant to this Section 14.04(j).

(k) Whenever the Conversion Rate is adjusted as herein provided, the Company shall promptly file with the Trustee (and the Conversion Agent if not the Trustee) an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the Conversion Rate after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment. Unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received such Officers’ Certificate, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any adjustment of the Conversion Rate and may assume without inquiry that the last Conversion Rate of which it has knowledge is still in effect. Promptly after delivery of such certificate, the Company shall prepare a notice of such adjustment of the Conversion Rate setting forth the adjusted Conversion Rate and the date on which each adjustment becomes effective and shall mail such notice of such adjustment of the Conversion Rate to each Holder at its last address appearing on the Note Register of this Indenture. Failure to deliver such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of any such adjustment.

(l) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will the Conversion Rate per $1,000 principal amount of Notes exceed 33.3333 shares of Common Stock, subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Conversion Rate as set forth in this Section 14.04.

(m) For purposes of this Section 14.04, the number of shares of Common Stock at any time outstanding shall not include shares held in the treasury of the Company so long as the Company does not pay any dividend or make any distribution on shares of Common Stock held in the treasury of the Company, but shall include shares issuable in respect of scrip certificates issued in lieu of fractions of shares of Common Stock.

Section 14.05. Adjustments of Prices. Whenever any provision of this Indenture requires the Company to calculate the Last Reported Sale Prices, the Daily VWAPs, the Daily Conversion

 

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Values or the Daily Settlement Amounts over a span of multiple days (including an Observation Period and the period for determining the Stock Price for purposes of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change), the Board of Directors shall make appropriate adjustments to each to account for any adjustment to the Conversion Rate that becomes effective, or any event requiring an adjustment to the Conversion Rate where the Ex-Dividend Date, Effective Date or expiration date of the event occurs, at any time during the period when the Last Reported Sale Prices, the Daily VWAPs, the Daily Conversion Values or the Daily Settlement Amounts are to be calculated.

Section 14.06. Shares to Be Fully Reserved. The Company shall reserve, on or prior to the date of this Indenture, and from time to time as may be necessary, out of its authorized but unissued shares, sufficient shares of Common Stock to provide for conversion of the Notes from time to time as such Notes are presented for conversion (assuming that at the time of computation of such number of shares, all such Notes would be converted by a single Holder and that Physical Settlement is applicable, and including the maximum number of Additional Shares that could be included in the Conversion Rate for a conversion in connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change).

Section 14.07. Effect of Recapitalizations, Reclassifications and Changes of the Common Stock.

(a) In the event of:

(i) any recapitalization, reclassification or change of the Common Stock (other than changes resulting from a subdivision or combination or a change in the par value of the Common Stock);

(ii) any consolidation, merger or combination involving the Company; or

(iii) any sale, lease or other transfer or disposition to a third party of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries; or

(iv) any statutory share exchange,

in each case, as a result of which the Common Stock would be converted into, or exchanged for stock, other securities, other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) (any such event, a “Specified Corporate Event” and any such stock, other securities, other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof), “Reference Property” and the amount of Reference Property that a holder of one share of the Common Stock immediately prior to such Specified Corporate Event would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Specified Corporate Event, a “Unit of Reference Property”), then the Company, or the successor or purchasing entity, as the case may be, will execute with the Trustee, without the consent of the Holders, a supplemental indenture providing that, at and after the effective time of the Specified Corporate Event, the right to convert each $1,000 principal amount of Notes will be changed into a right to convert such principal amount of Notes into the kind and amount of Reference Property that a holder of a number of shares of the Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate immediately prior to such Specified Corporate Event would have been entitled

 

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to receive upon such Specified Corporate Event; provided, however, that at and after the effective time of the Specified Corporate Event:

(A) the Company shall continue to have the right to determine the form of consideration to be paid or delivered, as the case may be, upon conversion of Notes in accordance with Section 14.02; and

(B) (I) any amount payable in cash upon conversion of the Notes in accordance with Section 14.02 shall continue to be payable in cash, (II) any shares of Common Stock that the Company would have been required to deliver upon conversion of the Notes in accordance with Section 14.02 shall instead be deliverable in the Units of Reference Property that a holder of that number of shares of Common Stock would have received in such Specified Corporate Event and (III) the Daily VWAP shall be calculated based on the value of a Unit of Reference Property; provided, however, that if the holders of Common Stock receive only cash in such Specified Corporate Event, then for all conversions that occur after the effective date of such Specified Corporate Event (x) the consideration due upon conversion of each $1,000 principal aggregate amount of Notes shall be solely cash in an amount equal to the Conversion Rate in effect on the Conversion Date (as may be increased by any Additional Shares pursuant to Section 14.03), multiplied by the price paid per share of Common Stock in such Specified Corporate Event and (y) the Company shall satisfy the Conversion Obligation by paying such cash to the converting Holder on the third Business Day immediately following the Conversion Date.

If the Specified Corporate Event causes the Common Stock to be converted into, or exchanged for, the right to receive more than a single type of consideration (determined based in part upon any form of stockholder election), then the Reference Property used to calculate the Daily VWAP shall be deemed to be: (A) the weighted average of the types and amounts of consideration received by the holders of Common Stock that affirmatively make such an election; and (B) if no holder of Common Stock affirmatively make such an election, the types and amounts of consideration actually received by the holder of Common Stock. The Company shall notify Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) of such weighted average as soon as practicable after such determination is made.

Such supplemental indenture described in the second immediately preceding paragraph shall provide for anti-dilution and other adjustments that shall be as nearly equivalent as is possible to the adjustments provided for in this Article 14. If the Reference Property in respect of any Specified Corporate Event includes shares of stock, other securities or other property or assets (including any combination thereof) of a company other than the Company or the successor or purchasing entity, as the case may be, in such Specified Corporate Event, then such other company shall also execute such supplemental indenture, and such supplemental indenture shall contain such additional provisions to protect the interests of the Holders, including the right of Holders to require the Company to repurchase their Notes upon a Fundamental Change in accordance with Article 15, as the Board of Directors shall reasonably consider necessary by reason of the foregoing.

 

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(b) In the event the Company shall execute a supplemental indenture pursuant to Section 14.07(a), the Company shall promptly file with the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate briefly stating the reasons therefor, the kind or amount of cash, securities or other assets (including any combination thereof) that will comprise the Reference Property after any such Specified Corporate Event, any adjustment to be made with respect thereto and that all conditions precedent have been complied with, and shall promptly mail notice thereof to all Holders. The Company shall cause notice of the execution of such supplemental indenture to be mailed to each Holder, at its address appearing on the Note Register provided for in this Indenture, within 20 days after execution thereof. Failure to deliver such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such supplemental indenture.

(c) If the Notes become convertible into Reference Property, the Company shall notify the Trustee and issue a press release containing the relevant information and publish the information on its website or through such other public medium as it may use at that time.

(d) The Company shall not become a party to any Specified Corporate Event unless its terms are consistent with this Section 14.07. None of the foregoing provisions shall affect the right of a holder of Notes to convert its Notes into cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, as applicable, as set forth in Section 14.01 and Section 14.02 prior to the effective date of such Specified Corporate Event.

(e) The above provisions of this Section shall similarly apply to successive Specified Corporate Events.

Section 14.08. Certain Covenants.

(a) The Company covenants that all shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion of Notes shall be duly authorized, fully paid and non-assessable and free from all preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of the Company and free from all taxes, liens, charges and adverse claims as the result of any action by the Company.

(b) The Company shall comply with all federal and state securities laws regulating the offer and delivery of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the Notes, including that if any shares of Common Stock to be provided for the purpose of conversion of Notes hereunder require registration with or approval of any governmental authority under any federal or state law before such shares may be validly issued upon conversion, the Company shall, to the extent then permitted by the rules and interpretations of the Commission, secure such registration or approval, as the case may be.

(c) The Company further covenants that if at any time the Common Stock shall be listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system, the Company shall list and keep listed, so long as the Common Stock shall be so listed on such exchange or automated quotation system, any Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes.

Section 14.09. Responsibility of Trustee. The Trustee and any other Conversion Agent shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to determine the Conversion Rate (or any adjustment thereto) or whether any facts exist that may require any adjustment (including

 

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any increase) of the Conversion Rate, or with respect to the nature or extent or calculation of any such adjustment when made, or with respect to the method employed, or herein or in any supplemental indenture provided to be employed, in making the same. The Trustee and any other Conversion Agent shall not be accountable with respect to the validity or value (or the kind or amount) of any shares of Common Stock, or of any securities, property or cash that may at any time be issued or delivered upon the conversion of any Note; and the Trustee and any other Conversion Agent make no representations with respect thereto. Neither the Trustee nor any Conversion Agent shall be responsible for any failure of the Company to issue, transfer or deliver any shares of Common Stock or stock certificates or other securities or property or cash upon the surrender of any Note for the purpose of conversion or to comply with any of the duties, responsibilities or covenants of the Company contained in this Article. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, neither the Trustee nor any Conversion Agent shall be under any responsibility to determine the correctness of any provisions contained in any supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 14.07 relating either to the kind or amount of shares of stock or securities or property (including cash) receivable by Holders upon the conversion of their Notes after any event referred to in such Section 14.07 or to any adjustment to be made with respect thereto, but, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, may accept (without any independent investigation) as conclusive evidence of the correctness of any such provisions, and shall be protected in relying upon, the Officers’ Certificate (which the Company shall be obligated to file with the Trustee prior to the execution of any such supplemental indenture) with respect thereto. Neither the Trustee nor the Conversion Agent shall be responsible for determining whether any event contemplated by Section 14.01(b) has occurred that makes the Notes eligible for conversion or no longer eligible therefor until the Company has delivered to the Trustee and the Conversion Agent the notices referred to in Section 14.01(b) with respect to the commencement or termination of such conversion rights, on which notices the Trustee and the Conversion Agent may conclusively rely, and the Company agrees to deliver such notices to the Trustee and the Conversion Agent immediately after the occurrence of any such event or at such other times as shall be provided for in Section 14.01(b). The parties hereto agree that all notices to the Trustee or the Conversion Agent under this Article 14 shall be in writing.

Section 14.10. Notice to Holders Prior to Certain Actions. In case of any:

(a) action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries that would require an adjustment in the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04 or Section 14.11;

(b) Specified Corporate Event or any consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, lease, conveyance or other transfer or disposition of all or substantially all assets in accordance with Article 11; or

(c) voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

then, in each case (unless notice of such event is otherwise required pursuant to another provision of this Indenture), the Company shall cause to be filed with the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) and to be mailed to each Holder at its address appearing on the Note Register, as promptly as possible but in any event at least 20 days prior to

 

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the applicable date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (i) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or, if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of Common Stock of record are to be determined for the purposes of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries, or (ii) the date on which such Specified Corporate Event, any consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, lease, conveyance or other transfer or disposition of all or substantially all assets in accordance with Article 11, or any dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is expected to become effective or occur, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their Common Stock for securities or other property deliverable upon such Specified Corporate Event, consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, lease, conveyance or other transfer or disposition of all or substantially all assets in accordance with Article 11, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries, Specified Corporate Event, or any consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, lease, conveyance or other transfer or disposition of all or substantially all assets in accordance with Article 11, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up.

Section 14.11. Stockholder Rights Plans. If the Company has a rights plan in effect upon conversion of the Notes into Common Stock, Holders that convert their Notes shall receive, in addition to any shares of Common Stock received in connection with such conversion, the appropriate number of rights under the rights plan, if any, and any certificate representing the share of Common Stock issued upon such conversion shall bear such legends, if any, in each case as may be provided by the terms of any such rights plan, as the same may be amended from time to time. However, if prior to any conversion, the rights have separated from the shares of Common Stock in accordance with the provisions of the applicable rights plan, the Conversion Rate shall be adjusted at the time of separation as if the Company distributed to all or substantially all holders of shares of Common Stock, Distributed Property pursuant to Section 14.04(c), subject to readjustment in the event of the expiration, termination or redemption of such rights.

ARTICLE 15

PURCHASE OF NOTES AT OPTION OF HOLDERS

Section 15.01. Intentionally Omitted.

Section 15.02. Repurchase at Option of Holders Upon a Fundamental Change. (a) If a Fundamental Change occurs at any time prior to the Maturity Date, each Holder shall have the right, at such Holder’s option, to require the Company to repurchase for cash all of such Holder’s Notes, or any portion of the principal thereof that is equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 thereof, on the date (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Date”) specified by the Company that is not less than 20 Business Days or more than 35 Business Days following the date of the Fundamental Change Company Notice, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Price”), unless the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date falls after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the Interest Payment Date to which such Regular Record Date relates, in which case the

 

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Company shall instead pay the full amount of accrued and unpaid interest to Holders of record as of such Regular Record Date, and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price shall be equal to 100% of the principal amount of Notes to be purchased pursuant to this Article 15.

(b) Repurchases of Notes under this Section 15.02 shall be made, at the option of the Holder thereof, upon:

(i) delivery to the Paying Agent by a Holder of a duly completed notice (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice”) in the form set forth in Attachment 2 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A, if the Notes are Certificated Notes, or in compliance with the Applicable Procedures for surrendering interests in Global Notes, if the Notes are Global Notes, in each case on or before the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date; and

(ii) delivery of the Notes, if the Notes are Certificated Notes, to the Paying Agent on or before the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (together with all necessary endorsements for transfer) at the Corporate Trust Office of the Paying Agent, or book-entry transfer of the Notes, if the Notes are Global Notes, in compliance with the Applicable Procedures, in each case such delivery being a condition to receipt by the Holder of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price therefor.

The Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice in respect of any Notes to be repurchased shall state:

A. in the case of Certificated Notes, the certificate numbers of the Notes to be delivered for repurchase;

B. the portion of the principal amount of Notes to be repurchased, which must be $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof; and

C. that the Notes are to be purchased by the Company pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Notes and this Indenture;

provided, however, that if the Notes are Global Notes, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice must comply with the Applicable Procedures.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any Holder delivering to the Paying Agent the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice contemplated by this Section 15.02 shall have the right to withdraw, in whole or in part, such Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice at any time prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date by delivery of a written notice of withdrawal to the Paying Agent in accordance with Section 15.03.

If a Holder has already delivered a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice with respect to a Note, such Holder may not surrender such Note for conversion until such Holder has validly withdrawn such Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice (or, in the case of a Global Note, has complied with the Applicable Procedures with respect to such a withdrawal) in accordance with the terms of Section 15.03.

 

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The Paying Agent shall promptly notify the Company of the receipt by it of any Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice or written notice of withdrawal thereof.

(c) On or before the 20th calendar day after the occurrence of a Fundamental Change, the Company shall provide to all Holders of Notes and the Trustee and the Paying Agent (if other than the Trustee) a notice (the “Fundamental Change Company Notice”) of the occurrence of the Fundamental Change and of the repurchase right at the option of the Holders arising as a result thereof. Each Fundamental Change Company Notice shall specify:

(i) the events causing the Fundamental Change;

(ii) the date of the Fundamental Change;

(iii) the last date on which a Holder may exercise the repurchase right pursuant to this Article 15;

(iv) the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price;

(v) the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date;

(vi) the name and address of the Paying Agent and the Conversion Agent;

(vii) the Conversion Rate and any adjustments to the Conversion Rate;

(viii) that the Notes with respect to which a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice has been delivered by a Holder may be converted only if the Holder withdraws the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice in accordance with the terms of this Indenture (or, in the case of a Global Note, complies with the Applicable Procedures with respect to such a withdrawal); and

(ix) the procedures that Holders must follow to require the Company to repurchase their Notes.

Simultaneously with providing such Fundamental Change Company Notice, the Company shall issue a press release containing the information in such Fundamental Change Company Notice and publish the information on its website or through such other public medium as it may use at that time.

At the Company’s written request, the Trustee shall give such notice in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense; provided, however, that, in all cases, the text of such Fundamental Change Company Notice shall be prepared by the Company. In such a case, the Company shall deliver such notice to the Trustee at least two Business Days prior to the date that the notice is required to be given to the Holders (unless a shorter notice period shall be agreed to by the Trustee), together with Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice.

 

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Such notice shall be delivered to the Trustee, to the Paying Agent (if other than the Trustee) and to each Holder at its address shown in the Note Register (and to the beneficial owner as required by applicable law) or, in the case of Global Notes, in accordance with the Applicable Procedures.

No failure of the Company to give the foregoing notices and no defect therein shall limit the Holders’ repurchase rights or affect the validity of the proceedings for the repurchase of the Notes pursuant to this Section 15.02.

(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Notes may be repurchased by the Company on any date at the option of the Holders upon a Fundamental Change if the principal amount of the Notes has been accelerated, and such acceleration has not been rescinded, on or prior to such date (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price with respect to such Notes). The Paying Agent will promptly return to the respective Holders thereof any Certificated Notes held by it during the acceleration of the Notes (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price with respect to such Notes), or any instructions for book-entry transfer of the Notes in compliance with the Applicable Procedures shall be deemed to have been cancelled, and, upon such return or cancellation, as the case may be, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice with respect thereto shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to make an offer to repurchase Notes upon a Fundamental Change if a third party makes such an offer in the manner and at the times required and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company pursuant to this Article 15 and such third party purchases all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn under its offer on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date.

Section 15.03. Withdrawal of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice. A Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice may be withdrawn (in whole or in part) by means of a written notice of withdrawal delivered to the Paying Agent in accordance with this Section 15.03 at any time prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, specifying:

(a) the principal amount of the Notes with respect to which such notice of withdrawal is being submitted, which portion must be in principal amounts of $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 thereof,

(b) if Certificated Notes have been issued, the certificate number of the Note in respect of which such notice of withdrawal is being submitted, and

(c) the principal amount, if any, of such Note that remains subject to the original Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice, which portion must be in principal amounts of $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 thereof;

provided, however, that if the Notes are Global Notes, the withdrawal notice must comply with the Applicable Procedures.

 

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Section 15.04. Deposit of Fundamental Change Repurchase Price. (a) The Company shall deposit with the Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company, or if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, set aside, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 4.04) on or prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date an amount of money sufficient to repurchase all of the Notes to be purchased at the appropriate Fundamental Change Repurchase Price. Subject to receipt of funds by the Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company), payment for Notes surrendered for repurchase (and not validly withdrawn prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date) will be made on the later of (i) the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date with respect to such Note (provided the Holder has satisfied the conditions in Section 15.02) and (ii) the time of book-entry transfer or the delivery of such Note to the Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company) by the Holder thereof in the manner required by Section 15.02, by mailing checks for the amount payable to the Holders of such Notes entitled thereto as they shall appear in the Note Register; provided, however, that payments to the Depositary shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee. The Trustee shall, promptly after such payment and upon written demand by the Company, return to the Company any funds in excess of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price.

(b) If by 10:00 a.m. New York City time, on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, the Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company) holds money sufficient to make payment on all the Notes or portions thereof that are to be purchased on such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, then, with respect to Notes that have been properly tendered and not validly withdrawn:

(i) such Notes shall cease to be outstanding and interest shall cease to accrue on such Notes (whether or not book-entry transfer of the Notes has been made or the Notes have been delivered to the Trustee or Paying Agent); and

(ii) all other rights of the Holders of such Notes will terminate on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (other than (x) the right to receive the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and (y) if the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date falls after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the related Interest Payment Date, the right of the Holder on such Regular Record Date to receive the accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date).

(c) Upon surrender of a Note that is to be purchased in part pursuant to Section 15.02, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder a new Note in an authorized denomination equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Note surrendered, without payment of any service charge.

 

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Section 15.05. Covenant to Comply with Applicable Laws Upon Repurchase of Notes. In connection with any repurchase offer, the Company will, if required:

(a) comply with the provisions of Rule 13e-4, Rule 14e-1 and any other tender offer rules under the Exchange Act that may then be applicable;

(b) file a Schedule TO or any other required schedule under the Exchange Act; and

(c) otherwise comply with all federal and state securities laws in connection with any offer by the Company to repurchase the Notes;

in each case, so as to permit the rights and obligations under this Article 15 to be exercised in the time and in the manner specified in this Article 15.

ARTICLE 16

NO OPTIONAL REDEMPTION

Section 16.01. No Optional Redemption. The Notes shall not be redeemable by the Company prior to the Maturity Date, and no sinking fund is provided for the Notes.

ARTICLE 17

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 17.01. Provisions Binding on Company’s Successors. All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements of each of the Company and the Guarantors contained in this Indenture shall bind its successors and assigns whether so expressed or not.

Section 17.02. Official Acts by Successor Entity. Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or Officer of the Company or a Guarantor shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the like board, committee or officer of any corporation or other entity that shall at the time be the lawful sole successor of the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be.

Section 17.03. Addresses for Notices, Etc. Any notice or demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the Holders on the Company shall be in writing (including facsimile and electronic mail in PDF format) and shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes if given or served by being deposited postage prepaid by registered or certified mail in a post office letter box addressed (until another address is filed by the Company with the Trustee) to 1700 Broadway, Suite 2300, Denver, Colorado 80290-2300, Attention: James J. Volker. Any notice, direction, request or demand hereunder to or upon the Trustee shall be in writing (including facsimile and electronic mail in PDF format) and shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or served by being deposited postage prepaid by registered or certified mail in a post office letter box addressed to the Corporate Trust Office.

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

 

91


Any notice or communication mailed to a Holder shall be mailed to it by first class mail, postage prepaid, at its address as it appears on the Note Register and shall be sufficiently given to it if so mailed within the time prescribed.

Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders. If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice to Holders by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.

In addition to the foregoing, the Trustee agrees to accept and act upon notice, instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods. If the party elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The party providing electronic instructions agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk or interception and misuse by third parties.

Section 17.04. Governing Law. THIS INDENTURE, EACH NOTE AND EACH GUARANTEE, AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS INDENTURE, EACH NOTE AND EACH GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Section 17.05. Intentionally Omitted.

Section 17.06. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent; Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to Trustee. Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of the signors, all conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been satisfied.

Each Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel provided for, by or on behalf of the Company in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with this Indenture (other than the Officers’ Certificates provided for in Section 4.08) shall include (i) a statement that the Person making such certificate has read such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statement contained in such certificate is based; (iii) a statement that, in the judgment of such

 

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person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed judgment as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the judgment of such Person, such covenant or condition has been complied with.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 17.06, if any provision in this Indenture specifically provides that the Trustee shall or may receive an Opinion of Counsel in connection with any action to be taken by the Trustee or the Company hereunder, the Trustee shall be entitled to such Opinion of Counsel.

Section 17.07. Legal Holidays. If any Interest Payment Date, Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, Conversion Date or Maturity Date is not a Business Day, then any action to be taken on such date need not be taken on such date, but may be taken on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if taken on such date, and no interest shall accrue in respect of the delay.

Section 17.08. No Security Interest Created. Nothing in this Indenture or in the Notes, expressed or implied, shall be construed to constitute a security interest under the Uniform Commercial Code or similar legislation, as now or hereafter enacted and in effect, in any jurisdiction.

Section 17.09. Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture or in the Notes, expressed or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any Custodian, any Bid Solicitation Agent, any Conversion Agent, any authenticating agent, any Note Registrar and their successors hereunder or the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

Section 17.10. Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. The table of contents and the titles and headings of the articles and sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

Section 17.11. Authenticating Agent. The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent that shall be authorized to act on its behalf and subject to its direction in the authentication and delivery of Notes in connection with the original issuance thereof and transfers and exchanges of Notes hereunder, including under Section 2.04, Section 2.05, Section 2.06, Section 2.07, Section 10.04 and Section 15.04 as fully to all intents and purposes as though the authenticating agent had been expressly authorized by this Indenture and those Sections to authenticate and deliver Notes. For all purposes of this Indenture, the authentication and delivery of Notes by the authenticating agent shall be deemed to be authentication and delivery of such Notes “by the Trustee” and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an authenticating agent shall be deemed to satisfy any requirement hereunder or in the Notes for the Trustee’s certificate of authentication. Such authenticating agent shall at all times be a Person eligible to serve as trustee hereunder pursuant to Section 7.08.

Any corporation or other entity into which any authenticating agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or other entity resulting from

 

93


any merger, consolidation or conversion to which any authenticating agent shall be a party, or any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of any authenticating agent, shall be the successor of the authenticating agent hereunder, if such successor corporation or other entity is otherwise eligible under this Section 17.11, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the parties hereto or the authenticating agent or such successor corporation or other entity.

Any authenticating agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of any authenticating agent by giving written notice of termination to such authenticating agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time any authenticating agent shall cease to be eligible under this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor authenticating agent (which may be the Trustee), shall give written notice of such appointment to the Company and shall mail notice of such appointment to all Holders as the names and addresses of such Holders appear on the Note Register.

The Company agrees to pay to the authenticating agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services although the Company may terminate the authenticating agent, if it determines such agent’s fees to be unreasonable.

The provisions of Section 7.02, Section 7.03, Section 7.04, Section 7.06, Section 8.03 and this Section 17.11 shall be applicable to any authenticating agent.

If an authenticating agent is appointed pursuant to this Section 17.11, the Notes may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form:

_________________________________________,

as Authenticating Agent, certifies that this is one of the Notes described in the within-named Indenture.

 

By:

 

Authorized Officer

Section 17.12. Execution in Counterparts. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

Section 17.13. Severability. In the event any provision of this Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, then (to the extent permitted by law) the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

 

94


Section 17.14. Waiver of Jury Trial; Submission of Jurisdiction. EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE GUARANTORS AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES, THE GUARANTEES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE GUARANTORS HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY NEW YORK STATE COURT SITTING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK OR ANY FEDERAL COURT SITTING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN RESPECT OF ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND THE GUARANTEES, AND IRREVOCABLY ACCEPTS FOR ITSELF AND IN RESPECT OF ITS PROPERTY, GENERALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY, JURISDICTION OF THE AFORESAID COURTS.

Section 17.15. Force Majeure. In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts that are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

Section 17.16. Calculations. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Company shall be responsible for making all calculations called for under the Notes or this Indenture. These calculations include, but are not limited to, determinations of the Stock Price, the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock, the Daily VWAPs, the Daily Conversion Values, the Daily Settlement Amounts, accrued interest payable on the Notes and the Conversion Rate of the Notes. The Company shall make all these calculations in good faith and, absent manifest error, such calculations shall be final and binding on Holders of Notes. The Company shall provide a schedule of their calculations to each of the Trustee and the Conversion Agent, and each of the Trustee and Conversion Agent is entitled to rely conclusively upon the accuracy of such calculations without independent verification. The Trustee will forward the Company’s calculations to any Holder of Notes upon the written request of that Holder at the sole cost and expense of the Company. In no event shall the Trustee or the Conversion Agent be charged with knowledge of or have any duty to monitor Stock Price or Measurement Period. Neither the Trustee nor the Conversion Agent shall have any responsibility for calculations or determinations of amounts (other than as expressly provided with respect to its role as Bid Solicitation Agent), determining whether events requiring or permitting conversion have occurred, determining whether any adjustment is required to be made with respect to conversion rights and, if so, how much, or for the delivery of shares of Common Stock.

Section 17.17. U.S.A. Patriot Act. The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and

 

95


record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as is required to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

Section 17.18. Tax Withholding. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to make a deduction or withholding from any payment which it makes under this Indenture for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or charges if and to the extent so required by any applicable law and any current or future regulations or agreements thereunder or official interpretations thereof or any law implementing an intergovernmental approach thereto or by virtue of the relevant Holder failing to satisfy any certification or other requirements in respect of the Notes, in which event the Trustee shall make such payment after such withholding or deduction has been made and shall account to the relevant authorities for the amount so withheld or deducted and shall have no obligation to gross up any payment hereunder or pay any additional amount as a result of such withholding tax.

 

96


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

 

ISSUER:

WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION

By:

/s/ James J. Volker

Name: James J. Volker
Title: Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
GUARANTORS:

WHITING OIL AND GAS CORPORATION

By:

/s/ James J. Volker

Name: James J. Volker
Title: Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

WHITING US HOLDING COMPANY

By:

/s/ James J. Volker

Name: James J. Volker
Title: Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

WHITING CANADIAN HOLDING COMPANY ULC

By:

/s/ James J. Volker

Name: James J. Volker
Title: Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

WHITING RESOURCES CORPORATION

By:

/s/ James J. Volker

Name: James J. Volker
Title: Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

[Signature Page to Indenture]


THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee
By:

/s/ Michael Countryman

Name: Michael Countryman
Title: Vice President

[Signature Page to Indenture]


EXHIBIT A

[FORM OF FACE OF NOTE]

[INCLUDE FOLLOWING LEGEND IF A GLOBAL NOTE]

[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 AN INTEREST HEREIN.]

[INCLUDE FOLLOWING LEGEND IF A RESTRICTED SECURITY:

THIS SECURITY AND THE COMMON STOCK, IF ANY, ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY HAVE 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 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, AND

(2) AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION (THE “COMPANY”) THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE LAST ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF OR SUCH OTHER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW EXCEPT:

(A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF,

(B) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT OF THE COMPANY THAT COVERS THE RESALE OF THIS SECURITY OR SUCH COMMON STOCK; OR

 

Exhibit A-1


(C) TO A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT; OR

(D) 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 (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE RESERVE 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 IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.]

 

Exhibit A-2


WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION

1.25% Convertible Senior Note due 2020

 

No. R-[    ] Initially $[        ]

CUSIP No. 966387 AK8

Whiting Petroleum Corporation, a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company,” which term includes any successor corporation or other entity under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal amount of $[        ] or such other amount as reflected on the books and records of the Trustee and the Depositary, on April 1, 2020 and interest thereon as set forth below.

This Note shall bear interest at the rate of 1.25% per year from March 27, 2015 or from the most recent date to which interest had been paid or provided for to, but excluding, the next scheduled Interest Payment Date until April 1, 2020, unless earlier converted or repurchased. Accrued interest on this Note shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months and, for a partial month, on the basis of the number of days actually elapsed in a 30-day month. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on each April 1 and October 1, commencing on October 1, 2015, to Holders of record at the close of business on the preceding March 15 and September 15 (whether or not such day is a Business Day), respectively. Additional Interest will be payable as set forth in Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) and Section 6.03 of the within-mentioned Indenture, and any reference to interest on, or in respect of, any Note therein shall be deemed to include Additional Interest if, in such context, Additional Interest is, was or would be payable pursuant to any of such Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) or Section 6.03 and any express mention of the payment of Additional Interest in any provision therein and herein shall not be construed as excluding Additional Interest in those provisions thereof and hereof where such express mention is not made.

Any Defaulted Amounts shall accrue interest per annum at the rate borne by the Notes from, and including, the relevant payment date to, but excluding, the date on which such Defaulted Amounts shall have been paid by the Company, at its election in accordance with Section 2.03(c) of the Indenture.

The Company shall pay the principal of and interest on this Note, so long as such Note is a Global Note, in immediately available funds to the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered Holder of such Note. As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Company shall pay the principal of any Notes (other than Notes that are Global Notes) at the office or agency designated by the Company for that purpose. The Company has initially designated the Trustee as its Paying Agent and Note Registrar in respect of the Notes and its agency in New York, New York as a place where Notes may be presented for payment or for registration of transfer.

Reference is made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, including, without limitation, provisions giving the Holder of this Note the right to convert this

 

Exhibit A-3


Note into cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, on the terms and subject to the limitations set forth in the Indenture. Such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.

This Note, and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Note, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York.

In the case of any conflict between this Note and the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall control and govern.

This Note shall not be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been manually signed by the Trustee or a duly authorized authenticating agent under the Indenture.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

Exhibit A-4


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be duly executed.

 

WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION
By:

 

Name:
Title:

Dated:

 

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.,

as Trustee, certifies that this is one of the Notes described in the within-named Indenture.

By:

 

Authorized Signatory

 

Exhibit A-5


[FORM OF REVERSE OF NOTE]

WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION

1.25% Convertible Senior Note due 2020

This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Notes of the Company, designated as its 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (the “Notes”), limited to the aggregate principal amount of $1,250,000,000 all issued under and pursuant to an Indenture dated as of March 27, 2015 (the “Indenture”), among the Company, the Guarantors and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (the “Trustee”), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee, the Conversion Agent, the Company and the Holders of the Notes. Additional Notes may be issued in an unlimited aggregate principal amount, subject to certain conditions specified in the Indenture.

In case an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, shall have occurred and be continuing, the principal of, and interest on, all Notes may be declared, by either the Trustee or Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, and upon said declaration shall become, due and payable, in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions and certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture, the Company will make all payments and deliveries in respect of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and the principal amount on the Maturity Date, as the case may be, to the Holder who surrenders a Note to a Paying Agent to collect such payments in respect of the Note. The Company will pay cash amounts in money of the United States that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.

The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee in certain circumstances, without the consent of the Holders of the Notes, and in certain other circumstances, with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding, evidenced as in the Indenture provided, to execute supplemental indentures modifying the terms of the Indenture and the Notes as described therein. It is also provided in the Indenture that, subject to certain exceptions, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any past Default or Event of Default under the Indenture and its consequences.

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of or the consideration due upon conversion of, as the case may be, and accrued and unpaid interest on this Note at the place, at the respective times, at the rate and in the lawful money herein prescribed.

The Notes are issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples thereof. At the office or agency of the Company referred

 

Exhibit A- 6


to on the face hereof, and in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, Notes may be exchanged for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of other authorized denominations, without payment of any service charge but, if required by the Company or Trustee, with payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer or similar tax that may be imposed in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of the new Notes issued upon such exchange of Notes being different from the name of the Holder of the old Notes surrendered for such exchange.

The Notes are not subject to redemption through the operation of any sinking fund or otherwise.

Upon the occurrence of a Fundamental Change, the Holder has the right, at such Holder’s option, to require the Company to repurchase for cash all of such Holder’s Notes or any portion thereof (in principal amounts of $1,000 or integral multiples thereof) on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date at a price equal to the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price.

Subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder hereof has the right, at its option, during certain periods and upon the occurrence of certain conditions specified in the Indenture, prior to the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date, to convert any Notes or portion thereof that is $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof, into cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, at the Conversion Rate specified in the Indenture, as adjusted from time to time as provided in the Indenture.

Terms used in this Note and defined in the Indenture are used herein as therein defined.

 

Exhibit A-7


ABBREVIATIONS

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription of the face of this Note, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

TEN COM = as tenants in common

UNIF GIFT MIN ACT = Uniform Gifts to Minors Act

CUST = Custodian

TEN ENT = as tenants by the entireties

JT TEN = joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

 

Exhibit A-8


ATTACHMENT 1

[FORM OF NOTICE OF CONVERSION]

To: Whiting Petroleum Corporation

The undersigned registered owner of this Note hereby exercises the option to convert this Note, or the portion hereof (that is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) below designated, into cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, at the Company’s election, in accordance with the terms of the Indenture referred to in this Note, and directs that any cash payable and any shares of Common Stock issuable and deliverable upon such conversion, together with any cash for any fractional share, and any Notes representing any unconverted principal amount hereof, be issued and delivered to the registered Holder hereof unless a different name has been indicated below. If any shares of Common Stock or any portion of this Note not converted are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes, if any in accordance with Section 14.02(d) and Section 14.02(e) of the Indenture. Any amount required to be paid to the undersigned on account of interest accompanies this Note.

In the case of Certificated Notes, the certificate numbers of the Notes to be repurchased are as set forth below:                     

 

Dated:                    

 

 

Signature(s)

 

 

Signature Guarantee
Signature(s) must be guaranteed by an eligible Guarantor Institution (banks, stock brokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions) with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 17Ad-15 if shares of Common Stock are to be issued, or Notes are to be delivered, other than to and in the name of the registered holder.

 

Exhibit A-9


Fill in for registration of shares if to be issued, and Notes if to be delivered, other than to and in the name of the registered holder:

 

(Name)

 

(Street Address)

 

(City, State and Zip Code)

Please print name and address

 

Principal amount to be converted (if less than all):

$        ,000

NOTICE: The above signature(s) of the Holder(s) hereof must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Note in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.

 

Social Security or Other Taxpayer
Identification Number

 

Exhibit A-10


ATTACHMENT 2

[FORM OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE REPURCHASE NOTICE]

To: Whiting Petroleum Corporation

The undersigned registered owner of this Note hereby acknowledges receipt of a notice from Whiting Petroleum Corporation (the “Company”) as to the occurrence of a Fundamental Change with respect to the Company and specifying the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date and requests and instructs the Company to pay to the registered holder hereof in accordance with Section 15.02 of the Indenture referred to in this Note (1) the entire principal amount of this Note, or the portion thereof (that is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) below designated, and (2) if such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date does not fall during the period after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the corresponding Interest Payment Date, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to, but excluding, such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date.

In the case of Certificated Notes, the certificate numbers of the Notes to be repurchased are as set forth below:                     

Dated:                    

 

 

Signature(s)

 

Social Security or Other Taxpayer Identification Number
Principal amount to be repaid (if less than all): $        ,000
NOTICE: The above signature(s) of the Holder(s) hereof must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Note in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.

 

1


ATTACHMENT 3

[FORM OF ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER]

For value received                                 hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto                     (Please insert social security or Taxpayer Identification Number of assignee) the within Note, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints                     attorney to transfer the said Note on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.

In connection with any transfer of the within Note occurring prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date, as defined in the Indenture governing such Note, the undersigned confirms that such Note is being transferred:

 

¨ To Whiting Petroleum Corporation or a Subsidiary thereof; or

 

¨ Pursuant to a registration statement that has become or been declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; or

 

¨ Pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; or

 

¨ Pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.


Dated:                     

 

 

Signature(s)

 

Signature Guarantee

Signature(s) must be guaranteed by an eligible Guarantor Institution (banks, stock brokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions) with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 17Ad-15 if Notes are to be delivered, other than to and in the name of the registered holder.

NOTICE: The signature on the assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Note in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.


EXHIBIT B

 

 

WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION

and

THE GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN

 

 

1.25% CONVERTIBLE SENIOR NOTES DUE 2020

 

 

FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

AND AMENDMENT – GUARANTEE

DATED AS OF                  ,         

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,

Trustee

 

 

 

 

 

B-1


This SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of                  ,          is among Whiting Petroleum Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), each of the parties identified under the caption “Guarantors” on the signature page hereto (the “Guarantors”) and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., a national banking association, as Trustee.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company, the initial Guarantors and the Trustee entered into an Indenture, dated as of March 27, 2015 (the “Indenture”), pursuant to which the Company has issued $1,250,000,000 in principal amount of 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (the “Notes”); and

WHEREAS, Section 10.01(c) of the Indenture provides that the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture in order to add Guarantors with respect to the Notes, without the consent of the Holders; and

WHEREAS, all acts and things prescribed by the Indenture, by law and by the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws (or comparable constituent documents) of the Company, of the Guarantors and of the Trustee necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture a valid instrument legally binding on the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, in accordance with its terms, have been duly done and performed;

NOW, THEREFORE, to comply with the provisions of the Indenture and in consideration of the above premises, the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee covenant and agree for the equal and proportionate benefit of the respective Holders as follows:

ARTICLE 1

Section 1.01 This Supplemental Indenture is supplemental to the Indenture and does and shall be deemed to form a part of, and shall be construed in connection with and as part of, the Indenture for any and all purposes.

Section 1.02 This Supplemental Indenture shall become effective immediately upon its execution and delivery by each of the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee.

ARTICLE 2

From this date, by executing this Supplemental Indenture, the Guarantors whose signatures appear below shall be Guarantors with respect to the Notes on terms contemplated by and subject to the provisions of Article 13 of the Indenture.

ARTICLE 3

Section 3.01 Except as specifically modified herein, the Indenture and the Notes are in all respects ratified and confirmed (mutatis mutandis) and shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with their terms with all capitalized terms used herein without definition having the same respective meanings ascribed to them as in the Indenture.

 

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Section 3.02 Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, no duties, responsibilities or liabilities are assumed, or shall be construed to be assumed, by the Trustee by reason of this Supplemental Indenture. This Supplemental Indenture is executed and accepted by the Trustee subject to all the terms and conditions set forth in the Indenture with the same force and effect as if those terms and conditions were repeated at length herein and made applicable to the Trustee with respect hereto.

Section 3.03 THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Section 3.04 The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of such executed copies together shall represent the same agreement.

[NEXT PAGE IS SIGNATURE PAGE]

 

B-3


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

 

WHITING PETROLEUM CORPORATION
By

 

Name: [    ]
Title: [    ]
ADDITIONAL GUARANTOR:
[NAME]
By

 

Name: [    ]
Title: [    ]
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee
By

 

 

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