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Exhibit 4.8
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of January 31, 1997
among
TRENWICK GROUP INC.
TRENWICK CAPITAL TRUST I
and
XXXXXX BROTHERS INC.
as Initial Purchaser
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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1. Definitions................................................................................... 1
2. Registration Under the Securities Act......................................................... 5
(a) Exchange Offer....................................................................... 5
(b) Shelf Registration................................................................... 8
(c) Expenses............................................................................. 9
(d) Effective Registration Statement..................................................... 9
(e) Additional Interest.................................................................. 9
(f) Specific Enforcement................................................................. 10
3. Registration Procedures....................................................................... 11
4. Indemnification and Contribution.............................................................. 18
5. Participation in Underwritten Registrations................................................... 21
6. Selection of Underwriters..................................................................... 21
7. Miscellaneous................................................................................. 21
(a) Rule 144 and Rule 144A............................................................... 21
(b) No Inconsistent Agreements........................................................... 22
(c) Amendments and Waivers............................................................... 22
(d) Notices.............................................................................. 22
(e) Successors and Assigns............................................................... 23
(f) Third Party Beneficiary.............................................................. 23
(g) Counterparts......................................................................... 23
(h) Headings............................................................................. 23
(i) GOVERNING LAW........................................................................ 23
(j) Severability......................................................................... 23
(k) Securities Held by the Company, the Trust or its Affiliates.......................... 23
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REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is made
and entered into as of January 31, 1997 among TRENWICK GROUP INC., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), TRENWICK CAPITAL TRUST I, a business trust formed
under the laws of the state of Delaware (the "Trust"), and XXXXXX BROTHERS INC.
("Xxxxxx Brothers" or the "Initial Purchaser").
This Agreement is made pursuant to the Purchase Agreement,
dated January 28, 1997 (the "Purchase Agreement"), among the Company, as issuer
of the 8.82% Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures due February 1,
2037 (the "Subordinated Debentures"), the Trust and the Initial Purchaser, which
provides for, among other things, the sale by the Trust to the Initial Purchaser
of 110,000 of the Trust's 8.82% Subordinated Capital Income Securities,
liquidation amount $1,000 per Capital Security (the "Capital Securities"), the
proceeds of which will be used by the Trust to purchase Subordinated Debentures.
The Capital Securities, together with the Subordinated Debentures and the
Company's guarantee of the Capital Securities (the "Capital Securities
Guarantee"), are collectively referred to as the "Securities". In order to
induce the Initial Purchaser to enter into the Purchase Agreement, the Company
and the Trust have agreed to provide to the Initial Purchaser and its direct and
indirect transferees the registration rights set forth in this Agreement. The
execution and delivery of this Agreement is a condition to the closing under the
Purchase Agreement.
In consideration of the foregoing, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
1. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following
capitalized defined terms shall have the following meanings:
"Additional Interest" shall mean the additional amounts which
shall become payable in respect of the Subordinated Debentures if the Company or
the Trust fails to comply with the Agreement or if the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement or the Shelf Registration Statement fails to become
effective.
"Advice" shall have the meaning set forth in the last
paragraph of Section 3 hereof.
"Applicable Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(t) hereof.
"Business Day" shall mean a day that is not a Saturday, a
Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are
authorized or required to be closed.
"Closing Date" shall mean the Closing Date as defined in the
Purchase Agreement.
"Company" shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble to
this Agreement and also includes the Company's successors and permitted assigns.
"Declaration" or "Declaration of Trust" shall mean the Amended
and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated as of January 31, 1997, by the trustees
named therein and the
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Company as sponsor, as the same may be modified, supplemented or amended from
time to time.
"Depositary" shall mean The Depository Trust Company, or any
other depositary appointed by the Trust; provided, however, that such depositary
must have an address in the Borough of Manhattan, in The City of New York.
"Effectiveness Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2(b) hereof.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended from time to time.
"Exchange Offer" shall mean the offer by the Company and the
Trust to the Holders to exchange all of the Registrable Securities (other than
Private Exchange Securities) for a like principal amount of Exchange Securities
pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof.
"Exchange Offer Registration" shall mean a registration under
the Securities Act effected pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof.
"Exchange Offer Registration Statement" shall mean an exchange
offer registration statement on Form S-4 (or, if applicable, on another
appropriate form), and all amendments and supplements to such registration
statement, in each case including the Prospectus contained therein, all exhibits
thereto and all material incorporated by reference therein.
"Exchange Period" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2(a) hereof.
"Exchange Securities" shall mean (i) with respect to the
Subordinated Debentures, the 8.82% Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest
Debentures due February 1, 2037 which are to be offered in exchange for the
Subordinated Debentures (the "Exchange Debentures") and which will contain terms
identical to the Subordinated Debentures (except that they will not contain
terms with respect to the transfer restrictions under the Securities Act, will
not require transfers thereof to be in minimum blocks of $100,000 principal
amount and will not provide for any increase in the interest rate thereon), (ii)
with respect to the Capital Securities, the Trust's 8.82% Capital Securities,
liquidation amount $1,000 per Capital Security, which are to be offered in
exchange for the Capital Securities (the "Exchange Capital Securities") and
which will have terms identical to the Capital Securities (except they will not
contain terms with respect to transfer restrictions under the Securities Act,
will not require minimum transfers thereof to be in blocks of $100,000
liquidation amount and will not provide for any increase in the distribution
rate thereon) and (iii) with respect to the Capital Securities Guarantee, the
Company's guarantee (the "Exchange Capital Securities Guarantee") of the
Exchange Capital Securities which will have terms identical to the Capital
Securities Guarantee. Exchange Securities include, where applicable, the Private
Exchange Securities.
"Extension Period" shall have the meaning set forth in the
Indenture.
"Holder" shall mean the Initial Purchaser, for so long as it
owns any Registrable Securities, and each of its respective successors, assigns
and direct and indirect
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transferees who become registered owners of Registrable Securities under the
Indenture or Declaration of Trust.
"Indenture" shall mean the Indenture relating to the
Subordinated Debentures and the Exchange Debentures dated as of January 31, 1997
among the Company, as issuer, and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as trustee, as the
same may be modified, supplemented or amended from time to time in accordance
with the terms thereof.
"Initial Purchaser" shall have the meaning set forth in the
preamble to this Agreement.
"Inspectors" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(n)
hereof.
"Issue Date" shall mean January 31, 1997.
"Majority Holders" shall mean the Holders of a majority of the
aggregate liquidation amount of outstanding Capital Securities.
"Offering Memorandum" means the Offering Memorandum dated
January 28, 1997 relating to the Securities.
"Participating Broker-Dealer" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(t) hereof.
"Person" shall mean an individual, partnership, corporation,
trust or unincorporated organization, limited liability Company, or a government
or agency or political subdivision thereof.
"Private Exchange" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2(a) hereof.
"Private Exchange Securities" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 2(a) hereof.
"Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus included in a
Registration Statement, including any preliminary prospectus, and any such
prospectus as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, including a
prospectus supplement with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion
of the Registrable Securities covered by a Shelf Registration Statement, and by
all other amendments and supplements to a prospectus, including post-effective
amendments, and in each case including all material incorporated by reference
therein.
"Purchase Agreement" shall have the meaning set forth in the
preamble to this Agreement.
"Records" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(n)
hereof.
"Registrable Securities" shall mean the Securities and, if
issued, the Private Exchange Securities; provided, however, that Securities or
Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, shall cease to be Registrable
Securities when (i) a Registration Statement with respect to such Securities or
Private Exchange Securities for the exchange or resale thereof, as
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the case may be, shall have been declared effective under the Securities Act and
such Securities or Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, shall have
been disposed of pursuant to such Registration Statement, (ii) such Securities
or Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, may be sold to the public
pursuant to Rule 144(k) (or any similar provision then in force, but not Rule
144A) under the Securities Act, (iii) such Securities or Private Exchange
Securities, as the case may be, shall have ceased to be outstanding or (iv) with
respect to the Securities, such Securities have been exchanged for Exchange
Securities upon consummation of the Exchange Offer and are thereafter freely
transferrable by the holders thereof (other than an affiliate of the Company as
defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).
"Registration Expenses" shall mean any and all expenses
incident to performance of or compliance by the Company with this Agreement,
including without limitation: (i) all SEC or National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") registration and filing fees, including, if
applicable, the fees and expenses of any "qualified independent underwriter"
(and its counsel) that is required to be retained by any Holder of Registrable
Securities in accordance with the rules and regulations of the NASD, (ii) all
fees and expenses incurred in connection with compliance with state securities
or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for any
underwriters or Holders in connection with blue sky qualification of any of the
Exchange Securities or Registrable Securities) and compliance with the rules of
the NASD, (iii) all expenses of any Persons in preparing or assisting in
preparing, word processing, printing and distributing any Registration
Statement, any Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and in
preparing or assisting in preparing, printing and distributing any underwriting
agreements, securities sales agreements and other documents relating to the
performance of and compliance with this Agreement, (iv) all rating agency fees,
(v) the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and of the independent
auditors of the Company, including the expenses of any "cold comfort" letters
required by or incident to such performance and compliance, (vi) the fees and
expenses of the Trustee, and any exchange agent or custodian, (vii) all fees and
expenses incurred in connection with the listing, if any, of any of the
Registrable Securities on any securities exchange or exchanges, and (viii) the
reasonable fees and expenses of any special experts retained by the Company in
connection with any Registration Statement.
"Registration Statement" shall mean any registration statement
of the Company and the Trust which covers any of the Exchange Securities or
Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, and all
amendments and supplements to any such Registration Statement, including
post-effective amendments, in each case including the Prospectus contained
therein, all exhibits thereto and all material incorporated by reference
therein.
"Rule 144(k) Period" shall mean the period of three years (or
such shorter period as may hereafter be referred to in Rule 144(k) under the
Securities Act (or similar successor rule)) commencing on the Issue Date.
"SEC" shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Securities" shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble
to this Agreement.
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"Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended from time to time.
"Shelf Registration" shall mean a registration effected
pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof.
"Shelf Registration Event" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2(b) hereof.
"Shelf Registration Event Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 2(b) hereof.
"Shelf Registration Statement" shall mean a "shelf"
registration statement of the Company and the Trust pursuant to the provisions
of Section 2(b) hereof which covers all of the Registrable Securities or all of
the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, on an appropriate form
under Rule 415 under the Securities Act, or any similar rule that may be adopted
by the SEC, and all amendments and supplements to such registration statement,
including post-effective amendments, in each case including the Prospectus
contained therein, all exhibits thereto and all material incorporated by
reference therein.
"TIA" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(1) hereof.
"Trustees" shall mean any and all trustees with respect to (i)
the Capital Securities under the Declaration, (ii) the Subordinated Debentures
under the Indenture and (iii) the Capital Securities Guarantee.
2. Registration Under the Securities Act.
(a) Exchange Offer. To the extent not prohibited by any
applicable law or applicable interpretation of the staff of the SEC, the Company
and the Trust shall, for the benefit of the Holders, at the Company's cost, use
its best efforts to (i) cause to be filed with the SEC within 150 days after the
date of the Offering Memorandum an Exchange Offer Registration Statement on an
appropriate form under the Securities Act covering the Exchange Offer, (ii)
cause such Exchange Offer Registration Statement to be declared effective under
the Securities Act by the SEC not later than the date which is 180 days after
the date of the Offering Memorandum, and (iii) keep such Exchange Offer
Registration Statement effective for not less than 30 calendar days (or longer
if required by applicable law) after the date notice of the Exchange Offer is
mailed to the Holders. Upon the effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement, the Company and the Trust shall promptly commence the Exchange Offer,
it being the objective of such Exchange Offer to enable each Holder eligible and
electing to exchange Registrable Securities for a like principal amount of
Exchange Debentures or a like liquidation amount of Exchange Capital Securities,
together with the Exchange Capital Securities Guarantee, as applicable (assuming
that such Holder (A) is not an affiliate of the Company within the meaning of
Rule 405 under the Securities Act and is not a broker-dealer tendering
Registrable Securities acquired directly from the Company for its own account,
(B) acquires the Exchange Securities in the ordinary course of such Holder's
business and (C) has no arrangements or understandings with any Person to
participate in the Exchange Offer for the purpose of distributing the Exchange
Securities), to transfer such Exchange Securities from
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and after their receipt without any limitations or restrictions under the
Securities Act and under state securities or blue sky laws.
Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, the Company and the
Trust may, in lieu of filing an Exchange Offer Registration Statement and
consummating the Exchange Offer, file a Shelf Registration Statement in
accordance with Section 2(b) hereof, if the Company has received an opinion of
counsel, rendered by a law firm experienced in such matters, to the effect that,
as a result of the consummation of the Exchange Offer there is more than an
insubstantial risk that (x) the Trust would be subject to United States federal
income tax with respect to income received or accrued on the Junior Subordinated
Debentures or Exchanges Debentures, (y) interest payable by the Company on such
Junior Subordinated Debentures or Exchange Debentures would not be deductible by
the Company, in whole or in part, for United States federal income tax purposes,
or (z) the Trust would be subject to more than a de minimis amount of other
taxes, duties or other governmental charges.
In connection with the Exchange Offer, the Company and the
Trust shall:
(i) mail to each Holder a copy of the Prospectus forming part
of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, together with an appropriate
letter of transmittal and related documents;
(ii) keep the Exchange Offer open for acceptance for a period
of not less than 30 days after the date notice thereof is mailed to the Holders
(or longer if required by applicable law) (such period referred to herein as the
"Exchange Period");
(iii) utilize the services of the Depositary for the Exchange
Offer:
(iv) permit Holders to withdraw tendered Securities at any
time prior to the close of business, New York time, on the last Business Day of
the Exchange Period, by sending to the institution specified in the notice, a
telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of such
Holder, the principal amount of Securities delivered for exchange, and a
statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Securities
exchanged;
(v) notify each Holder that any Security not tendered by such
Holder in the Exchange Offer will remain outstanding and continue to accrue
interest or accumulate distributions, as the case may be, but will not retain
any rights under this Agreement (except in the case of the Initial Purchaser and
Participating Broker-Dealers as provided herein); and
(vi) otherwise comply in all respects with all applicable laws
relating to the Exchange Offer.
If the Initial Purchaser determines upon advice of its outside
counsel that it is not eligible to participate in the Exchange Offer with
respect to the exchange of Securities constituting any portion of an unsold
allotment in the initial distribution, as soon as practicable upon receipt by
the Company and the Trust of a written request from such Initial Purchaser, the
Company and the Trust, as applicable, shall issue and deliver to such Initial
Purchaser in exchange (the "Private Exchange") for the Securities held by such
Initial Purchaser, a like liquidation amount of Capital Securities of the Trust,
together with the Exchange Capital
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Securities Guarantee, or a like principal amount of the Subordinated Debentures
of the Company, as applicable, that are identical (except that such securities
may bear a customary legend with respect to restrictions on transfer pursuant to
the Securities Act) to the Exchange Securities (the "Private Exchange
Securities") and which are issued pursuant to the Indenture or the Declaration
or the agreement pursuant to which the Exchange Capital Securities Guarantee is
issued (which provides that the Exchange Securities, the Private Exchange
Securities and the Securities will vote and consent together on all matters as
one class and that neither the Exchange Securities, the Private Exchange
Securities nor the Securities will have the right to vote or consent as a
separate series or class on any matter). The Private Exchange Securities shall
be of the same series as the Exchange Securities and the Company and the Trust
will seek to cause the CUSIP Service Bureau to issue the same CUSIP Numbers for
the Private Exchange Securities as for the Exchange Securities issued pursuant
to the Exchange Offer.
As soon as practicable after the close of the Exchange Offer
and, if applicable, the Private Exchange, the Company and the Trust, as the case
requires, shall:
(i) accept for exchange all Securities or portions thereof
validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Exchange Offer or the
Private Exchange;
(ii) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee for
cancellation all Securities or portions thereof so accepted for exchange by the
Company; and
(iii) issue, and cause the Trustee under the Indenture, the
Declaration or the Capital Securities Guarantee, as applicable, promptly to
authenticate and deliver to each Holder, new Exchange Securities or Private
Exchange Securities, as applicable, equal in principal amount to the principal
amount of the Subordinated Debentures or equal in liquidation amount to the
liquidation amount of the Capital Securities (together with the guarantee
thereof) as are surrendered by such Holder.
Distributions on each Exchange Capital Security and interest
on each Exchange Debenture and Private Exchange Security issued pursuant to the
Exchange Offer and in the Private Exchange will accrue from the last date on
which a distribution or interest was paid on the Capital Security or the
Subordinated Debenture surrendered in exchange therefor or, if no distribution
or interest has been paid on such Capital Security or Subordinated Debenture,
from the Issue Date. To the extent not prohibited by any law or applicable
interpretation of the staff of the SEC, the Company and the Trust shall use
their best efforts to complete the Exchange Offer as provided above, and shall
comply with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act
and other applicable laws in connection with the Exchange Offer. The Exchange
Offer shall not be subject to any conditions, other than that the Exchange Offer
does not violate applicable law or any applicable interpretation of the staff of
the SEC. Each Holder of Registrable Securities who wishes to exchange such
Registrable Securities for Exchange Securities in the Exchange Offer will be
required to make certain customary representations in connection therewith,
including, in the case of any Holder of Capital Securities, representations that
(i) it is not an affiliate of the Trust or the Company, (ii) the Exchange
Securities to be received by it were acquired in the ordinary course of its
business and (iii) at the time of the Exchange Offer, it has no arrangement with
any Person to participate in the distribution (within the meaning of the
Securities Act) of the Exchange Capital Securities. The Company and the Trust
shall inform the Initial Purchaser, after
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consultation with the Trustee, of the names and addresses of the Holders to whom
the Exchange Offer is made, and the Initial Purchaser shall have the right to
contact such Holders and otherwise facilitate the tender of Registrable
Securities in the Exchange Offer.
Upon consummation of the Exchange Offer in accordance with
this Section 2(a), the provisions of this Agreement shall continue to apply
solely with respect to Registrable Securities that are Private Exchange
Securities and Exchange Securities held by Participating Broker-Dealers, and the
Company and the Trust shall have no further obligation to register the
Registrable Securities (other than Private Exchange Securities) pursuant to
Section 2(b) of this Agreement.
(b) Shelf Registration. In the event that (i) the Company, the
Trust or the Majority Holders reasonably determine, after conferring with
counsel (which may be in-house counsel), that the Exchange Offer Registration
provided in Section 2(a) above is not available because of any change in law or
in currently prevailing interpretations of the staff of the SEC, (ii) the
Company has received an opinion of counsel, rendered by a law firm experienced
in such matters, to the effect that, as a result of the consummation of the
Exchange Offer there is more than an insubstantial risk that (x) the Trust would
be subject to United States federal income tax with respect to income received
or accrued on the Junior Subordinated Debentures or Exchanges Debentures, (y)
interest payable by the Company on such Junior Subordinated Debentures or
Exchange Debentures would not be deductible by the Company, in whole or in part,
for United States federal income tax purposes, or (z) the Trust would be subject
to more than a de minimis amount of other taxes, duties or other governmental
charges, and the Company determines not to effect the Exchange Offer, (iii) the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement is not declared effective within 180 days
of the date of the Offering Memorandum or (iv) upon the request of the Initial
Purchaser with respect to any Registrable Securities held by it, if such Initial
Purchaser is not permitted, in the reasonable opinion of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx,
pursuant to applicable law or applicable interpretations of the staff of the
SEC, to participate in the Exchange Offer and thereby receive securities that
are freely tradeable without restriction under the Securities Act and applicable
blue sky or state securities laws (any of the events specified in (i)-(iv) being
a "Shelf Registration Event" and the date of occurrence thereof, the "Shelf
Registration Event Date"), the Company and the Trust shall, at their cost, use
their best efforts to cause to be filed as promptly as practicable after such
Shelf Registration Event Date, as the case may be, and, in any event, within 45
days after such Shelf Registration Event Date (which shall be not be required to
be earlier than 150 days after the Issue Date), a Shelf Registration Statement
providing for the sale by the Holders of all of the Registrable Securities, and
shall use its best efforts to have such Shelf Registration Statement declared
effective by the SEC as soon as practicable. No Holder of Registrable Securities
shall be entitled to include any of its Registrable Securities in any Shelf
Registration pursuant to this Agreement unless and until such Holder agrees in
writing to be bound by all of the provisions of this Agreement applicable to
such Holder and furnishes to the Company and the Trust in writing, within 15
days after receipt of a request therefor, such information as the Company and
the Trust may, after conferring with counsel with regard to information relating
to Holders that would be required by the SEC to be included in such Shelf
Registration Statement or Prospectus included therein, reasonably request for
inclusion in any Shelf Registration Statement or Prospectus included therein.
Each Holder as to which any Shelf Registration is being effected agrees to
furnish to the Company and the Trust all information with respect to such Holder
necessary to make the information previously furnished to the Company by such
Holder not materially misleading.
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The Company and the Trust agree to use their best efforts to
keep the Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective for the Rule 144(k)
Period (subject to extension pursuant to the last paragraph of Section 3 hereof)
or for such shorter period which will terminate when all of the Registrable
Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement have been sold pursuant
to the Shelf Registration Statement or cease to be outstanding or, if the Shelf
Registration Statement is filed solely as a result of a request made in
accordance with clause (iv) of the preceding paragraph, if the Company shall
have furnished to the Initial Purchaser an opinion of counsel reasonably
acceptable to the Initial Purchaser to the effect that registration is no longer
necessary for resale by the Initial Purchaser (the "Effectiveness Period"). The
Company and the Trust shall not permit any securities other than Registrable
Securities to be included in the Shelf Registration. The Company and the Trust
will, in the event a Shelf Registration Statement is declared effective, provide
to each Holder participating in the Shelf Registration Statement a reasonable
number of copies of the Prospectus which is a part of the Shelf Registration
Statement, notify each such Holder when the Shelf Registration has become
effective and use its best efforts to take certain other actions as are required
to permit certain unrestricted resales of the Registrable Securities. The
Company and the Trust further agree, if necessary, to supplement or amend the
Shelf Registration Statement, if required by the rules, regulations or
instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company for such
Shelf Registration Statement or by the Securities Act or by any other rules and
regulations thereunder for shelf registrations, and the Company and the Trust
agree to furnish to the Holders of Registrable Securities copies of any such
supplement or amendment promptly after its being used or filed with the SEC.
(c) Expenses. The Company shall pay all Registration Expenses
in connection with the registration pursuant to Section 2(a) or 2(b) hereof and
will reimburse the Initial Purchaser for the reasonable fees and disbursements
of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, counsel for the Initial Purchaser, incurred in connection
with the Exchange Offer and, if applicable, the Private Exchange, and either
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx or any one other counsel designated in writing by the Majority
Holders to act as counsel for the Holders of the Registrable Securities in
connection with a Shelf Registration Statement, which other counsel shall be
reasonably satisfactory to the Company. Except as provided herein, each Holder
shall pay all expenses of its counsel, underwriting discounts and commissions
and transfer taxes, if any, relating to the sale or disposition of such Holder's
Registrable Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement.
(d) Effective Registration Statement. An Exchange Offer
Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or a Shelf Registration
Statement pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof will not be deemed to have become
effective unless it has been declared effective by the SEC; provided, however,
that if, after it has been declared effective, the offering of Registrable
Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement is interfered with by any
stop order, injunction or other order or requirement of the SEC or any other
governmental agency or court, such Registration Statement will be deemed not to
have been effective during the period of such interference, until the offering
of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement may legally
resume. The Company and the Trust will be deemed not to have used their best
efforts to cause the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or the Shelf
Registration Statement, as the case may be, to become, or to remain, effective
during the requisite period if either of them voluntarily takes any action that
would result in any such Registration Statement not being declared effective or
in the Holders of Registrable Securities
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covered thereby not being able to exchange or offer and sell such Registrable
Securities during that period unless such action is required by applicable law.
(e) Additional Interest. In the event that (i)(A) neither the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement nor a Shelf Registration Statement is
filed with the SEC on or prior to the 150th day after the date of the Offering
Memorandum or (B) notwithstanding that the Company and the Trust have
consummated or will consummate an Exchange Offer, the Company and the Trust are
required to file a Shelf Registration Statement and such Shelf Registration
Statement is not filed on or prior to the date required by Section 2(b) hereof,
then commencing on the day after either such required filing date, Additional
Interest shall accrue on the principal amount of the Subordinated Debentures
affected thereby, and additional distributions shall accumulate on the
liquidation amount of the Capital Securities affected thereby, each at a rate of
0.25% per annum; or
(ii) (A) neither the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement nor a Shelf Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC on
or prior to the 180th day after the date of the Offering Memorandum or (B)
notwithstanding that the Company and the Trust have consummated or will
consummate an Exchange Offer, the Company and the Trust are required to file a
Shelf Registration Statement and such Shelf Registration Statement is not
declared effective by the SEC on or prior to the 180th day after the date of the
Offering Memorandum then, commencing on the 181st day after the date of the
Offering Memorandum, Additional Interest shall accrue on the principal amount of
the Subordinated Debentures affected thereby, and additional distributions shall
accumulate on the liquidation amount of the Capital Securities affected thereby,
each at a rate of 0.25% per annum; or
(iii) (A) the Trust has not exchanged Exchange
Capital Securities for all Capital Securities validly tendered, or the Company
has not exchanged the Exchange Capital Securities Guarantee for the Capital
Securities Guarantee or exchanged all the Exchange Subordinated Debentures for
Subordinated Debentures validly tendered, in accordance with the terms of the
Exchange Offer on or prior to the 30th day after the date on which the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement was declared effective or (B) if applicable, the
Shelf Registration Statement has been declared effective and such Shelf
Registration Statement ceases to be effective at any time prior to the
expiration of the Rule 144(k) Period (other than after such time as all Capital
Securities have been disposed of thereunder or otherwise cease to be Registrable
Securities), then Additional Interest shall accrue on the principal amount of
Subordinated Debentures affected thereby, and additional distributions shall
accumulate on the liquidation amount of the Capital Securities affected thereby,
each at a rate of 0.25% per annum commencing on (x) the 31st day after such
effective date, in the case of (A) above, or (y) the day such Shelf Registration
Statement ceases to be effective in the case of (B) above;
provided, however, that neither the Additional Interest rate on the Subordinated
Debentures, nor the additional distribution rate on the liquidation amount of
the Capital Securities, may exceed in the aggregate 0.25% per annum; provided,
further, however, that (1) upon the filing of the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement or a Shelf Registration Statement (in the case of clause (i) above),
(2) upon the effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or a
Shelf Registration Statement (in the case of clause (ii) above), or (3) upon the
exchange of Exchange Capital Securities, the Exchange Capital Securities
Guarantee and Exchange Subordinated Debentures for all Capital Securities, the
Capital Securities Guarantee and all Subordinated Debentures validly tendered
(in the case of clause (iii)(A) above), or upon the
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effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement which had ceased to remain
effective (in the case of clause (iii)(B) above), Additional Interest on the
Subordinated Debentures, and additional distributions on the liquidation amount
of the Capital Securities as a result of such clause (or the relevant subclause
thereof), as the case may be, shall cease to accrue or accumulate, as the case
may be.
Any amounts of Additional Interest and additional
distributions due pursuant to Section 2(e)(i), (ii) or (iii) above will be
payable in cash on the relevant record dates for the payment of interest and
Distributions pursuant to the Indenture and the Declaration respectively;
provided, however, that the payment of such amounts may be deferred during any
Extension Period.
(f) Specific Enforcement. Without limiting the remedies
available to the Holders, the Company and the Trust acknowledge that any failure
by the Company or the Trust to comply with its obligations under Section 2(a)
and Section 2(b) hereof may result in material irreparable injury to the Holders
for which there is no adequate remedy at law, that it would not be possible to
measure damages for such injuries precisely and that, in the event of any such
failure, any Holder may obtain such relief as may be required to specifically
enforce the Company's and the Trust's obligations under Section 2(a) and Section
2(b) hereof.
3. Registration Procedures. In connection with the obligations
of the Company and the Trust with respect to the Registration Statements
pursuant to Sections 2(a) and 2(b) hereof, the Company and the Trust shall use
their best efforts to:
(a) prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement or
Registration Statements as prescribed by Sections 2(a) and 2(b) hereof
within the relevant time period specified in Section 2 hereof on the
appropriate form under the Securities Act, which form (i) shall be
selected by the Company and the Trust, (ii) shall, in the case of a
Shelf Registration, be available for the sale of the Registrable
Securities by the selling Holders thereof and (iii) shall comply as to
form in all material respects with the requirements of the applicable
form and include all financial statements required by the SEC to be
filed therewith; and use its best efforts to cause such Registration
Statement to become effective and remain effective in accordance with
Section 2 hereof; provided, however, that if (1) such filing is
pursuant to Section 2(b), or (2) a Prospectus contained in an Exchange
Offer Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2(a) is required
to be delivered under the Securities Act by any Participating
Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Securities, then before filing
any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendments or
supplements thereto, the Company and the Trust shall furnish to and
afford the Holders of the Registrable Securities and each such
Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, covered by such
Registration Statement, their counsel and the managing underwriters, if
any, a reasonable opportunity to review copies of all such documents
(including copies of any documents to be incorporated by reference
therein and all exhibits thereto) proposed to be filed. The Company and
the Trust shall not file any Registration Statement or Prospectus or
any amendments or supplements thereto in respect of which the Holders
must be afforded an opportunity to review prior to the filing of such
document if the Majority Holders or such Participating Broker-Dealer,
as the case may be, their counsel or the managing underwriters, if any,
shall reasonably object;
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(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and
post-effective amendments to each Registration Statement as may be
necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for the
Effectiveness Period or the Applicable Period, as the case may be; and
cause each Prospectus to be supplemented, if so determined by the
Company or the Trust or requested by the SEC, by any required
prospectus supplement and as so supplemented to be filed pursuant to
Rule 424 (or any similar provision then in force) under the Securities
Act, and comply with the provisions of the Securities Act, the Exchange
Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder applicable to
it with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by each
Registration Statement during the Effectiveness Period or the
Applicable Period, as the case may be, in accordance with the intended
method or methods of distribution by the selling Holders thereof
described in this Agreement (including sales by any Participating
Broker-Dealer);
(c) in the case of a Shelf Registration, (i) notify each
Holder of Registrable Securities included in the Shelf Registration
Statement, at least three Business Days prior to filing, that a Shelf
Registration Statement with respect to the Registrable Securities is
being filed and advising such Holder that the distribution of
Registrable Securities will be made in accordance with the method
selected by the Majority Holders; and (ii) furnish to each Holder of
Registrable Securities included in the Shelf Registration Statement and
to each underwriter of an underwritten offering of Registrable
Securities, if any, without charge, as many copies of each Prospectus,
including each preliminary Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement
thereto and such other documents as such Holder or underwriter may
reasonably request, in order to facilitate the public sale or other
disposition of the Registrable Securities; and (iii) consent to the use
of the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by each of the
selling Holders of Registrable Securities included in the Shelf
Registration Statement in connection with the offering and sale of the
Registrable Securities covered by the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto;
(d) in the case of a Shelf Registration, use its best efforts
to register or qualify the Registrable Securities under all applicable
state securities or "blue sky" laws of such jurisdictions by the time
the applicable Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC
as any Holder of Registrable Securities covered by a Registration
Statement and each underwriter of an underwritten offering of
Registrable Securities shall reasonably request in writing sufficiently
in advance of such date of effectiveness, and do any and all other acts
and things which may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable
such Holder and underwriter to consummate the disposition in each such
jurisdiction of such Registrable Securities owned by such Holder;
provided, however, that the Company and the Trust shall not be required
to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in
any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify
but for this Section 3(d), (ii) file any general consent to service of
process in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be subject to
such service of process or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such
jurisdiction if it is not then so subject;
(e) in the case of (1) a Shelf Registration or (2)
Participating Broker-Dealers from whom the Company or the Trust has
received prior written notice that they will be utilizing the
Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration
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Statement as provided in Section 3(t) hereof and who are seeking to
sell Exchange Securities and are required to deliver Prospectuses,
notify each Holder of Registrable Securities, or such Participating
Broker-Dealers, as the case may be, their counsel and the managing
underwriters, if any, promptly and promptly confirm such notice in
writing (i) when a Registration Statement has become effective and when
any post-effective amendments and supplements thereto become effective,
(ii) of any request by the SEC or any state securities authority for
amendments and supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or
for additional information after the Registration Statement has become
effective, (iii) of the issuance by the SEC or any state securities
authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a
Registration Statement or the qualification of the Registrable
Securities or the Exchange Securities to be offered or sold by any
Participating Broker-Dealer in any jurisdiction described in paragraph
3(d) hereof or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, (iv)
in the case of a Shelf Registration, if, between the effective date of
a Registration Statement and the closing of any sale of Registrable
Securities covered thereby, the representations and warranties of the
Company and the Trust contained in any purchase agreement, securities
sales agreement or other similar agreement, if any, cease to be true
and correct in all material respects, (v) of the happening of any event
or the failure of any event to occur or the discovery of any facts,
during the Effectiveness Period, which makes any statement made in such
Registration Statement or the related Prospectus untrue in any material
respect or which causes such Registration Statement or Prospectus to
omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading, and (vi) of the Company and the Trust's reasonable
determination that a post-effective amendment to the Registration
Statement would be appropriate;
(f) make every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal of
any order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement at
the earliest possible moment;
(g) in the case of a Shelf Registration, furnish to each
Holder of Registrable Securities included within the coverage of such
Shelf Registration Statement, without charge, at least one conformed
copy of each Registration Statement relating to such Shelf Registration
and any post-effective amendment thereto (without documents
incorporated therein by reference or exhibits thereto, unless
requested);
(h) in the case of a Shelf Registration, cooperate with the
selling Holders of Registrable Securities to facilitate the timely
preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable
Securities to be sold and not bearing any restrictive legends and in
such denominations (consistent with the provisions of the Indenture and
the Declaration) and registered in such names as the selling Holders or
the underwriters may reasonably request at least two Business Days
prior to the closing of any sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to
such Shelf Registration Statement;
(i) in the case of a Shelf Registration or an Exchange Offer
Registration, upon the occurrence of any circumstance contemplated by
Section 3(e)(ii), 3(e)(iii), 3(e)(v) or 3(e)(vi) hereof, use its best
efforts to prepare a supplement or post-effective amendment to a
Registration Statement or the related Prospectus or any document
incorporated therein by reference or file any other required document
so that, as
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thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the Registrable Securities,
such Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not materially misleading; and to notify each Holder to suspend use of
the Prospectus as promptly as practicable after the occurrence of such
an event, and each Holder hereby agrees to suspend use of the
Prospectus until the Company has amended or supplemented the Prospectus
to correct such misstatement or omission;
(j) in the case of a Shelf Registration, a reasonable time
prior to the filing of any document which is to be incorporated by
reference into a Registration Statement or a Prospectus after the
initial filing of a Registration Statement, provide a reasonable number
of copies of such document to the Holders; and make such of the
representatives of the Company and the Trust as shall be reasonably
requested by the Holders of Registrable Securities or the Initial
Purchaser on behalf of such Holders available for discussion of such
document;
(k) obtain a CUSIP number for all Exchange Capital Securities
and the Capital Securities (and if the Trust has made a distribution of
the Subordinated Debentures to the Holders of the Capital Securities,
the Subordinated Debentures or the Exchange Subordinated Debentures) as
the case may be, not later than the effective date of a Registration
Statement, and provide the Trustee with printed certificates for the
Exchange Securities or the Registrable Securities, as the case may be,
in a form eligible for deposit with the Depositary;
(l) cause the Indenture, the Declaration, the Capital
Securities Guarantee and the Exchange Capital Securities Guarantee to
be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the "TIA") in
connection with the registration of the Exchange Securities or
Registrable Securities, as the case may be, and effect such changes to
such documents as may be required for them to be so qualified in
accordance with the terms of the TIA and execute, and use its best
efforts to cause the relevant trustee to execute, all documents as may
be required to effect such changes, and all other forms and documents
required to be filed with the SEC to enable such documents to be so
qualified in a timely manner;
(m) in the case of a Shelf Registration, if requested by (x)
the Initial Purchaser, in the case where the Initial Purchaser holds
Securities acquired by it as part of its initial distribution or (y)
Majority Holders of Securities covered thereby, (i) enter into such
agreements (including underwriting agreements) as are customary in
underwritten offerings and take all such other appropriate actions as
are reasonably requested in order to expedite or facilitate the
registration or the disposition of such Registrable Securities; (ii)
make such representations and warranties to Holders of such Registrable
Securities and the underwriters (if any), with respect to the business
of the Trust, the Company and its subsidiaries as then conducted and
the Registration Statement, Prospectus and documents, if any,
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, in each
case, as are customarily made by issuers to underwriters in
underwritten offerings, and confirm the same if and when requested;
(iii) in the case of an underwritten offering in connection with the
Shelf Registration, obtain opinions of counsel to the Company and the
Trust and updates thereof (which may be in the form of a reliance
letter) in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to
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the managing underwriters and the Majority Holders of Securities being
sold, addressed to each selling Holder and the underwriters covering
the matters customarily covered in opinions requested in underwritten
offerings and such other matters as may be reasonably requested by such
underwriters (it being agreed that the matters to be covered by such
opinion may be subject to customary qualifications and exceptions);
(iv) in the case of an underwritten offering in connection with the
Shelf Registration Statement, obtain "cold comfort" letters and updates
thereof in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the managing
underwriters from the independent auditors of the Company and the Trust
(and, if necessary, any other independent auditors of any subsidiary of
the Company and the Trust or of any business acquired by the Company
and the Trust for which financial statements and financial data are, or
are required to be, included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement), addressed to each of the underwriters, such
letters to be in customary form and covering matters of the type
customarily covered in "cold comfort" letters in connection with
underwritten offerings and such other matters as are reasonably
requested by such underwriters in accordance with Statement on Auditing
Standards No. 72; and (v) if an underwriting agreement is entered into,
the same shall contain indemnification provisions and procedures no
less favorable than those set forth in Section 4 hereof (or such other
provisions and procedures acceptable to the Company and Holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of Registrable Securities
covered by such Registration Statement and the managing underwriters or
agents) with respect to all parties to be indemnified pursuant to said
Section (including, without limitation, such underwriters and selling
Holders). The above shall be done at each closing under such
underwriting agreement, or as and to the extent required thereunder;
(n) if (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section
2(b) or (2) a Prospectus contained in an Exchange Offer Registration
Statement filed pursuant to Section 2(a) is required to be delivered
under the Securities Act by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks
to sell Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period, make
reasonably available for inspection by any selling Holder of such
Registrable Securities being sold, or each such Participating
Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, any underwriter participating in any
such disposition of Registrable Securities, if any, and any attorney,
accountant or other agent retained by any such selling Holder or each
such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, or underwriter
(collectively, the "Inspectors"), at the offices where normally kept,
during reasonable business hours, all financial and other records,
pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Trust, the Company
and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Records") as shall be
reasonably necessary to enable them to exercise any applicable due
diligence responsibilities, and cause the officers, directors and
employees of the Trust, the Company and its subsidiaries to supply all
relevant information in each case reasonably requested by any such
Inspector in connection with such Registration Statement; provided,
however, that the foregoing inspection and information gathering shall
be conducted on behalf of the Initial Purchaser by itself and Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx and on behalf of all other selling Holders by one counsel
selected in accordance with Section 2(c) hereof. Records which the
Company and the Trust determine, in good faith, to be confidential and
any records which it notifies the Inspectors are confidential shall not
be disclosed by the Inspectors unless (i) the disclosure of such
Records is necessary to avoid or correct a material misstatement or
omission in such Registration Statement, (ii) the release of such
Records is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or other order from a court
of
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competent jurisdiction or is necessary in connection with any action,
suit or proceeding or (iii) the information in such Records has been
made generally available to the public. Each selling Holder of such
Registrable Securities and each such Participating Broker-Dealer will
be required to agree in writing that information obtained by it as a
result of such inspections shall be deemed confidential and shall not
be used by it as the basis for any market transactions in the
securities of the Trust or the Company unless and until such is made
generally available to the public by the Company. Each such Holder of
such Registrable Securities and each such Participating Broker-Dealer
will be required to agree in writing that it will, upon learning that
disclosure of such Records is sought in a court of competent
jurisdiction, give notice to the Company and allow the Company at its
expense to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of the
Records deemed confidential;
(o) as soon as practicable after the first day of the first
fiscal quarter of the Company beginning after the effective date of a
Registration Statement, but in any event not later than the earliest
required filing date by the Company of a Form 10-K after the end of the
12-month period beginning at the end of the fiscal quarter of the
Company during which the effective date of a Registration Statement
occurs, to make generally available to its securityholders earning
statements satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities
Act covering such 12-month period;
(p) upon consummation of an Exchange Offer or a Private
Exchange, if requested by a Trustee, obtain an opinion of counsel to
the Company addressed to the Trustee for the benefit of all Holders of
Registrable Securities participating in the Exchange Offer or the
Private Exchange, as the case may be, and which includes an opinion
that (i) the Company and the Trust, as the case requires, has duly
authorized, executed and delivered the Exchange Securities and Private
Exchange Securities, and (ii) each of the Exchange Securities or the
Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, constitute a legal,
valid and binding obligation of the Company or the Trust, as the case
requires, enforceable against the Company or the Trust, as the case
requires, in accordance with its respective terms (in each case, with
customary exceptions);
(q) if an Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange is to be
consummated, upon delivery of the Registrable Securities by Holders to
the Company or the Trust, as applicable (or to such other Person as may
be directed by the Company or the Trust), in exchange for the Exchange
Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, the
Company or the Trust, as applicable, shall xxxx, or cause to be marked,
on such Registrable Securities delivered by such Holders that such
Registrable Securities are being cancelled in exchange for the Exchange
Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be;
(r) cooperate with each seller of Registrable Securities
covered by any Registration Statement and each underwriter, if any,
participating in the disposition of such Registrable Securities and
their respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be
made with the NASD;
(s) use its best efforts to take all other steps necessary to
effect the registration of the Registrable Securities covered by a
Registration Statement contemplated hereby;
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(t) (A) in the case of the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement (i) include in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement a
section entitled "Plan of Distribution," which section shall be
reasonably acceptable to the Initial Purchaser or another
representative of the Participating Broker-Dealers, and which shall
contain a summary statement of the positions taken or policies made by
the staff of the SEC with respect to the potential "underwriter" status
of any broker-dealer (a "Participating Broker-Dealer") that holds
Registrable Securities acquired for its own account as a result of
market-making activities or other trading activities and that will be
the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act)
of Exchange Securities to be received by such broker-dealer in the
Exchange Offer, whether such positions or policies have been publicly
disseminated by the staff of the SEC or such positions or policies, in
the reasonable judgment of the Initial Purchaser or such other
representative, represent the prevailing views of the staff of the SEC,
including a statement that any such broker-dealer who receives Exchange
Securities for Registrable Securities pursuant to the Exchange Offer
may be deemed a statutory underwriter and must deliver a prospectus
meeting the requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any
resale of such Exchange Securities, (ii) furnish to each Participating
Broker-Dealer who has delivered to the Company the notice referred to
in Section 3(e), without charge, as many copies of each Prospectus
included in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, including any
preliminary prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, as
such Participating Broker-Dealer may reasonably request (each of the
Company and the Trust hereby consents to the use of the Prospectus
forming part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or any
amendment or supplement thereto by any Person subject to the prospectus
delivery requirements of the Securities Act, including all
Participating Broker-Dealers, in connection with the sale or transfer
of the Exchange Securities covered by the Prospectus or any amendment
or supplement thereto), (iii) use its best efforts to keep the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement effective and to amend and supplement the
Prospectus contained therein in order to permit such Prospectus to be
lawfully delivered by all Persons subject to the prospectus delivery
requirements of the Securities Act for such period of time as such
Persons must comply with such requirements under the Securities Act and
applicable rules and regulations in order to resell the Exchange
Securities; provided, however, that such period shall not be required
to exceed 90 days (or such longer period if extended pursuant to the
last sentence of Section 3 hereof) (the "Applicable Period"), and (iv)
include in the transmittal letter or similar documentation to be
executed by an exchange offeree in order to participate in the Exchange
Offer (x) the following provision:
"If the exchange offeree is a broker-dealer holding
Registrable Securities acquired for its own account as a
result of market-making activities or other trading
activities, it will deliver a prospectus meeting the
requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any
resale of Exchange Securities received in respect of such
Registrable Securities pursuant to the Exchange Offer";
and (y) a statement to the effect that by a broker-dealer making the
acknowledgment described in clause (x) and by delivering a Prospectus
in connection with the exchange of Registrable Securities, the
broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an underwriter
within the meaning of the Securities Act; and
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(B) in the case of any Exchange Offer Registration
Statement, the Company and the Trust agree to deliver to the Initial
Purchaser or to another representative of the Participating
Broker-Dealers, if requested by such Initial Purchaser or such other
representative of the Participating Broker-Dealers, on behalf of the
Participating Broker-Dealers upon consummation of the Exchange Offer
(i) an opinion of counsel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory
to the Initial Purchaser or such other representative of the
Participating Broker-Dealers, covering the matters customarily covered
in opinions requested in connection with Exchange Offer Registration
Statements and such other matters as may be reasonably requested (it
being agreed that the matters to be covered by such opinion may be
subject to customary qualifications and exceptions), (ii) an officers'
certificate containing certifications substantially similar to those
set forth in Section 5(d) of the Purchase Agreement and such additional
certifications as are customarily delivered in a public offering of
debt securities and (iii) as well as upon the effectiveness of the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement, a comfort letter, in each case,
in customary form if permitted by Statement on Auditing Standards No.
72.
The Company or the Trust may require each seller of
Registrable Securities as to which any registration is being effected to furnish
to the Company or the Trust, as applicable, such information regarding such
seller as may be required by the staff of the SEC to be included in a
Registration Statement. The Company or the Trust may exclude from such
registration the Registrable Securities of any seller who unreasonably fails to
furnish such information within a reasonable time after receiving such request.
The Company shall have no obligation to register under the Securities Act the
Registrable Securities of a seller who so fails to furnish such information.
In the case of (1) a Shelf Registration Statement or (2)
Participating Broker-Dealers who have notified the Company and the Trust that
they will be utilizing the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement as provided in Section 3(t) hereof and who are seeking to
sell Exchange Securities and are required to deliver Prospectuses, each Holder
agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company or the Trust of the
happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(e)(ii), 3(e)(iii),
3(e)(v) or 3(e)(vi) hereof, such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition
of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement until such
Holder's receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus
contemplated by Section 3(i) hereof or until it is advised in writing (the
"Advice") by the Company and the Trust that the use of the applicable Prospectus
may be resumed, and, if so directed by the Company and the Trust, such Holder
will deliver to the Company or the Trust (at the Company's or the Trust's
expense, as the case requires) all copies in such Holder's possession, other
than permanent file copies then in such Holder's possession, of the Prospectus
covering such Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities, as the case may be,
current at the time of receipt of such notice. If the Company or the Trust shall
give any such notice to suspend the disposition of Registrable Securities or
Exchange Securities, as the case may be, pursuant to a Registration Statement,
the Company and the Trust shall use their best efforts to file and have declared
effective (if an amendment) as soon as practicable an amendment or supplement to
the Registration Statement and shall extend the period during which such
Registration Statement shall be maintained effective pursuant to this Agreement
by the number of days in the period from and including the date of the giving of
such notice to and including the date when the Company and the Trust shall have
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made available to the Holders (x) copies of the supplemented or amended
Prospectus necessary to resume such dispositions or (y) the Advice.
4. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) In connection with
any Registration Statement, the Company and the Trust shall, jointly and
severally, indemnify and hold harmless the Initial Purchaser, each Holder who
participates in an offering of Registrable Securities, each underwriter who
participates in an offering of the Registrable Securities, each Participating
Broker-Dealer, each Person, if any, who controls any of such parties within the
meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act
and each of their respective directors, officers, employees and agents, as
follows:
(i) from and against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, joint or several, as incurred, arising out of any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), covering Registrable
Securities or Exchange Securities, including all documents incorporated therein
by reference, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a material fact contained in any Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) from and against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, joint or several, as incurred, to the extent of the
aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or
proceeding by any court or governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened,
or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission
referred to in clause (i) above, or any such alleged untrue statement or
omission referred to in clause (i) above, if such settlement is effected with
the prior written consent of the Company; and
(iii) from and against any and all expenses whatsoever, as incurred
(including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by such Holder,
such Participating Broker-Dealer, or any underwriter (except to the extent
otherwise expressly provided in Section 4(c) hereof)), reasonably incurred in
investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any court or governmental agency or body,
commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue
statement or omission referred to in clause (i) above, or any such alleged
untrue statement or omission referred to in clause (i) above, to the extent that
any such expense is not paid under subparagraph (i) or (ii) of this Section
4(a);
provided, however, that (i) this indemnity does not apply to any loss,
liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of an untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished in writing to the
Company or the Trust by such Holder, such Participating Broker-Dealer or any
underwriter with respect to such Holder, Participating Broker-Dealer or any
underwriter, as the case may be, expressly for use in the Registration Statement
(or any amendment thereto) or any Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) and (ii) the Company and the Trust shall not be liable to any such
Holder, Participating Broker-Dealer, any underwriter or controlling person, with
respect to any untrue statement or alleged untrue
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statement or omission or alleged omission in any preliminary Prospectus to the
extent that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of any Holder,
Participating Broker-Dealer, any underwriter or controlling person results from
the fact that such Holder, Participating Broker-Dealer, underwriter or
controlling person sold Securities to a Person to whom there was not sent or
given, at or prior to the written confirmation of such sale, a copy of the final
Prospectus as then amended or supplemented if the Company had previously
furnished copies thereof to such Holder, Participating Broker-Dealer,
underwriter or controlling person and the loss, liability, claim, damage or
expense of such Holder, Participating Broker-Dealer, underwriter or controlling
person results from an untrue statement or omission of a material fact contained
in the preliminary Prospectus which was corrected in the final Prospectus. Any
amounts advanced by the Company or the Trust to an indemnified party pursuant to
this Section 4 as a result of such losses shall be returned to the Company or
the Trust if it shall be finally determined by such a court in a judgment not
subject to appeal or final review that such indemnified party was not entitled
to indemnification by the Company or the Trust.
(b) Each Holder agrees, severally and not jointly, to
indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Trust, any underwriter and the
other selling Holders and each of their respective directors, officers
(including each officer of the Company and the Trust who signed the Registration
Statement), employees, trustees and agents and each Person, if any, who controls
the Company, the Trust, any underwriter or any other selling Holder within the
meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act,
from and against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense
whatsoever described in the indemnity contained in Section 4(a) hereof, as
incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged
untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any
amendment thereto) or any Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company or the Trust by such selling Holder with respect to such Holder
expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or
any such Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); provided, however,
that, in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, no such Holder shall be
liable for any claims hereunder in excess of the amount of net proceeds received
by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Shelf
Registration Statement.
(c) Each indemnified party shall give prompt notice to each
indemnifying party of any action threatened or commenced against it in respect
of which any indemnity is sought hereunder, enclosing a copy of all papers
served on, and notices and demands delivered to, such indemnified party, if any,
but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such
indemnifying party from any liability which it may have under this Section 4,
except to the extent that it is materially prejudiced by such failure. The
indemnifying party shall be entitled to assume the defense of any such action or
proceeding with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party who
shall not, except with the consent of such indemnified party, be counsel to the
indemnifying party. Upon assumption by the indemnifying party of the defense of
any such action or proceeding, the indemnified party shall have the right to
participate in such action or proceeding and to retain its own counsel, but the
indemnifying party shall not be liable for any legal fees or expenses
subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense
thereof unless (i) the indemnifying party has agreed to pay such fees and
expenses, (ii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to employ counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party in a timely manner, or (iii)
the indemnified party shall have been advised by counsel (who shall not be
employed by such
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indemnified party and who shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnifying
party) that such representation would constitute an actual or potential conflict
of interests for counsel selected by the indemnifying party or that the
indemnified party shall have significant separate defenses available to it or
them. The indemnifying party shall not consent to the terms of any compromise or
settlement of any action defended by the indemnifying party in accordance with
the foregoing without the prior consent of the indemnified party, and the
indemnified party shall not consent to the terms of any compromise or settlement
of any action being defended by the indemnifying party in accordance with the
foregoing without the prior consent of the indemnifying party.
(d) In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in
circumstances under which any of the indemnity provisions set forth in this
Section 4 is for any reason held to be unavailable to the indemnified parties
although applicable in accordance with its terms, the Company, the Trust and the
Holders shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages
and expenses of the nature contemplated by such indemnity agreement incurred by
the Company, the Trust and the Holders, as incurred; provided that no Person
guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
the 0000 Xxx) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person that was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. As between the Company, the Trust
and the Holders, such parties shall contribute to such aggregate losses,
liabilities, claims, damages and expenses of the nature contemplated by such
indemnity agreement in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the
relative fault of the Company and Trust, on the one hand, and the Holders, on
the other hand, with respect to the statements or omissions which resulted in
such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense, or action in respect thereof, as
well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the
Company and the Trust, on the one hand, and of the Holders, on the other hand,
shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission
to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the
Trust, on the one hand, or by or on behalf of the Holders, on the other, and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company, the Trust and the
Holders of the Registrable Securities agree that it would not be just and
equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 4 were to be determined by
pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into
account the relevant equitable considerations. For purposes of this Section 4,
each affiliate of a Holder, and each director, officer, employee, agent and
Person, if any, who controls a Holder or such affiliate within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have
the same rights to contribution from the Trust or the Company, as the case may
be, as such Holder, and each director of each of the Company and the Trust, each
officer of each of the Company and the Trust who signed the Registration
Statement, and each Person, if any, who controls each of the Company and the
Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of
the Exchange Act, shall have the same rights to contribution from the Holders as
each of the Company or the Trust.
5. Participation in Underwritten Registrations. No Holder may
participate in any underwritten registration hereunder unless such Holder (a)
agrees to sell such Holder's Registrable Securities on the basis provided in any
underwriting arrangements provided for herein and (b) completes and executes all
reasonable questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting
agreements, lock-up letters and other documents reasonably required under the
terms of such underwriting arrangements.
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6. Selection of Underwriters. The Holders of Registrable
Securities covered by a Shelf Registration Statement who desire to do so may
sell the securities covered by such Shelf Registration in an underwritten
offering. In any such underwritten offering, the underwriter or underwriters and
manager or managers that will administer the offering will be selected by the
Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable
Securities included in such offering; provided, however, that such underwriters
and managers must be satisfactory to the Company and the Trust and any fees of
such underwriters and managers must be paid by the Holders.
7. Miscellaneous.
(a) Rule 144 and Rule 144A. For so long as the Company or the
Trust is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15 of the
Exchange Act and any Registrable Securities remain outstanding, the Company and
the Trust, as the case may be, will each use its best efforts to file the
reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations adopted by the SEC
thereunder, that if it ceases to be so required to file such reports, it will,
upon the request of any Holder of Registrable Securities (a) make publicly
available such information as is necessary to permit sales of their securities
pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, (b) deliver such information to a
prospective purchaser as is necessary to permit sales of their securities
pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act and it will take such further
action as any Holder of Registrable Securities may reasonably request, and (c)
take such further action that is reasonable in the circumstances, in each case,
to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell its
Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the
limitation of the exemptions provided by (i) Rule 144 under the Securities Act,
as such rule may be amended from time to time, (ii) Rule 144A under the
Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or (iii) any
similar rules or regulations hereafter adopted by the SEC. Upon the request of
any Holder of Registrable Securities, the Company and the Trust will deliver to
such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such
requirements.
(b) No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company or the Trust has
not entered into nor will the Company or the Trust on or after the date of this
Agreement enter into any agreement which is inconsistent with the rights granted
to the Holders of Registrable Securities in this Agreement or otherwise
conflicts with the provisions hereof. The rights granted to the Holders
hereunder do not conflict with and are not inconsistent with the rights granted
to the holders of the Company's or the Trust's other issued and outstanding
securities under any such agreements.
(c) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement,
including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or
supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof
may not be given unless the Company and the Trust have obtained the written
consent of Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Registrable Securities affected by such amendment, modification,
supplement, waiver or departure; provided no amendment, modification,
supplement, waiver or consent to the departure with respect to the provisions of
Section 4 hereof shall be effective as against any Holder of Registrable
Securities unless consented to in writing by such Holder of Registrable
Securities. Notwithstanding the
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foregoing sentence, (i) this Agreement may be amended, without the consent of
any Holder of Registrable Securities, by written agreement signed by the
Company, the Trust and Xxxxxx Brothers, to cure any ambiguity, correct or
supplement any provision of this Agreement that may be inconsistent with any
other provision of this Agreement or to make any other provisions with respect
to matters or questions arising under this Agreement which shall not be
inconsistent with other provisions of this Agreement, (ii) this Agreement may be
amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers and consents to departures from
the provisions hereof may be given, by written agreement signed by the Company,
the Trust and Xxxxxx Brothers to the extent that any such amendment,
modification, supplement, waiver or consent is, in their reasonable judgment,
necessary or appropriate to comply with applicable law (including any
interpretation of the Staff of the SEC) or any change therein and (iii) to the
extent any provision of this Agreement relates to the Initial Purchaser, such
provision may be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to
departures from such provisions may be given, by written agreement signed by
Xxxxxx Brothers, the Company and the Trust.
(d) Notices. All notices and other communications provided for
or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by hand-delivery, registered
first-class mail, telex, telecopier, or any courier guaranteeing overnight
delivery (i) if to a Holder, at the most current address given by such Holder to
the Company or the Trust by means of a notice given in accordance with the
provisions of this Section 7(d), which address initially is, with respect to the
Initial Purchaser, the address set forth in the Purchase Agreement; and (ii) if
to the Company or the Trust, initially at the Company's address set forth in the
Purchase Agreement and thereafter at such other address, notice of which is
given in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7(d).
All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have
been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five
Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed;
when answered back, if telexed; when receipt is acknowledged, if telecopied; and
on the next Business Day, if timely delivered to an air courier guaranteeing
overnight delivery.
Copies of all such notices, demands or other communications
shall be concurrently delivered by the Person giving the same to the Trustee, at
the address specified in the Indenture.
(e) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the
benefit of and be binding upon the successors, assigns and transferees of the
Initial Purchaser, including, without limitation and without the need for an
express assignment, subsequent Holders; provided, however, that nothing herein
shall be deemed to permit any assignment, transfer or other disposition of
Registrable Securities in violation of the terms of the Purchase Agreement or
the Indenture. If any transferee of any Holder shall acquire Registrable
Securities, in any manner, whether by operation of law or otherwise, such
Registrable Securities shall be held subject to all of the terms of this
Agreement, and by taking and holding such Registrable Securities, such Person
shall be conclusively deemed to have agreed to be bound by and to perform all of
the terms and provisions of this Agreement and such Person shall be entitled to
receive the benefits hereof.
(f) Third Party Beneficiary. Each of the Holders shall be a
third party beneficiary of the agreements made hereunder between the Company and
the Trust, on the one
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hand, and the Initial Purchaser, on the other hand, and shall have the right to
enforce such agreements directly to the extent it deems such enforcement
necessary or advisable to protect its rights.
(g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number
of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of
which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
(h) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for
convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the
meaning hereof.
(i) GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND
CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,
WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
(j) Severability. In the event that any one or more of the
provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is
held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and
enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining
provisions contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.
(k) Securities Held by the Company, the Trust or its
Affiliates. Whenever the consent or approval of Holders of a specified
percentage of Registrable Securities is required hereunder, Registrable
Securities held by the Company, the Trust or its affiliates (as such term is
defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) shall not be counted in
determining whether such consent or approval was given by the Holders of such
required percentage.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement
as of the date first written above.
TRENWICK GROUP INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Xx.
-----------------------------------
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Xx.
Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer
TRENWICK CAPITAL TRUST I
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx
-----------------------------------
Xxxx X. Xxxxx
Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer and Treasurer
Confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written:
XXXXXX BROTHERS INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
-----------------------------------
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Managing Director
