Exhibit 4.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JUNIOR SUBORDINATED INDENTURE
Between
EQUITABLE RESOURCES, INC.
and
BANKERS TRUST COMPANY
(as Trustee)
dated as of
January , 1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
----
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
OF GENERAL APPLICATION
SECTION 1.1. Definitions.................................................. 1
SECTION 1.2. Compliance Certificate and Opinions.......................... 8
SECTION 1.3. Forms of Documents Delivered to Trustee...................... 8
SECTION 1.4. Acts of Holders.............................................. 9
SECTION 1.5. Notices, Etc. to Trustee and Company......................... 11
SECTION 1.6. Notice to Holders; Waiver.................................... 11
SECTION 1.7. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act............................ 11
SECTION 1.8. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents..................... 11
SECTION 1.9. Successors and Assigns....................................... 11
SECTION 1.10. Separability Clause.......................................... 12
SECTION 1.11. Benefits of Indenture........................................ 12
SECTION 1.12. Governing Law................................................ 12
SECTION 1.13. Non-Business Days............................................ 12
ARTICLE II
SECURITY FORMS
SECTION 2.1. Forms Generally.............................................. 12
SECTION 2.2. Form of Face of Security..................................... 13
SECTION 2.3. Form of Reverse of Security.................................. 15
SECTION 2.4. Additional Provisions Required in Global Security............ 18
SECTION 2.5. Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication.............. 18
ARTICLE III
THE SECURITIES
SECTION 3.1. Title and Terms.............................................. 18
SECTION 3.2. Denominations................................................ 21
SECTION 3.3. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating............... 21
SECTION 3.4. Temporary Securities......................................... 22
SECTION 3.5. Global Securities............................................ 22
SECTION 3.6. Registration, Transfer and Exchange Generally................ 23
SECTION 3.7. Mutilated, Lost and Stolen Securities........................ 24
SECTION 3.8. Payment of Interest and Additional Interest; Interest Rights
Preserved.................................................... 25
SECTION 3.9. Persons Deemed Owners........................................ 26
SECTION 3.10. Cancellation................................................. 26
SECTION 3.11. Computation of Interest...................................... 26
SECTION 3.12. Deferrals of Interest Payment Dates.......................... 26
SECTION 3.13. Right of Set-Off............................................. 27
i
SECTION 3.14. Agreed Tax Treatment......................................... 28
SECTION 3.15. Shortening of Stated Maturity................................ 28
SECTION 3.16. CUSIP Numbers................................................ 28
ARTICLE IV
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
SECTION 4.1. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture...................... 28
SECTION 4.2. Application of Trust Money................................... 29
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES
SECTION 5.1. Events of Default............................................ 30
SECTION 5.2. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment........... 30
SECTION 5.3. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by
Trustee...................................................... 31
SECTION 5.4. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim............................. 32
SECTION 5.5. Trustee May Enforce Claim Without Possession of Securities... 32
SECTION 5.6. Application of Money Collected............................... 33
SECTION 5.7. Limitation on Suits.......................................... 33
SECTION 5.8. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and
Interest; Direct Action by Holders of Capital Securities..... 34
SECTION 5.9. Restoration of Rights and Remedies........................... 34
SECTION 5.10. Rights and Remedies Cumulative............................... 34
SECTION 5.11. Delay or Omission Not Waiver................................. 34
SECTION 5.12. Control by Holders........................................... 34
SECTION 5.13. Waiver of Past Defaults...................................... 35
SECTION 5.14. Undertaking for Costs........................................ 35
SECTION 5.15. Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws...................... 36
ARTICLE VI
THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 6.1. Certain Duties and Responsibilities.......................... 36
SECTION 6.2. Notice of Defaults........................................... 37
SECTION 6.3. Certain Rights of Trustee.................................... 37
SECTION 6.4. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities....... 38
SECTION 6.5. May Hold Securities.......................................... 38
SECTION 6.6. Money Held in Trust.......................................... 38
SECTION 6.7. Compensation and Reimbursement............................... 38
SECTION 6.8. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests...................... 39
SECTION 6.9. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility...................... 39
SECTION 6.10. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor............ 39
SECTION 6.11. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor....................... 40
SECTION 6.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.. 41
SECTION 6.13. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company............ 42
SECTION 6.14. Appointment of Authenticating Agent.......................... 42
ARTICLE VII
ii
HOLDER'S LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE,
PAYING AGENT AND COMPANY
SECTION 7.1. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.... 43
SECTION 7.2. Preservation of Information, Communications to Holders....... 43
SECTION 7.3. Reports by Trustee and Paying Agent.......................... 44
SECTION 7.4. Reports by Company........................................... 44
ARTICLE VIII
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
SECTION 8.1. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms......... 44
SECTION 8.2. Successor Company Substituted................................ 45
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.1. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders........... 45
SECTION 9.2. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.............. 46
SECTION 9.3. Execution of Supplemental Indentures......................... 47
SECTION 9.4. Effect of Supplemental Indentures............................ 48
SECTION 9.5. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.......................... 48
SECTION 9.6. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures........... 48
ARTICLE X
COVENANTS
SECTION 10.1. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest................... 48
SECTION 10.2. Maintenance of Office or Agency.............................. 48
SECTION 10.3. Money for Security Payments to be Held in Trust.............. 49
SECTION 10.4. Statement as to Compliance................................... 50
SECTION 10.5. Waiver of Certain Covenants.................................. 50
SECTION 10.6. Additional Sums.............................................. 50
SECTION 10.7. Additional Covenants......................................... 51
SECTION 10.8. Original Issue Discount...................................... 51
ARTICLE XI
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 11.1. Applicability of This Article................................ 52
SECTION 11.2. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee........................ 52
SECTION 11.3. Selection of Securities to be Redeemed....................... 52
SECTION 11.4. Notice of Redemption......................................... 52
SECTION 11.5. Deposit of Redemption Price.................................. 53
SECTION 11.6. Payment of Securities Called for Redemption.................. 53
SECTION 11.7. Right of Redemption of Securities Initially Issued to an Issuer
Trust........................................................ 54
ARTICLE XII
iii
SINKING FUNDS
ARTICLE XIII
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 13.1. Securities Subordinate to Senior Indebtedness................ 54
SECTION 13.2. No Payment When Senior Indebtedness in Default; Payment Over
of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc............................ 55
SECTION 13.3. Payment Permitted If No Default.............................. 56
SECTION 13.4. Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Indebtedness...... 56
SECTION 13.5. Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights.................. 56
SECTION 13.6. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.......................... 57
SECTION 13.7. No Waiver of Subordination Provisions........................ 57
SECTION 13.8. Notice to Trustee............................................ 57
SECTION 13.9. Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating
Agent........................................................ 58
SECTION 13.10.Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness..... 58
SECTION 13.11.Rights of Trustee as Holder of Senior Indebtedness;
Preservation of Trustee's Rights............................. 58
SECTION 13.12.Article Applicable to Paying Agents.......................... 58
iv
Certain Sections of this Junior Subordinated Indenture relating
to Sections 310 through 318 of the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939:
Trust Indenture Junior
Subordinated
Act Section Indenture
Section
_______________
_____________
_
(ss.) 310(a)(1)..........................................................6.9
(a)(2).............................................................6.9
(a)(3)..................................................Not Applicable
(a)(4)..................................................Not Applicable
(a)(5).............................................................6.9
(b)..........................................................6.8, 6.10
(ss.) 311(a)............................................................6.13
(b)(2)............................................................7.3(a)
(ss.) 312(a).......................................................7.1, 7.2(a)
(b)...............................................................7.2(b)
(c)...............................................................7.2(c)
(ss.) 313(a)............................................................7.3(a)
(a)(4)............................................................7.3(a)
(b)...............................................................7.3(b)
(c)...............................................................7.3(a)
(d)...............................................................7.3(c)
(ss.) 314(a)............................................................7.4
(b)...............................................................7.4
(c)(1)............................................................1.2
(c)(2)............................................................1.2
(c)(3)....................................................Not Applicable
(e)............................................................1.2
(ss.) 315(a)............................................................6.1(a)
(b)...........................................................6.2, 7.3
(c)...............................................................6.1(b)
(d)...............................................................6.1(c)
(e).................................................................5.14
(ss.) 316(a)..............................................................5.12
(a)(1)(A)...........................................................5.12
(a)(1)(B)...........................................................5.13
(a)(2)....................................................Not Applicable
(b).................................................................5.18
(c)...............................................................1.4(f)
(ss.) 317(a)(1)............................................................5.3
(a)(2)...............................................................5.4
(b).................................................................10.3
(ss.) 318(a)...............................................................1.7
Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be
a part of the Indenture.
v
JUNIOR SUBORDINATED INDENTURE
THIS JUNIOR SUBORDINATED INDENTURE, dated as of ______ , 1998, between
EQUITABLE RESOURCES, INC., a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), having
its principal office at 420 Boulevard of the Allies, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx
00000, and BANKERS TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee, having its principal office at
Four Albany Street, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10006 (the "Trustee").
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this
Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured junior
subordinated debt securities in series (hereinafter called the "Securities") of
substantially the tenor hereinafter provided, including Securities issued to
evidence loans made to the Company from the proceeds from the issuance from time
to time by one or more business trusts (each an "Issuer Trust") of undivided
preferred beneficial interests in the assets of such Issuer Trusts (the "Capital
Securities") and common undivided interests in the assets of such Issuer
Trusts(the "Common Securities" and, collectively with the Capital Securities,
the"Trust Securities"), and to provide the terms and conditions upon which the
Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered; and
WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of
the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities
by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and
proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of any series
thereof,and intending to be legally bound hereby, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
OF GENERAL APPLICATION
SECTION 1.1. Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided
or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) The terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in
this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular;
(2) All other terms used herein that are defined in the Trust Indenture
Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them
therein;
(3) The words "include", "includes" and "including" shall be deemed to be
followed by the phrase "without limitation";
(4) All accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings
assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as
in effect at the time of computation;
(5) Whenever the context may require, any gender shall be deemed to include
the other;
(6) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an "Article" or
a "Section" refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be, of this
Indenture; and
(7) The words "hereby", "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder" and other words
of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular
Article, Section or other subdivision.
"Act" when used with respect to any Holder has the meaning specified in
Section 1.4.
"Additional Interest" means the interest, if any, that shall accrue on any
interest on the Securities of any series the payment of which has not been made
on the applicable Interest Payment Date and which shall accrue at the rate per
annum specified or determined as specified in such Security.
"Additional Sums" has the meaning specified in Section 10.6.
"Additional Taxes" means any additional taxes, duties and other
governmental charges to which an Issuer Trust has become subject from time to
time as a result of a Tax Event.
"Administrator" means, in respect of any Issuer Trust, each Person
appointed in accordance with the related Trust Agreement, solely in such
Person's capacity as Administrator of such Issuer Trust and not in such Person's
individual capacity, or any successor Administrator appointed as therein
provided.
"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 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.
"Agent Member" means any member of, or participant in, the Depositary.
"Applicable Procedures" means, with respect to any transfer or transaction
involving a Global Security or beneficial interest therein, the rules and
procedures of the Depositary for such Global Security, in each case to the
extent applicable to such transaction and as in effect from time to time.
"Authenticating Agent" means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant
to Section 6.14 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of
one or more series.
"Board of Directors" means the board of directors of the Company or the
Executive Committee of the board of directors of the Company (or any other
committee of the board of directors of the Company performing similar
functions)or, for purposes of this Indenture, a committee designated by the
board of directors of the Company (or such committee), comprised of two or more
members of the board of directors of the Company or officers of the Company, or
both.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary
or any Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board
of Directors, or such committee of the Board of Directors or officers of the
Company to which authority to act on behalf of the Board of Directors has been
delegated, 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 (i) a Saturday or Sunday, (ii) a
day on which banking institutions in the City of New York or the City of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are authorized or required by law or executive order to
remain closed, or (iii) a day on which the Corporate Trust Office of the
Trustee, or, with respect to the Securities of a series initially issued to an
Issuer Trust, the "Corporate Trust Office" (as defined
2
in the related Trust Agreement) of the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee
under the related Trust Agreement, is closed for business.
"Capital Securities" has the meaning specified in the first recital of this
Indenture.
"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to
time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the
execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the
duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body
performing such duties on such date.
"Common Securities" has the meaning specified in the first recital of this
Indenture.
"Common Stock" means the common stock, par value $____ per share, of the
Company.
"Company" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first paragraph of
this instrument until a successor entity shall have become such pursuant to the
applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter "Company" shall mean
such successor entity.
"Company Request" and "Company Order" mean, respectively, the written
request or order signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman of the Board
of Directors, its Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, its President or a
Vice President, and by its Cashier or an Assistant Cashier, its Controller or an
Assistant Controller, its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to
the Trustee.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the principal office of the Trustee at which
at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which
office at the date of this Indenture is located at Four Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Corporate Trust and Agency Group Corporate Market
Services.
"Creditor" has the meaning specified in Section 6.7.
"Defaulted Interest" has the meaning specified in Section 3.8.
"Delaware Trustee" means, with respect to any Issuer Trust, the Person
identified as the "Delaware Trustee" in the related Trust Agreement, solely in
its capacity as Delaware Trustee of such Issuer Trust under such Trust Agreement
and not in its individual capacity, or its successor in interest in such
capacity, or any successor Delaware trustee appointed as therein provided.
"Depositary" means, with respect to the Securities of any series issuable
or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the
Person designated as Depositary by the Company pursuant to Section 3.1 with
respect to such series (or any successor thereto).
"Discount Security" means any security that provides for an amount less
than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of
acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2.
"Dollar" or "$" means the currency of the United States of America that, as
at the time of payment, is legal tender for the payment of public and private
debts. The term "entity" includes a bank, corporation, association,
company,limited liability company, joint-stock company or business trust.
"Event of Default," unless otherwise specified in the supplemental
indenture creating a series of Securities, has the meaning specified in Article
V herein.
3
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any statute
successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
"Expiration Date" has the meaning specified in Section 1.4.
"Extension Period" has the meaning specified in Section 3.12.
"Global Security" means a Security in the form prescribed in Section 2.4
evidencing all or part of a series of Securities, issued to the Depositary or
its nominee for such series, and registered in the name of such Depositary or
its nominee.
"Guarantee" means, with respect to any Issuer Trust, the Guarantee
Agreement executed by the Company for the benefit of the Holders of the Capital
Securities issued by such Issuer Trust as modified, amended or supplemented from
time to time.
"Holder" means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the
Securities Register.
"Indenture" means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from
time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental
hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and shall
include the terms of each particular series of Securities established as
contemplated by Section 3.1.
"Interest Payment Date" means, as to each series of Securities, the Stated
Maturity of an installment of interest on such Securities.
"Investment Company Event" means the receipt by an Issuer Trust of an
Opinion of Counsel (as defined in the relevant Trust Agreement) experienced in
such matters to the effect that, as a result of the occurrence of a change in
law or regulation or a written change (including any announced prospective
change) in interpretation or application of law or regulation by any legislative
body, court, governmental agency or regulatory authority, there is more than an
insubstantial risk that such Issuer Trust is or will be considered an
"investment company" that is required to be registered under the Investment
Company Act, which change or prospective change becomes effective or would
become effective, as the case may be, on or after the date of the issuance of
the Capital Securities of such Issuer Trust.
"Investment Company Act" means the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any
statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
"Issuer Trust" has the meaning specified in the first recital of this
Indenture.
"Maturity" when used with respect to any Security means the date on which
the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein
provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call
for redemption or otherwise.
"Notice of Default" means a written notice of the kind specified in Section
5.1(3).
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the
Board and Chief Executive Officer, President or a Vice President, and by the
Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of
the Depositor, and delivered to the party provided herein. Any Officers'
Certificate delivered with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant
provided for in this Indenture shall include:
4
(a) a statement by each officer signing the Officers' Certificate that such
officer has read the covenant or condition and the definitions relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the examination or
investigation undertaken by such officer in rendering the Officers' Certificate;
(c) a statement that such officer has made such examination or
investigation as, in such officer's opinion, is necessary to enable such officer
to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition
has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such officer, such
condition or covenant has been complied with.
"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel
for or an employee of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company.
"Original Issue Date" means the date of issuance specified as such in each
Security.
"Outstanding" means, when used in reference to any Securities, as of the
date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered
under this Indenture, except:
(i) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or delivered to the
Trustee for cancellation;
(ii) Securities for whose payment money in the necessary amount has been
theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent in trust for the
Holders of such Securities; and
(iii) Securities in substitution for or in lieu of which other Securities
have been authenticated and delivered or that have been paid pursuant to Section
3.6, unless proof satisfactory to the Trustee is presented that any such
Securities are held by Holders in whose hands such Securities are valid, binding
and legal obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite
principal amount of Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, Securities owned
by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the
Company or such other obligor (other than, for the avoidance of doubt, the
Issuer Trust to which Securities of the applicable series were initially issued)
shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in
determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only
Securities that the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so
disregarded.Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be
regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the
Trustee the pledgee's right so to act with respect to such Securities and that
the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any
Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor (other than, for the avoidance of
doubt, such Issuer Trust). Upon the written request of the Trustee, the Company
shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officers' Certificate listing and
identifying all Securities, if any, known by the Company to be owned or held by
or for the account of the Company, or any other obligor on the Securities or any
Affiliate of the Company or such obligor (other than,for the avoidance of doubt,
such Issuer Trust), and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, 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 Securities not listed
therein are Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.
"Paying Agent" means the Trustee or any Person authorized by the Company to
pay the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on, or other amounts in
respect of any Securities on behalf of the Company.
5
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint
venture,trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or
political subdivision thereof.
"Place of Payment" means, with respect to the Securities of any series, the
place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the
Securities of such series are payable pursuant to Section 3.1.
"Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every previous
Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such
particular Security. For the purposes of this definition, any security
authenticated and delivered under Section 3.7 in lieu of a mutilated,
destroyed,lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as
the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.
"Proceeding" has the meaning specified in Section 13.2.
"Property Trustee" means, with respect to any Issuer Trust, the Person
identified as the "Property Trustee" in the related Trust Agreement, solely in
its capacity as Property Trustee of such Issuer Trust under such Trust Agreement
and not in its individual capacity, or its successor in interest in such
capacity, or any successor property trustee appointed as therein provided.
"Redemption Date", when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed,
means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture or the
terms of such Security.
"Redemption Price", when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed,
means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
"Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date
with respect to the Securities of a series means, unless otherwise provided
pursuant to Section 3.1 with respect to Securities of such series, the date that
is the _____ day of ___________, ___________, ____________ or ____________ next
preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day).
"Responsible Officer", when used with respect to the Property Trustee means
any officer assigned to the Corporate Trust Office, including any managing
director, vice president, assistant vice president, assistant treasurer,
assistant secretary or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing
functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and
having direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, and
also,with respect to a particular matter, any other officer to whom such matter
is referred because of such officer's knowledge of and familiarity with the
particular subject.
"Rights Plan" means any plan of the Company providing for the issuance by
the Company to all holders of its Common Stock, par value $____ per share, of
rights entitling the holders thereof to subscribe for or purchase shares of any
class or series of capital stock of the Company which rights (i) are deemed to
be transferred with such shares of such Common Stock, (ii) are not
exercisable,and (iii) are also issued in respect of future issuances of such
Common Stock,in each case until the occurrence of a specified event or events.
"Securities" or "Security" means any debt securities or debt security, as
the case may be, authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as modified, amended or
supplemented from time to time.
"Securities Register" and "Securities Registrar" have the respective
meanings specified in Section 3.6.
6
"Senior Indebtedness" means, whether recourse is to all or a portion of the
assets of the Company and whether or not contingent, (i) every obligation of the
Company for money borrowed, (ii) every obligation of the Company evidenced by
bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, including obligations
incurred in connection with the acquisition of property, assets or
businesses,(iii) every reimbursement obligation of the Company with respect to
letters of credit, bankers' acceptances or similar facilities issued for the
account of the Company, (iv) every obligation of the Company issued or assumed
as the deferred purchase price of property or services (but excluding trade
accounts payable or accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of
business), (v) every capital lease obligation of the Company, (vi) every
obligation of the Company for claims (as defined in Section 101(4) of the United
States Bankruptcy Code of 1978, as amended) in respect of derivative products
such as interest and foreign exchange rate contracts, commodity contracts and
similar arrangements, and (vii) every obligation of the type referred to in
clauses (i) through (vi) of another person and all dividends of another person
the payment of which, in either case, the Company has guaranteed or is
responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, as obligor or otherwise;provided
that "Senior Indebtedness" shall not include (i) any obligations which,by their
terms, are expressly stated to rank pari passu in right of payment with, or to
not be superior in right of payment to, the Junior Subordinated Debentures, (ii)
any Senior Indebtedness of the Company which when incurred and without respect
to any election under Section 1111(b) of the United States Bankruptcy Code of
1978, as amended, was without recourse to the Company, (iii) any indebtedness of
the Company to any of its subsidiaries, (iv) indebtedness to any employee of the
Company, or (v) any indebtedness in respect of debt securities issued to any
trust, or a trustee of such trust, partnership or other entity affiliated with
the Company that is a financing entity of the Company in connection with the
issuance of such financing entity of securities that are similar to the Capital
Securities.
"Special Record Date" for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a
date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.8.
"Stated Maturity", when used with respect to any Security or any
installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified
pursuant to the terms of such Security as the fixed date on which the principal
of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and
payable, as such date may, in the case of the stated maturity of the principal
on any security, be shortened as provided pursuant to the terms of such Security
and this Indenture.
"Subsidiary" means an entity more than 50% of the outstanding voting stock
of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more
other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For
purposes of this definition, "voting stock" means stock that ordinarily has
voting power for the election of directors, whether at all times or only so long
as no senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.
"Successor Security" of any particular Security means every Security issued
after, and evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced
by,such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any
Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.7 in exchange for or in
lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to
evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.
"Tax Event" means the receipt by an Issuer Trust of an Opinion of Counsel
(as defined in the relevant Trust Agreement) experienced in such matters to the
effect that, as a result of any amendment to, or change (including any announced
prospective change) in, the laws (or any regulations thereunder) of the United
States or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, or
as a result of any official or administrative pronouncement or action or
judicial decision interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, which
amendment or change is effective or which pronouncement or decision is announced
on or after the date of issuance of the Capital Securities of such Issuer
Trust,there is more than an insubstantial risk that (i) such Issuer Trust is, or
will be within 90 days of the delivery of such Opinion of Counsel, subject to
United States Federal income tax with respect to income received or accrued on
the corresponding series of Securities issued by the
7
Company to such Issuer Trust, (ii) interest payable by the Company on such
corresponding series of Securities is not, or within 90 days of the delivery of
such Opinion of Counsel will not be, deductible by the Company, in whole or in
part, for United States Federal income tax purposes, or (iii) such Issuer Trust
is, or will be within 90 days of the delivery of such Opinion of Counsel,
subject to more than a de minimis amount of other taxes, duties or other
governmental charges.
"Trust Agreement" means, with respect to any Issuer Trust, the trust
agreement or other governing instrument of such Issuer Trust.
"Trustee" means the Person named as the "Trustee" in the first paragraph of
this Indenture, solely in its capacity as such and not in its individual
capacity, 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 and, if at any time there is
more than one such Person, "Trustee" as used with respect to the Securities of
any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that series.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as modified,
amended or supplemented from time to time, except as provided in Section 9.5.
"Trust Securities" has the meaning specified in the first recital of this
Indenture.
"Vice President," when used with respect to the Company, means any duly
appointed vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or
words added before or after the title "vice president."
SECTION 1.2. Compliance Certificate and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any
action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the
Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that all conditions precedent
(including covenants compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent),
if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been
complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such
counsel, all such conditions precedent (including covenants compliance with
which constitutes a condition precedent), if any, have been complied with,
except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the
furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this
Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional
certificate or opinion need be furnished.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or
covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificates provided
pursuant to Section 10.4) shall include:
(1) a statement by each individual signing such certificate or opinion that
such individual has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein
relating thereto;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or
investigation upon which the statements or opinions of such individual contained
in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such individual, he or she has made
such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to
express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has
been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of such individual, such
condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 1.3. Forms of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
8
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or
covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all
such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such
Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one
such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one
or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify
or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based,
insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of
reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations
with respect to matters upon which his or her certificate or opinion is based
are erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar
as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the
information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the
Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should
know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such
matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more
applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions, or other
instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and
form one instrument.
SECTION 1.4. Acts of Holders.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or other action provided by this Indenture to be given to 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 an agent duly appointed in
writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall
become effective when such instrument or instruments is or 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 the 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 (subject to Section 6.1) 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
the certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized by law to take
acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument
or writing acknowledged to him or her the execution thereof. Where such
execution is by a Person acting in other than his or her individual
capacity,such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of
his or her authority.
(c) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument
or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be
provided in any other manner that the Trustee deems sufficient and in accordance
with such reasonable rules as the Trustee may determine.
(d) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Securities Register.
(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or other action by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of
the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the transfer
thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done
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 Security.
9
(f) The Company may set any day as a record date for the purpose of
determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to
give, make or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be
given, made or taken by Holders of Securities of such series, provided that the
Company may not set a record date for, and the provisions of this paragraph
shall not apply with respect to, the giving or making of any notice,
declaration, request or direction referred to in the next succeeding paragraph.
If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding
Securities of the relevant series on such record date, and no other
Holders,shall be entitled to take the relevant action, whether or not such
Holders remain Holders after such record date, provided that no such action
shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable
Expiration Date (as defined below) by Holders of the requisite principal amount
of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date. Nothing in this
paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Company from setting a new record
date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to
this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and
with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this
paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders
of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of the relevant
series on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set
pursuant to this paragraph, the Company, at its own expense, shall cause notice
of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable
Expiration Date to be given to the Trustee in writing and to each Holder of
Securities of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 1.6.
The Trustee may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining
the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to join in the
giving or making of (i) any Notice of Default, (ii) any declaration of
acceleration referred to in Section 5.2, (iii) any request to institute
proceedings referred to in Section 5.7(2), or (iv) any direction referred to in
Section 5.12, in each case with respect to Securities of such series. If any
record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding
Securities of such series on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be
entitled to join in such notice, declaration, request or direction, whether or
not such Holders remain Holders after such record date, provided that no such
action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable
Expiration Date by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding
Securities of such series on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall
be construed to prevent the Trustee from setting a new record date for any
action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this
paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with
no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect) and nothing in this
paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders
of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of the relevant
series on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set
pursuant to this paragraph, the Trustee, at the Company's expense, shall cause
notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable
Expiration Date to be given to the Company in writing and to each Holder of
Securities of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 1.6.
With respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party
hereto that sets such record date may designate any day as the "Expiration Date"
and from time to time may change the Expiration Date to any earlier or later
day, provided that no such change shall be effective unless notice of the
proposed new Expiration Date is given to the other party hereto in writing, and
to each Holder of Securities of the relevant series in the manner set forth in
Section 1.6 on or prior to the existing Expiration Date. If an Expiration Date
is not designated with respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section,
the party hereto that set such record date shall be deemed to have initially
designated the 180th day after such record date as the Expiration Date with
respect thereto, subject to its right to change the Expiration Date as provided
in this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Expiration Date shall be
later than the 180th day after the applicable record date.
(g) Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to take any
action hereunder with regard to any particular Security may do so with regard to
all or any part of the principal amount of such
10
Security or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so
pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any part of such principal
amount.
SECTION 1.5. Notices, Etc. to Trustee and Company.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or
Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be
made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,
(1) the Trustee by any Holder, any holder of Capital Securities or the
Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given,
furnished or filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust
Office, or
(2) the Company by the Trustee, any Holder or any holder of Capital
Securities shall be sufficient for every purpose (except as otherwise provided
in Section 5.1) hereunder if in writing and mailed, first class, postage
prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office
specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address
previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.
SECTION 1.6. Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such
notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided)
if in writing and mailed, first class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected
by such event, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Securities
Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest
date, prescribed for the giving of such notice. If, by reason of the suspension
of or irregularities in regular mail services or for any other reason, it shall
be impossible or impracticable to mail notice of any event to Holders when said
notice is required to be given pursuant to any provision of this Indenture or of
the relevant Securities, then any manner of giving such notice as shall be
satisfactory to the Trustee shall be deemed to be a sufficient giving of such
notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the
failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any
particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to
other Holders. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such
notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such
notice,either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent
of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee,
but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action
taken in reliance upon such waiver.
SECTION 1.7. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of
the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such Act to be a part of and
govern this Indenture, the provision of the Trust Indenture Act shall control.If
any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust
Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be
deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case
may be.
SECTION 1.8. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for
convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
SECTION 1.9. Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind
its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
11
SECTION 1.10. Separability Clause.
If any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities 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.
SECTION 1.11. Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall
give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors and
assigns, the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the Holders of the Securities and,
to the extent expressly provided in Sections 5.2, 5.8, 5.9, 5.11, 5.13, 9.1 and
9.2, the holders of Capital Securities, any benefit or any legal or equitable
right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
SECTION 1.12. Governing Law.
THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SECTION 1.13. Non-Business Days.
If any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any
Security shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any other provision
of this Indenture or the Securities) payment of interest or principal (and
premium, if any) or other amounts in respect of such Security need not be made
on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day (and no
interest shall accrue in respect of the amounts whose payment is so delayed for
the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated
Maturity, as the case may be, until such next succeeding Business Day) except
that, if such Business Day is in the next succeeding calendar year, such payment
shall be made on the immediately preceding Business Day (in each case with the
same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date
or at the Stated Maturity).
ARTICLE II
SECURITY FORMS
SECTION 2.1. Forms Generally.
The Securities of each series and the Trustee's certificate of
authentication shall be in substantially the forms set forth in this Article, or
in such other form or forms as shall be established by or pursuant to a Board
Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in each case with
such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as
are required or permitted by this Indenture and may have such letters, numbers
or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon
as may be required to comply with applicable tax laws or the rules of any
securities exchange or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the
officers executing such securities, as evidenced by their execution of the
Securities. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action
taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such
action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company
Order contemplated by Section 3.3 with respect to the authentication and
delivery of such Securities.
The Trustee's certificates of authentication shall be substantially in the
form set forth in this Article.
12
The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved or
produced by any combination of these methods, if required by any securities
exchange on which the Securities may be listed, on a steel engraved border or
steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner permitted by the
rules of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, all as
determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their
execution of such Securities.
Securities distributed to holders of Global Capital Securities (as defined
in the applicable Trust Agreement) upon the dissolution of an Issuer Trust shall
be distributed in the form of one or more Global Securities registered in the
name of a Depositary or its nominee, and deposited with the Securities
Registrar, as custodian for such Depositary, or with such Depositary, for credit
by the Depositary to the respective accounts of the beneficial owners of the
Securities represented thereby (or such other accounts as they may
direct).Securities distributed to holders of Capital Securities other than
Global Capital Securities upon the dissolution of an Issuer Trust shall not be
issued in the form of a Global Security or any other form intended to facilitate
book-entry trading in beneficial interests in such Securities.
SECTION 2.2. Form of Face of Security.
EQUITABLE RESOURCES, INC.
[Title of Security]
No. $
EQUITABLE RESOURCES, INC., a Pennsylvania corporation (hereinafter called
the "Company", which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture
hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay
to_______________________, or registered assigns, the principal sum
of_____________Dollars on __________, [if the Security is a Global Security,
then insert, if applicable--, or such other principal amount represented hereby
as may be set forth in the records of the Securities Registrar hereinafter
referred to in accordance with the Indenture,] [; provided that the Company may
shorten the Stated Maturity of the principal of this Security to a date not
earlier than ____________]. The Company further promises to pay interest on
said principal from ___________, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date
to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, [monthly] [quarterly]
[semi-annually] [if applicable,insert--(subject to deferral as set forth
herein)] in arrears on [insert applicable Interest Payment Dates] of each year,
commencing ___________ at the rate of ______ % per annum, [if applicable insert-
-together with Additional Sums, if any, as provided in Section 10.6 of the
Indenture,] until the principal hereof is paid or duly provided for or made
available for payment [if applicable, insert--; provided that any overdue
principal, premium or Additional Sums and any overdue installment of interest
shall bear Additional Interest at the rate of % per annum (to the extent that
the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), compounded [monthly]
[quarterly] [semi-annually], from the dates such amounts are due until they are
paid or made available for payment, and such interest shall be payable on
demand]. The amount of interest payable for any period less than a full
interest period shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-
day months and the actual days elapsed in a partial month in such period. The
amount of interest payable for any full interest period shall be computed by
dividing the applicable rate per annum by [twelve/four/two]. The interest so
payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date
will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this
Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of
business on the Regular Record Date for such interest installment [if
applicable, insert--, which shall be the [ _____ day of ________, _________,
__________ or _____________] (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may
be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date]. Any such interest not so
punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the
Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose
name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the
close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted
Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of
Securities of this series not less than 10 days
13
prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful
manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on
which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may
be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture.
[If applicable, insert--So long as no Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, the Company shall have the right, at any time during the term of
this Security, from time to time to defer the payment of interest on this
Security for up to _____ consecutive [monthly] [quarterly][semi-annual] interest
payment periods with respect to each deferral period (each an "Extension
Period") [if applicable, insert--, during which Extension Periods the Company
shall have the right to make partial payments of interest on any Interest
Payment Date, and] at the end of which the Company shall pay all interest then
accrued and unpaid including Additional Interest, as provided below; provided,
however, that no Extension Period shall extend beyond the Stated Maturity of the
principal of this Security [If Stated Maturity can be shortened, insert--, as
then in effect,] and no such Extension Period may end on a date other than an
Interest Payment Date; and provided, further, however, that during any such
Extension Period, the Company shall not (i) declare or pay any dividends or
distributions on, or redeem, purchase,acquire or make a liquidation payment with
respect to, any of the Company's capital stock, or (ii) make any payment of
principal of or interest or premium,if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem
any debt securities of the Company that rank pari passu in all respects with or
junior in interest to this Security including the Company's obligations
associated with the Outstanding Capital Securities (other than (a) repurchases,
redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of capital stock of the Company in
connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other similar
arrangement with or for the benefit of any one or more employees, officers,
directors or consultants, in connection with a dividend reinvestment or
stockholder stock purchase plan or in connection with the issuance of capital
stock of the Company (or securities convertible into or exercisable for such
capital stock) as consideration in an acquisition transaction entered into prior
to the applicable Extension Period, (b) as a result of an exchange or conversion
of any class or series of the Company's capital stock (or any capital stock of a
Subsidiary of the Company) for any class or series of the Company's capital
stock or of any class or series of the Company's indebtedness for any class or
series of the Company's capital stock,(c) the purchase of fractional interests
in shares of the Company's capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange
provisions of such capital stock or the security being converted or exchanged,
(d) any declaration of a dividend in connection with any Rights Plan, or the
issuance of rights, stock or other property under any Rights Plan, or the
redemption or repurchase of rights pursuant thereto, or (e) any dividend in the
form of stock, warrants, options or other rights where the dividend stock or the
stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants, options or other rights is the
same stock as that on which the dividend is being paid or ranks pari passu with
or junior to such stock). Prior to the termination of any such Extension
Period,the Company may further defer the payment of interest, provided that no
Extension Period shall exceed ____ consecutive [monthly] [quarterly][semi-
annual] interest payment periods, extend beyond the Stated Maturity of the
principal of this Security or end on a date other than an Interest Payment
Date.Upon the termination of any such Extension Period and upon the payment of
all accrued and unpaid interest and any Additional Interest then due on any
Interest Payment Date, the Company may elect to begin a new Extension Period,
subject to the above conditions. No interest shall be due and payable during an
Extension Period, except at the end thereof, but each installment of interest
that would otherwise have been due and payable during such Extension Period
shall bear Additional Interest (to the extent that the payment of such interest
shall be legally enforceable) at the rate of % per annum, compounded
[monthly][quarterly] [semi-annually] and calculated as set forth in the first
paragraph of this Security, from the date on which such amounts would otherwise
have been due and payable until paid or made available for payment. The Company
shall give the Holder of this Security and the Trustee notice of its election to
begin any Extension Period at least one Business Day prior to the next
succeeding Interest Payment Date on which interest on this Security would be
payable but for such deferral [if applicable, insert--or so long as such
securities are held by [insert name of applicable Issuer Trust], at least one
Business Day prior to the earlier of (i) the next succeeding date on which
Distributions on the Capital Securities of such Issuer Trust would be payable
but for such deferral, and (ii)the date on which the Property Trustee of such
Issuer Trust is required to give notice to holders of such Capital Securities of
the record date or the date such Distributions are payable, but in any event not
less than one Business Day prior to such record date.]
14
Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this
Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that
purpose in the United States, in such coin or currency of the United States of
America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and
private debts [if applicable, insert--; provided, however that at the option of
the Company payment of interest may be made (i) by check mailed to the address
of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Securities
Register,or (ii) if to a Holder of $1,000,000 or more in aggregate principal
amount of this Security, by wire transfer in immediately available funds upon
written request to the Trustee not later than 15 calendar days prior to the date
on which the interest is payable].
The indebtedness evidenced by this Security is, to the extent provided in
the Indenture, subordinate and subject in right of payments to the prior payment
in full of all Senior Indebtedness, and this Security is issued subject to the
provisions of the Indenture with respect thereto. Each Holder of this Security,
by accepting the same, (a) agrees to and shall be bound by such provisions, (b)
authorizes and directs the Trustee on his or her behalf to take such actions as
may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination so provided, and
(c) appoints the Trustee his or her attorney-in-fact for any and all such
purposes. Each Holder hereof, by his or her acceptance hereof, waives all
notice of the acceptance of the subordination provisions contained herein and in
the Indenture by each holder of Senior Indebtedness, whether now outstanding or
hereafter incurred, and waives reliance by each such holder upon said
provisions.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set
forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes
have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the
Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security
shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or
obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly
executed under its corporate seal.
EQUITABLE RESOURCES, INC.
By:______________________________________________
Name:
Title:
Attest:
____________________________________
Secretary or Assistant Secretary
SECTION 2.3. Form of Reverse of Security.
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the
Company (herein called the "Securities"), issued and to be issued in one or more
series under the Junior Subordinated Indenture, dated as of January , 1998
(herein called the "Indenture"), between the Company and Bankers Trust Company,
as Trustee (herein called the "Trustee", which term includes any successor
trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental
thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective
rights,limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company,
the Trustee, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and the Holders of the
Securities, and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be,
15
authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on
the face hereof [if applicable, insert--, limited in aggregate principal amount
to $ ___________ ].
All terms used in this Security that are defined in the Indenture [if
applicable, insert-- or in [insert name of trust agreement], dated as
of___________ (as modified, amended or supplemented from time to time the "Trust
Agreement"), relating to [insert name of Issuer Trust] [the ("Issuer Trust")
among the Company, as Depositor, the Trustees named therein and the Holders from
time to time of the Trust Securities issued pursuant thereto] shall have the
meanings assigned to them in the Indenture [if applicable, insert--or the Trust
Agreement, as the case may be].
[If applicable, insert--The Company has the right to redeem this Security
prior to the Stated Maturity at the option of the Company (i) on or after
_________, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, and (ii) prior to
__________, in whole (but not in part), at any time within 90 days following the
occurrence and during the continuation of a Tax Event or an Investment Company
Event, in each case at a Redemption Price equal to the accrued and unpaid
interest on the Securities so redeemed to the date fixed for redemption, plus
100% of the principal amount thereof.
[If the Security is subject to redemption of any kind, insert--In the event
of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of
this series for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the
Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.]
[If applicable, insert--The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at
any time [of the entire indebtedness of this Security] [or] [certain restrictive
covenants and Events of Default with respect to this Security] [, in each case]
upon compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth in the
Indenture.]
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the
Company and the Trustee at any time to enter into a supplemental indenture or
indentures for the purpose of modifying in any manner the rights and obligations
of the Company and of the Holders of the Securities, with the consent of the
Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of each series to be affected by such supplemental indenture. The
Indenture also contains provisions permitting Holders of specified percentages
in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on
behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by
the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults
under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the
Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and
upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the
registration of transfer hereof or in exchange here for or in lieu hereof,
whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
[If the Security is not a Discount Security, insert--As provided in and
subject to the provisions of the Indenture, if an Event of Default with respect
to the Securities of this series at the time Outstanding occurs and is
continuing, then and in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less
than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of this
series may declare the principal amount of all the Securities of this series to
be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to
the Trustee if given by Holders) [if applicable, insert--, provided that, if
upon an Event of Default, the Trustee or such Holders fail to declare the
principal of all the outstanding Securities of this series to be immediately due
and payable, the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate Liquidation Amount of the
Capital Securities then outstanding shall have the right to make such
declaration by a notice in writing to the Company and the Trustee]; and upon any
such declaration the principal amount of and the accrued interest (including any
Additional Interest) on all the Securities of this series shall become
immediately due and payable, provided that the payment of principal and interest
(including any Additional Interest) on such Securities shall remain subordinated
to the extent provided in Article XIII of the Indenture.]
16
[If the Security is a Discount Security, insert--As provided in and subject
to the provisions of the Indenture, if an Event of Default with respect to the
Securities of this series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then
and in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in
aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of this series may
declare an amount of principal of the Securities of this series to be due and
payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee
if given by Holders) [if applicable, insert--, provided that, if upon an Event
of Default, the Trustee or such Holders fail to declare such principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of this series to be immediately due and payable, the
holders of at least 25% in aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Capital
Securities then outstanding shall have the right to make such declaration by a
notice in writing to the Company and the Trustee. The principal amount payable
upon such acceleration shall be equal to--insert formula for determining the
amount]. Upon any such declaration, such amount of the principal of and the
accrued interest (including any Additional Interest) on all the Securities of
this series shall become immediately due and payable, provided that the payment
of such principal and interest (including any Additional Interest) on all the
Securities of this series shall remain subordinated to the extent provided in
Article XIII of the Indenture. Upon payment (i) of the amount of principal so
declared due and payable and (ii) of interest on any overdue principal, premium
and interest (in each case to the extent that the payment of such interest shall
be legally enforceable), all of the Company's obligations in respect of the
payment of the principal of and premium and interest, if any, on this Security
shall terminate.]
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or
of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is
absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest (including Additional Interest) on this Security at the times, place
and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set
forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Securities Register,
upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or
agency of the Company maintained under Section 10.2 of the Indenture for such
purpose, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in
form satisfactory to the Company and the Securities Registrar duly executed
by,the Holder hereof or such Holder's attorney duly authorized in writing, and
thereupon one or more new Securities of this series, of like tenor, of
authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be
issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without
coupons in denominations of $ _____________ and any integral multiple of
$___________ in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to
certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are
exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series
and of like tenor of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the
Holder surrendering the same.
No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the
Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the
Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all
purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the
Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
The Company and, by its acceptance of this Security or a beneficial
interest therein, the Holder of, and any Person that acquires a beneficial
interest in, this Security agrees that for United States Federal, state and
local tax purposes it is intended that this Security constitute indebtedness.
17
THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SECTION 2.4. Additional Provisions Required in Global Security.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1, any Global
Security issued hereunder shall, in addition to the provisions contained in
Sections 2.2 and 2.3, bear a legend in substantially the following form:
THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE
HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITARY OR A
NOMINEE OF A DEPOSITARY. THIS SECURITY IS EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES
REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE ONLY
IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE AND MAY NOT BE
TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY
OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE
DEPOSITARY, EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.
SECTION 2.5. Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee's certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the
following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to
in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated: ___________________ BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,
as Trustee
By:__________________________________________
Authorized Officer
ARTICLE III
THE SECURITIES
SECTION 3.1. Title and Terms.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and
delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be
established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and, subject to Section 3.3,
set forth or determined in the manner provided, in an Officers' Certificate, or
established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance
of Securities as a series:
(a) the title of the securities of such series, which shall distinguish the
Securities of the series from all other Securities;
18
(b) the limit, if any, upon the aggregate principal amount of the
Securities of such series that may be authenticated and delivered under this
Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration
of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the
series pursuant to Section 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 9.6 or 11.6 and except for any
Securities that, pursuant to Section 3.3, are deemed never to have been
authenticated and delivered hereunder); provided, however, that the authorized
aggregate principal amount of such series may be increased above such amount by
a Board Resolution to such effect;
(c) the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the series shall be
payable, if other than the Person in whose name that security (or one or more
Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular
Record Date for such interest;
(d) the Stated Maturity or Maturities on which the principal of the
Securities of such series is payable or the method of determination thereof, and
any dates on which or circumstances under which, the Company shall have the
right to shorten such Stated Maturity or Maturities;
(e) the rate or rates, if any, at which the Securities of such series shall
bear interest, if any, the rate or rates and extent to which Additional
Interest, if any, shall be payable with respect to any Securities of such
series, the date or dates from which any such interest or Additional Interest
shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be
payable, the right, pursuant to Section 3.12 or as otherwise set forth therein,
of the Company to defer or extend an Interest Payment Date, and the Regular
Record Date for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date or the method
by which any of the foregoing shall be determined;
(f) the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest or Additional Interest on the Securities of such series shall be
payable, the place or places where the Securities of such series may be
presented for registration of transfer or exchange, any restrictions that may be
applicable to any such transfer or exchange in addition to or in lieu of those
set forth herein and the place or places where notices and demands to or upon
the Company in respect of the Securities of such series may be made;
(g) the period or periods within or the date or dates on which, if any, the
price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities
of such series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the
Company, and if other than by a Board of Resolution, the manner in which any
election by the Company to redeem such Securities shall be evidenced;
(h) the obligation or the right, if any, of the Company to redeem, repay or
purchase the Securities of such series pursuant to any sinking fund,
amortization or analogous provisions, or at the option of a Holder thereof, and
the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, the currency
or currencies (including currency unit or units) in which and the other terms
and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed, repaid or
purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(i) the denominations in which any Securities of such series shall be
issuable if other than denominations of $25 and any integral multiple thereof;
(j) if other than Dollars, the currency or currencies (including any
currency unit or units) in which the principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest and Additional Interest, if any, on the Securities of the series shall
be payable, or in which the Securities of the series shall be denominated and
the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in Dollars for purposes of the
definition of Outstanding;
(k) the additions, modifications or deletions, if any, in the Events of
Default or covenants of the Company set forth herein with respect to the
Securities of such series;
(l) if, other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the
principal amount of Securities of such series that shall be payable upon
declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof;
19
(m) if the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of any
Securities of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates
prior to the Stated Maturity, the amount which shall be deemed to be the
principal amount of such Securities as of any such date for any purpose
thereunder or hereunder, including the principal amount thereof which shall be
due and payable upon any Maturity other than the Stated Maturity or which shall
be deemed to be Outstanding as of any date prior to the Stated Maturity (or, in
any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount
shall be determined);
(n) the additions or changes, if any, to this Indenture with respect to the
Securities of such series as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the
issuance of the Securities of such series in bearer form, registrable or not
registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons;
(o) any index or indices used to determine the amount of payments of
principal of and premium, if any, on the Securities of such series or the manner
in which such amounts will be determined;
(p) if applicable, that any Securities of the series shall be issuable in
whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case,
the respective Depositaries for such Global Securities, the form of any legend
or legends that shall be borne by any such Global Security in addition to or in
lieu of that set forth in Section 2.4 and any circumstances in addition to or in
lieu of those set forth in Section 3.6 in which any such Global Security may be
exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and any transfer of
such Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name or names
of Persons other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee
thereof;
(q) the appointment of any Paying Agent or agents for the Securities of
such series;
(r) the terms of any right to convert or exchange Securities of such series
into any other securities or property of the Company, and the additions or
changes, if any, to this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series
to permit or facilitate such conversion or exchange;
(s) if such Securities are to be issued to an Issuer Trust, the form or
forms of the Trust Agreement and Guarantee relating thereto;
(t) if other than as set forth herein, the relative degree, if any, to
which the Securities of the series shall be senior to or be subordinated to
other series of Securities in right of payment, whether such other series of
Securities are Outstanding or not;
(u) any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any
Securities of the series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the
requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due
and payable pursuant to Section 5.2;
(v) any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Article X which
applies to Securities of the series; and
(w) any other terms of the Securities of such series (which terms shall not
be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by
Section 9.1(6)).
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as
to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided herein or in or pursuant
to such Board Resolution and set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in
such Officers' Certificate or in any indenture supplemental hereto.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant
to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be
certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
20
Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the
Officers' Certificate setting forth the terms of the series.
The securities shall be subordinated in right of payment to Senior
Indebtedness as provided in Article XIII.
SECTION 3.2. Denominations.
The Securities of each series shall be in registered form without coupons
and shall be issuable in denominations of $25 and any integral multiple thereof,
unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1(i).
SECTION 3.3. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman
of the Board, its Vice Chairman of the Board, its President or one of its Vice
Presidents, under its corporate seal reproduced or impressed thereon and
attested by its Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. The signature of
any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who
were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company,
notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such
offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not
hold such offices at the date of such Securities. At any time and from time to
time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver
Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for
authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and
delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company
Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. If the form or terms of
the Securities of the series have been established by or pursuant to one or more
Board Resolutions as permitted by Sections 2.1 and 3.1, in authenticating such
Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture
in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and
(subject to Section 6.1) shall be fully protected in conclusively relying upon,
an Opinion of Counsel stating,
(1) if the form of such Securities has been established by or pursuant
to Board Resolution as permitted by Section 2.1, that such form has been
established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) if the terms of such Securities have been established by or
pursuant to Board Resolution as permitted by Section 3.1, that such terms
have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
and
(3) that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the
Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any
conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and
legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with
their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer,
reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability
relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity
principles.
If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be
required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities
pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee's own rights, duties or
immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that
is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.1 and the preceding paragraph,
if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, it
shall not be necessary to deliver the Officers' Certificate otherwise
21
required pursuant to Section 3.1 or the Company Order and Opinion of Counsel
otherwise required pursuant to such preceding paragraph at or prior to the
authentication of each Security of such series if such documents are delivered
at or prior to the authentication upon original issuance of the first Security
of such series to be issued.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be
valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Security a
certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein
executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized
officers, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence,
and the only evidence, that such security has been duly authenticated and
delivered hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have
been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the
Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for
cancellation as provided in Section 3.10, for all purposes of this Indenture
such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered
hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
SECTION 3.4. Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company
may execute, and upon receipt of a Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate
and deliver, temporary Securities that are printed, lithographed, typewritten,
mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any denomination, substantially of the
tenor of the definitive Securities of such series in lieu of which they are
issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other
variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced
by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause
definitive Securities of such series to be prepared without unreasonable delay.
After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall
be exchangeable for definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary
Securities at the office or agency of the Company designated for that purpose
without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or
more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor one or more definitive securities
of the same series, of any authorized denominations having the same Original
Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms as such temporary
Securities. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of any series shall in
all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive
Securities of such series.
SECTION 3.5. Global Securities.
(a) Each Global Security issued under this Indenture shall be registered in
the name of the Depositary designated by the Company for such Global Security or
a nominee thereof and delivered to such Depositary or a nominee thereof or
custodian therefor, and each such Global Security shall constitute a single
Security for all purposes of this Indenture.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, no Global
Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and no
transfer of a Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name
of any Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee
thereof unless (i) such Depositary advises the Trustee in writing that such
Depositary is no longer willing or able to properly discharge its
responsibilities as Depositary with respect to such Global Security, and the
Company is unable to locate a qualified successor, (ii) the Company executes and
delivers to the Trustee a Company Order stating that the Company elects to
terminate the book-entry system through the Depositary, or (iii) there shall
have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default.
22
(c) If any Global Security is to be exchanged for other Securities or
cancelled in whole, it shall be surrendered by or on behalf of the Depositary or
its nominee to the Securities Registrar for exchange or cancellation as provided
in this Article III. If any Global Security is to be exchanged for other
Securities or cancelled in part, or if another Security is to be exchanged in
whole or in part for a beneficial interest in any Global Security, then either
(i) such Global Security shall be so surrendered for exchange or cancellation as
provided in this Article III or (ii) the principal amount thereof shall be
reduced, subject to Section 3.6, or increased by an amount equal to the portion
thereof to be so exchanged or cancelled, or equal to the principal amount of
such other Security to be so exchanged for a beneficial interest therein, as the
case may be, by means of an appropriate adjustment made on the records of the
Securities Registrar, whereupon the Trustee, in accordance with the Applicable
Procedures, shall instruct the Depositary or its authorized representative to
make a corresponding adjustment to its records. Upon any such surrender or
adjustment of a Global Security by the Depositary, accompanied by registration
instructions, the Trustee shall, subject to Section 3.6 and as otherwise
provided in this Article III, authenticate and deliver any Securities issuable
in exchange for such Global Security (or any portion thereof) in accordance with
the instructions of the Depositary. The Trustee shall not be liable for any
delay in delivery of such instructions and may conclusively rely on, and shall
be fully protected in relying on, such instructions.
(d) Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of
transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Global Security or any portion
thereof, whether pursuant to this Article III, Section 9.6 or 11.6 or otherwise,
shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global
Security, unless such Security is registered in the name of a Person other than
the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof.
(e) The Depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of a Global
Security, shall be the Holder of such Global Security for all purposes under
this Indenture and the Securities, and owners of beneficial interests in a
Global Security shall hold such interests pursuant to the Applicable
Procedures.Accordingly, any such owner's beneficial interest in a Global
Security shall be shown only on, and the transfer of such interest shall be
effected only through, records maintained by the Depositary or its nominee or
its Agent Members. Neither the Trustee nor the Securities Registrar shall have
any liability in respect of any transfers effected by the Depositary.
(f) The rights of owners of beneficial interests in a Global Security shall
be exercised only through the Depositary and shall be limited to those
established by law and agreements between such owners and the Depositary and/or
its Agent Members.
SECTION 3.6. Registration, Transfer and Exchange Generally.
The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the
Trustee a register in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may
prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and
transfers of Securities. Such register is herein sometimes referred to as the
"Securities Register." The Trustee is hereby appointed "Securities Registrar"
for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein
provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security at the offices
or agencies of the Company designated for that purpose, the Company shall
execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the
designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same
series of any authorized denominations of like tenor and aggregate principal
amount.
At the option of the Holder, Securities may be exchanged for other
Securities of the same series of any authorized denominations, of like tenor and
aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at
such office or agency. Whenever any securities are so surrendered for
exchange,the Company
23
shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities
that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
All Securities issued upon any transfer or exchange of Securities shall be
the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to
the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such
transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for transfer or exchange shall (if
so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied
by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the
Securities Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or such Holder's
attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any transfer or exchange of
Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any
transfer or exchange of Securities.
Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be required, pursuant to the
provisions of this Section, (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange
any Security of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business
15 days before the day of selection for redemption of Securities of that series
pursuant to Article XI and ending at the close of business on the day of mailing
of the notice of redemption, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any
Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except, in the case of
any such Security to be redeemed in part, any portion thereof not to be
redeemed.
SECTION 3.7. Mutilated, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee together with such
security or indemnity as may be required by the Company or the Trustee to save
each of them harmless, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same series,
of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, bearing the same legends, and
bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee (i) evidence
to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and
(ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them
harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such
Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute
and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any
such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series, of
like tenor and aggregate principal amount and bearing the same legends as such
destroyed, lost or stolen Security, and bearing a number not contemporaneously
outstanding.
If any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is
about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of
issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section 3.7, the Company
may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other
expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any
destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional
contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or
stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be
entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with
any and all other Securities of such series duly issued hereunder.
24
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the
extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or
payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
SECTION 3.8. Payment of Interest and Additional Interest;
Interest Rights Preserved.
Interest and Additional Interest on any Security of any series that is
payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment
Date, shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more
Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular
Record Date for such interest in respect of Securities of such series, except
that, unless otherwise provided in the Securities of such series, interest
payable on the Stated Maturity of the principal of a Security shall be paid to
the Person to whom principal is paid. The initial payment of interest on any
Security of any series that is issued between a Regular Record Date and the
related Interest Payment Date shall be payable as provided in such Security or
in the Board Resolution pursuant to Section 3.1 with respect to the related
series of Securities.
Any interest on any Security that is due and payable, but is not timely
paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of such
series (herein called "Defaulted Interest"), shall forthwith cease to be payable
to the registered Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having
been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at it
selection in each case, as provided in clause (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to
the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series in respect of
which interest is in default (or their respective Predecessor Securities)
are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the
payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following
manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of
Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security and the date of the
proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the
Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be
paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements
satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit 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 Interest as in this
clause provided. Thereupon, the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date
for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, 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 Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of
such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the
Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted
Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first class,
postage prepaid, to each Holder of a Security of such series at the address
of such Holder as it appears in the Securities Register not less than 10
days prior to such Special Record Date. The Trustee may, in its
discretion, in the name and at the expense of the Company, cause a similar
notice to be published at least once in a newspaper, customarily published
in the English language on each Business Day and of general circulation in
the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, but such publication shall
not be a condition precedent to the establishment of such Special Record
Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the
Special Record Date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such
Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the
Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are
registered on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable
pursuant to the following clause (2).
(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in any
other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any
securities exchange on which the Securities of the series in respect of
which interest is in default may be listed and, upon such notice as may be
required by such exchange (or by the Trustee if the Securities are not
listed), if, after notice given by the
25
Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause 2,
such payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security
delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of
any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to
accrue interest, that were carried by such other Security.
SECTION 3.9. Persons Deemed Owners.
The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall
treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered as the owner of such
Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and (subject to
Section 3.8) any interest on such Security and for all other purposes
whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company,
the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by
notice to the contrary.
No holder of any beneficial interest in any Global Security held on its
behalf by a Depositary shall have any rights under this Indenture with respect
to such Global Security, and such Depositary may be treated by the Company, the
Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such Global
Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing
herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the
Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other
authorization furnished by a Depositary or impair, as between a Depositary and
such holders of beneficial interests, the operation of customary practices
governing the exercise of the rights of the Depositary (or its nominee) as
Holder of any Security.
SECTION 3.10. Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, transfer or exchange
shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the
Trustee, and any such Securities and Securities surrendered directly to the
Trustee for any such purpose shall be promptly canceled by it. The Company may
at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously
authenticated and delivered hereunder that the Company may have acquired in any
manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly canceled by
the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for
any Securities canceled as provided in this Section, except as expressly
permitted by this Indenture. All canceled Securities shall be destroyed by the
Trustee and the Trustee shall deliver to the Company a certificate of such
destruction.
SECTION 3.11. Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities
of any series, interest on the Securities of each series for any partial period
shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and the
actual number of days elapsed in any partial month in such period, and interest
on the Securities of each series for a full period shall be computed by dividing
the rate per annum by the number of interest periods that together constitute a
full twelve months.
SECTION 3.12. Deferrals of Interest Payment Dates.
If specified as contemplated by Section 2.1 or Section 3.1 with respect to
the Securities of a particular series, so long as no Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing, the Company shall have the right, at any time during
the term of such series, from time to time to defer the payment of interest on
such Securities for such period or periods (each an "Extension Period") not to
exceed the number of consecutive quarterly, semi-annual or other periods that
equal five years with respect to each Extension Period, during which Extension
Periods the Company shall, if so specified as contemplated by Section 3.1, have
the right to make partial payments of interest on any Interest Payment Date. No
Extension Period shall end on a date other than
26
an Interest Payment Date. At the end of any such Extension Period, the Company
shall pay all interest then accrued and unpaid on the Securities (together with
Additional Interest thereon, if any, at the rate specified for the Securities of
such series to the extent permitted by applicable law); provided, however, that
no Extension Period shall extend beyond the Stated Maturity of the principal of
the Securities of such series; and provided further, however, that, during any
such Extension Period, the Company shall not (i) declare or pay any dividends or
distributions on, or redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment
with respect to, any of the Company's capital stock, or (ii) make any payment of
principal of or interest or premium,if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem
any debt securities of the Company that rank pari passu in all respects with or
junior in interest to the Securities of such series (other than (a) repurchases,
redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of capital stock of the Company in
connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other similar
arrangement with or for the benefit of any one or more employees, officers,
directors or consultants, in connection with a dividend reinvestment or
stockholder stock purchase plan or in connection with the issuance of capital
stock of the Company (or securities convertible into or exercisable for such
capital stock) as consideration in an acquisition transaction entered into prior
to the applicable Extension Period, (b) as a result of an exchange or conversion
of any class or series of the Company's capital stock (or any capital stock of a
Subsidiary of the Company) for any class or series of the Company's capital
stock or of any class or series of the Company's indebtedness for any class or
series of the Company's capital stock, (c) the purchase of fractional interests
in shares of the Company's capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange
provisions of such capital stock or the security being converted or exchanged,
(d) any declaration of a dividend in connection with any Rights Plan, or the
issuance of rights, stock or other property under any Rights Plan, or the
redemption or repurchase of rights pursuant thereto, or (e) any dividend in the
form of stock, warrants, options or other rights where the dividend stock or the
stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants, options or other rights is the
same stock as that on which the dividend is being paid or ranks pari passu with
or junior to such stock). Prior to the termination of any such Extension
Period, the Company may further defer the payment of interest, provided that no
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and provided further, that no
Extension Period shall exceed the period or periods specified in such
Securities, extend beyond the Stated Maturity of the principal of such
Securities or end on a date other than an Interest Payment Date. Upon the
termination of any such Extension Period and upon the payment of all accrued and
unpaid interest and any Additional Interest then due on any Interest Payment
Date, the Company may elect to begin a new Extension Period, subject to the
above conditions. No interest or Additional Interest shall be due and payable
during an Extension Period, except at the end thereof, but each installment of
interest that would otherwise have been due and payable during such Extension
Period shall bear Additional Interest as and to the extent as maybe specified as
contemplated by Section 3.1. The Company shall give the Holders of the
Securities of such series and the Trustee notice of its election to begin any
such Extension Period at least one Business Day prior to the next succeeding
Interest Payment Date on which interest on Securities of such series would be
payable but for such deferral or, with respect to any Securities of a series
issued to an Issuer Trust, so long as any such securities are held by such
Issuer Trust, at least one Business Day prior to the earlier of (i) the next
succeeding date on which Distributions on the Capital Securities of such Issuer
Trust would be payable but for such deferral, and (ii) the date on which the
Property Trustee of such Issuer Trust is required to give notice to any
Securities exchange or other applicable self-regulatory organization or to
holders of such Capital Securities of the record date or the date such
Distributions are payable, but in any event not less than one Business Day prior
to such record date.
SECTION 3.13. Right of Set-Off.
With respect to the Securities of a series initially issued to an Issuer
Trust, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Company shall have
the right to set off any payment it is otherwise required to make in respect of
any such Security to the extent the Company has theretofore made, or is
concurrently on the date of such payment making, a payment under the Guarantee
relating to such Security or to a holder of Capital Securities pursuant to an
action undertaken under Section 5.8 of this Indenture.
27
SECTION 3.14. Agreed Tax Treatment.
Each Security issued hereunder shall provide that the Company and, by its
acceptance of a Security or a beneficial interest therein, the Holder of, and
any Person that acquires a beneficial interest in, such Security agree that for
United States Federal, state and local tax purposes it is intended that such
Security constitutes indebtedness.
SECTION 3.15. Shortening of Stated Maturity.
If specified as contemplated by Section 2.1 or Section 3.1 with respect to
the Securities of a particular series, the Corporation shall have the right to
shorten the Stated Maturity of the principal of the Securities of such series at
any time to any date not earlier than the first date on which the Company has
the right to redeem the Securities of such series. In the event the Company
elects to shorten the Stated Maturity of the Securities of such series, it shall
give notice to the Trustee and the Trustee shall give notice of such shortening
to the Holders, no less than 30 and no more than 60 days prior to the
effectiveness thereof.
SECTION 3.16. CUSIP Numbers.
The Company, in issuing the Securities, may use "CUSIP" numbers (if then
generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use "CUSIP" numbers in notice
of redemption and other similar or related materials as a convenience to
Holders; provided that any such notice or other materials may state that no
representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed
on the Securities or as contained in any notice of redemption or other materials
and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed
on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect
in or omission of such numbers.
ARTICLE IV
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
SECTION 4.1. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall, upon Company Request, cease to be of further effect
(except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of
Securities herein expressly provided for and as otherwise provided in this
Section 4.1) and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the
Company,shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and
discharge of this Indenture, when
(1) either
(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than
(i) Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been
replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.7 and (ii) Securities for whose
payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and
held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or
discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 10.3) have been
delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity
within one year of the date of deposit, or
28
(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under
arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice
of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of
the Company, and the Company, and in the case of subclause
(B)(i), (ii) or (iii) above, has deposited or caused to be
deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for such
purpose an amount in the currency or currencies in which the
Securities of such series are payable sufficient to pay and
discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not
theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation,for the
principal (and premium, if any) and interest (including any
Additional Interest) to the date of such deposit (in the case of
Securities that have become due and payable) or to the Stated
Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable
hereunder by the Company; and
(3) 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 to the Trustee under Section 6.7, the obligations of
the Trustee to any Authenticating Agent under Section 6.14 and, if money shall
have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (1) of
this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.2 and the last
paragraph of Section 10.3 shall survive.
SECTION 4.2. Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.3, all money
deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.1 shall be held in trust and
applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and
this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent
(including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may
determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if
any) and interest and Additional Interest for the payment of which such money or
obligations have been deposited with or received by the Trustee.
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES
SECTION 5.1. Events of Default.
"Event of Default", wherever used herein with respect to the Securities of
any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such
Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or
29
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) except as may be specified pursuant to
Section 3.1:
(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Security of that
series, including any Additional Interest in respect thereof, when it
becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30
days (subject to the deferral of any due date in the case of an Extension
Period); or
(2) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any,
on) any Security of that series at its Maturity; or
(3) failure on the part of the Company duly to observe or perform any
other of the covenants or agreements on the part of the Company in the
Securities of that series or in this Indenture for a period of 90 days
after the date on which written notice of such failure, requiring the
Company to remedy the same, shall have been given to the Company by the
Trustee by registered or certified mail or to the Company and the Trustee
by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of that series; or
(4) the occurrence of the appointment of a receiver or other similar
official in any liquidation, insolvency or similar proceeding with respect
to the Company or all or substantially all of its property; or a court or
other governmental agency shall enter a decree or order and such decree or
order shall remain unstayed and undischarged for a period of 60 days; or
(5) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of
that series.
SECTION 5.2. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment
If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section
5.1(4)) with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs
and is continuing, then, and in every such case, the Trustee or the Holders of
not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of
that series may declare the principal amount (or, if the Securities of that
series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be
specified in the terms of that series) of all the Securities of that series to
be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to
the Trustee if given by Holders), provided that, in the case of the Securities
of a series issued to an Issuer Trust, if, upon an Event of Default, the Trustee
or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of such series fail to declare the principal of all the Outstanding
Securities of such series to be immediately due and payable, the holders of at
least 25% in aggregate Liquidation Amount (as defined in the related Trust
Agreement) of the related series of Capital Securities issued by such Issuer
Trust then outstanding shall have the right to make such declaration by a notice
in writing to the Company and the Trustee; and upon any such declaration such
principal amount (or specified portion thereof) of and the accrued interest
(including any Additional Interest) on all the Securities of such series shall
become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section
5.1(4) with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs,
the principal amount of all the Securities of such series (or, if the Securities
of such series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of
such Securities as may be specified by the terms of that series) shall
automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the
Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable. Payment of principal
and interest (including any Additional Interest) on such Securities shall remain
subordinated to the extent provided in Article XIII notwithstanding that such
amount shall become immediately due and payable as herein provided.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to
Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for
payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as
30
hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice
to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its
consequences if:
(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum
sufficient to pay:
(A) all overdue installments of interests on all Securities of
such series;
(B) any accrued Additional Interest on all Securities of such
series;
(C) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Securities of
such series that have become due otherwise than by such declaration of
acceleration and interest and Additional Interest thereon at the rate
borne by the Securities; and
(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the
reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee, its agents and counsel; and
(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series,
other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities of that series
that has become due solely by such acceleration, have been cured or waived
as provided in Section 5.13.
In the case of Securities of a series initially issued to an Issuer
Trust,if the Holders of such Securities fail to annul such declaration and waive
such default, the holders of a majority in aggregate Liquidation Amount (as
defined in the related Trust Agreement) of the related series of Capital
Securities issued by such Issuer Trust then outstanding shall also have the
right to rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences by written
notice to the Company and the Trustee, subject to the satisfaction of the
conditions set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above of this Section 5.2.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right
consequent thereon.
SECTION 5.3. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by
Trustee.
The Company covenants that if:
(1) default is made in the payment of any installment of interest
(including any Additional Interest) on any Security of any series when such
interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of
30 days, or
(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of (and premium,
if any, on) any Security at the Maturity thereof, the Company will, upon
demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders
of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such
Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest (including any
Additional Interest), and, in addition thereto, all amounts owing the
Trustee under Section 6.7.
If the Company fails 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, and may
prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same
against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the
monies adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of
the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities, wherever
situated.
31
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and
is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce
its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such
appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to
protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any
covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power
granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
SECTION 5.4. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation,
bankruptcy,reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other
judicial or administrative proceeding relative to the Company or any other
obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other
obligor or their creditors,
(a) the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the
Securities of any series 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 on the Company for the payment of overdue
principal (and premium, if any) or interest (including any Additional
Interest)) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such
proceeding or otherwise, (i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount
of principal (and premium, if any) and interest (including any Additional
Interest) owing and unpaid in respect to the Securities and to file such
other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable and to take any
and all actions as are authorized under the Trust Indenture Act in order to
have the claims of the Holders and any predecessor to the Trustee under
Section 6.7 allowed in any such judicial or administrative proceedings; and
(ii) in particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and receive
any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and
to distribute the same in accordance with Section 5.6; and
(b) any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator,
sequestrator,conservator (or other similar official) in any such judicial
or administrative proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make
such payments to the Trustee for distribution in accordance with Section
5.6, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such
payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to
it and any predecessor Trustee under Section 6.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to
authorize or consent to accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities
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; provided, however,
that the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a
trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors' or
other similar committee.
SECTION 5.5. Trustee May Enforce Claim Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may
be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the
Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any
such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as
trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, subject to
Article XIII and after provision for the payment of all the amounts owing the
Trustee and any predecessor Trustee under Section 6.7, its agents and counsel,
be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which
such judgment has been recovered.
SECTION 5.6. Application of Money Collected.
Any money or property collected or to be applied by the Trustee with
respect to a series of Securities pursuant to this Article shall be applied in
the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of
the distribution of such money or property on account of principal (or
premium,if any) or interest
32
(including any Additional Interest), upon presentation of the Securities and the
notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender
thereof if fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee and any
predecessor Trustee under Section 6.7;
SECOND: Subject to Article XIII, to the payment of the amounts then
due and unpaid upon Securities of such series for principal (and premium,
if any) and interest (including any Additional Interest) 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 series of Securities for principal (and premium, if
any) and interest (including any Additional Interest), respectively; and
THIRD: The balance, if any, to the Person or Persons entitled
thereto.
SECTION 5.7. Limitation on Suits.
Subject to Section 5.8, no Holder of any Securities of any series shall
have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect
to this Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver, assignee, trustee,
liquidator, sequestrator (or other similar official) or for any other remedy
hereunder, unless:
(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of
a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that
series;
(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of that series shall have made written request
to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default
in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable
indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in
compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request
and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given
to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series; it
being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall
have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing itself
of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the
rights of any other Holders of Securities, or to obtain or to seek to
obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce
any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and
for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.
SECTION 5.8. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium
and Interest; Direct Action by Holders of Capital Securities.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any
Security of any series shall have the right, which is absolute and
unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and
(subject to Sections 3.8 and 3.12) interest (including any Additional Interest)
on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security
(or in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for
the enforcement of any such payment, and such right shall not be impaired
without the consent of such Holder. In the case of Securities of a series
issued to an Issuer Trust, any registered holder of
33
the series of Capital Securities issued by such Issuer Trust shall have the
right, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default described in Section 5.1(1) or
5.1(2), to institute a suit directly against the Company for enforcement of
payment to such holder of principal of (premium, if any) and (subject to
Sections 3.8 and 3.12) interest (including any Additional Interest) on the
Securities having a principal amount equal to the aggregate Liquidation Amount
(as defined in the related Trust Agreement) of such Capital Securities held by
such holder.
SECTION 5.9. Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee, any Holder or any holder of Capital Securities issued by
any Issuer Trust has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy
under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for
any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee, such Holder or such
holder of Capital Securities, then, and in every such case, the Company, the
Trustee, such Holders and such holder of Capital Securities shall, subject to
any determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to
their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the
Trustee, such Holder and such holder of Capital Securities shall continue as
though no such proceeding had been instituted.
SECTION 5.10. Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided in the last paragraph of Section 3.7, no right
or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or the Holders is
intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and
remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to
every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law
or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy
hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or
employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
SECTION 5.11. Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee, any Holder of any Security with
respect to the Securities of the related series or any holder of any Capital
Security to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default with
respect to the Securities of the related series shall impair any such right or
remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence
therein.
Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to
the Holders and the right and remedy given to the holders of Capital Securities
by Section 5.8 may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed
expedient, by the Trustee, the Holders or the holders of Capital Securities, as
the case may be.
SECTION 5.12. Control by Holders.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of any series 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 the Securities of such series, provided that:
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or
with this Indenture,
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee
that is not inconsistent with such direction, and
(3) subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall have
the right to decline to follow such direction if a Responsible Officer or
Officers of the Trustee shall, in good faith, determine
34
that the proceeding so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to the
Holders not joining in any such direction or would involve the Trustee in
personal liability.
SECTION 5.13. Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of any series affected thereby and, in the case of
any Securities of a series initially issued to an Issuer Trust, the holders of a
majority in aggregate Liquidation Amount (as defined in the related Trust
Agreement) of the Capital Securities issued by such Issuer Trust may waive any
past default hereunder and its consequences with respect to such series except a
default:
(1) in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or
interest (including any Additional Interest) on any Security of such series
(unless such default has been cured and the Company has paid to or
deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments
of interest (including Additional Interest) and all principal of (and
premium, if any, on) all Securities of that series due otherwise than by
acceleration), or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof that under Article IX
cannot be modified or amended without the consent of each Holder of any
Outstanding Security of such series affected.
Any such waiver shall be deemed to be on behalf of the Holders of all the
Securities of such series, or in the case of waiver by holders of Capital
Securities issued by such Issuer Trust, by all holders of Capital Securities
issued by such Issuer Trust. Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to
exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been
cured, for every purpose of this Indenture, but no such waiver shall extend to
any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
SECTION 5.14. Undertaking for Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his
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,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, but the
provisions of this Section 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 aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the
enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest
(including any Additional Interest) on any Security on or after the respective
Stated Maturities expressed in such Security.
SECTION 5.15. Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it
will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or
take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever
enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which 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 will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any
power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of
every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
35
ARTICLE VI
THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 6.1. Certain Duties and Responsibilities.
(a) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default,
(1) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties
as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants
or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may
conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of
the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or 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.
(b) In case 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 his or her 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
(1) this subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of
subsection (a) of this Section;
(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in
good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the
Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(3) 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 direction
of Holders pursuant to Section 5.12 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 with respect to the Securities of a series.
(d) 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 there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of
such funds or indemnity satisfactory to it against such risk or liability is not
reasonably assured to it.
(e) Whether or not therein expressly so 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.
SECTION 6.2. Notice of Defaults.
Within 90 days after actual knowledge by a Responsible Officer of the
Trustee of the occurrence of any default hereunder with respect to the
Securities of any series, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders of
36
Securities of such series, as their names and addresses appear in the Securities
Register, notice of such default, unless such default shall have been cured or
waived; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment
of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest (including any Additional
Interest) on any Security of such series, the Trustee shall be fully protected
in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the
executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible
Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such
notice is in the interests of the Holders of Securities of such series; and
provided further,that, in the case of any default of the character specified in
Section 5.1(3), no such notice to Holders of Securities of such series shall be
given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of
this Section, the term "default" means any event that is, or after notice or
lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to
Securities of such series.
SECTION 6.3. Certain Rights of Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.1:
(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in
acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate,
statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction,
consent, order, bond, debenture, Security or other paper or document
believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the
proper party or parties;
(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be
sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order and any
resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a
Board Resolution;
(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall
deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking,
suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other
evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad
faith on its part, conclusively rely upon an Officers' Certificate;
(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such
counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization
and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it
hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
(e) 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 reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory
to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by
it in compliance with such request or direction;
(f) 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, indenture,Security or other paper or document, but the Trustee in its
discretion may make such inquiry or investigation into such facts or
matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such
inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books,
records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;
and
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or
perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or
attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or
negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by
it hereunder.
37
(h) the Trustee shall not be under any obligation to take any action
that is discretionary under the provisions of this Indenture.
(i) the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Event of
Default unless either (1) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have
actual knowledge or (2) the Trustee shall have received notice thereof from
the Company or a Holder.
(j) no permissive power or authority available to the Trustee shall be
construed as a duty.
(k) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or
perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or
attorneys or a custodian or nominee, and the Trustee shall not be
responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of, or for the
supervision of, any such agent, attorney, custodian or nominee appointed
with due care by it hereunder.
(l) in the event that the Trustee is also acting as Paying Agent,
Authenticating Agent or Transfer Agent and Registrar hereunder, the rights
and protections afforded to the Trustee pursuant to this Article VI shall
also be afforded such Paying Agent or Transfer Agent and Registrar.
SECTION 6.4. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustee's
certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company,
and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes any responsibility
for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity
or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. Neither the Trustee nor
any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the
Company of the Securities or the proceeds thereof.
SECTION 6.5. May Hold Securities.
The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Securities
Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other
capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections
6.8 and 6.13, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would
have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Securities
Registrar or such other agent.
SECTION 6.6. Money Held in Trust.
Money 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 received by it hereunder except as otherwise
agreed with the Company.
SECTION 6.7. Compensation and Reimbursement.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder in such amounts as the
Company and the Trustee shall agree from time to time (which compensation shall
not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a
trustee of an express trust).
(b) Since the Issuer Trust is being formed solely to facilitate an
investment in the Trust Securities, the Company, as borrower, hereby covenants
to pay all debts and obligations (other than with respect to the Capital
Securities and the Common Securities) and all costs and expenses of the Issuer
Trust (including without limitation all costs and expenses relating to the
organization of the Issuer Trust, the fees and expenses of the trustees and all
costs and expenses relating to the operation of the Issuer Trust) and to pay any
and all taxes,
38
duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature (other
thanwithholding taxes) imposed on the Issuer Trust by the United States, or
anytaxing authority, so that the net amounts received and retained by the
IssuerTrust and the Property Trustee after paying such expenses will be equal to
theamounts the Issuer Trust and the Property Trustee would have received had
nosuch costs or expenses been incurred by or imposed on the Issuer Trust. The
foregoing obligations of the Company are for the benefit of, and shall be
enforceable by, any person to whom any such debts, obligations, costs,
expensesand taxes are owed (each, a "Creditor") whether or not such Creditor has
received notice thereof. Any such Creditor may enforce such obligations of the
Company directly against the Company, and the Company irrevocably waives any
right or remedy to require that any such Creditor take any action against the
Issuer Trust or any other person before proceeding against the Company. The
Company shall execute such additional agreements as may be necessary or
desirable to give full effect to the foregoing.
(c) The Company agrees to indemnify the Trustee and its officers,
directors, employees and agents for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss,
liability or expense (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and
disbursements of its agents and counsel) incurred without negligence or bad
faith, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of
this trust or the performance of its duties hereunder,including the costs and
expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with
the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. This
indemnification shall survive the termination of this Indenture or the earlier
resignation or removal of the Trustee.
(d) The Company agrees to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all
reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee
in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable
compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel),
except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its
negligence or bad faith.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of
Default specified in Section 5.1(4) occurs, the expenses and the compensation
for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under the
Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 or any successor statute.
SECTION 6.8. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.
(a) The Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder shall be
subject to the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act. Nothing
herein shall prevent the Trustee from filing with the Commission the application
referred to in the second to last paragraph of said Section 310(b).
(b) The Trust Agreement and the Guarantee Agreement with respect to each
Issuer Trust shall be deemed to be specifically described in this Indenture for
the purposes of clause (i) of the first proviso contained in Section 310(b) of
the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 6.9. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be:
(a) an entity organized and doing business under the laws of the
United States of America or of any state or territory thereof or of the
District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate
trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by Federal, state,
territorial or District of Columbia authority, or
(b) an entity or other Person organized and doing business under the
laws of a foreign government that is permitted to act as Trustee pursuant
to a rule, regulation or order of the Commission, authorized under such
laws to exercise corporate trust powers, and subject to supervision or
examination by authority of such foreign government or a political
subdivision thereof substantially
39
equivalent to supervision or examination applicable to United States
institutional trustees, in either case having a combined capital and
surplus of at least $50,000,000, subject to supervision or examination by
Federal or state authority. If such entity publishes reports of condition
at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid
supervising or examining authority, then, for the purposes of this Section,
the combined capital and surplus of such entity 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. Neither the Company nor any Person directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company shall
serve as Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder.
SECTION 6.10. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a
successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the
acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under Section 6.11.
(b) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of
one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If an
instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee shall not have been delivered to
the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the
resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such
series.
(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Securities
of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount
of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and to
the Company.
(d) If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 6.8 after written
request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide
Holder of a Security for at least six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.9 and shall
fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such
Holder, or
(3) 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, (i) the Company, acting pursuant to the authority of a
Board Resolution, may remove the Trustee with respect to the Securities of all
series issued hereunder, or (ii) subject to Section 5.14, any Holder who has
been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of
such Holder and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of
all series issued hereunder and the appointment of a successor Trustee or
Trustees.
(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting,
or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause with respect
to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board
Resolution,shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee with respect to the
Securities of that or those series. If, within one year after such resignation,
removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee
with respect to the Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the
Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of such series delivered to the Company
40
and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith
upon its acceptance of such appointment,become the successor Trustee with
respect to the Securities of such series and supersede the successor Trustee
appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the
Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the
Holders and accepted appointment in the manner hereinafter provided, any Holder
who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six
months may, subject to Section 5.14, on behalf of such Holder and all others
similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such
series.
(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of
the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of
a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series by mailing
written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the
Holders of Securities of such series as their names and addresses appear in the
Securities Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor
Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its
Corporate Trust Office.
SECTION 6.11. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with
respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall
execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an
instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal
of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor
Trustee,without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with
all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the
request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall,
upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to
such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee
and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all
property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.
(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with
respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the
retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of
one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto
wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (1) shall
contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and
confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers,
trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that
or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2)
if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall
contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm
that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with
respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring
Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and
(3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be
necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts
hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or
in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees or co-trustees of
the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts
hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by
any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental
indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become
effective to the extent provided therein and each removal of the retiring
Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with
all the rights, powers, trusts, and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect
to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such
successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor
Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such
successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder
with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment
of such successor Trustee relates.
41
(c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute
any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming
to such successor Trustee all rights, powers and trusts referred to in
paragraph(a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.
(d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless, at the time
of such acceptance, such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under
this Article.
SECTION 6.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which
it may be consolidated, or any entity resulting from any merger, conversion or
consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any entity succeeding to
all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall
be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such entity shall be
otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or
filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto.
In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the
Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to
such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the
Securities so authenticated, and in case any Securities shall not have been
authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities
either in the name of any predecessor Trustee or in the name of such successor
Trustee, and in all cases the certificate of authentication shall have the full
force which it is provided anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture that
the certificate of the Trustee shall have.
SECTION 6.13. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or
any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against
the Company (or any such other obligor).
SECTION 6.14. Appointment of Authenticating Agent.
The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to
one or more series of Securities, which shall be authorized to act on behalf of
the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original issue
and upon exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof or
pursuant to Section 3.6, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to
the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all
purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is
made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the
Trustee or the Trustee's certificate of authentication, such reference shall be
deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an
Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the
Company and shall at all times be an entity organized and doing business under
the laws of the United States of America, or of any state or territory thereof
or of the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as
Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than
$50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or state
authority. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at least
annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or
examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section the combined capital
and surplus of such Authenticating Agent 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 an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in
accordance with the provisions of this Section, such Authenticating Agent shall
resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.
Any entity into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or
with which it may be consolidated, or any entity resulting from any
merger,conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a
party,or any entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate
trust business of an Authenticating Agent shall be the successor Authenticating
Agent hereunder, provided such entity shall be
42
otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any
paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.
An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice
thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time
terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof
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 such
Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating
Agent, which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall give notice of such
appointment in the manner provided in Section 1.6 to all Holders of Securities
of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Any
successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance hereunder shall become vested
with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like
effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor
Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provision of
this Section.
The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time
reasonable compensation for its services under this Section, and the Trustee
shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payment, subject to the provisions
of Section 6.7.
If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant to
this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in
addition to the Trustee's certificate of authentication, an alternative
certificate of authentication in the following form:
This is one of the Securities referred to in the within mentioned
Indenture.
Dated:___________________ BANKERS TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee
By:_____________________________________________
As Authenticating Agent
Name:__________________________________________
By:_____________________________________________
Authorized Officer
Name:
Title:
ARTICLE VII
HOLDER'S LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE,
PAYING AGENT AND COMPANY
SECTION 7.1. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:
43
(a) semi-annually, not more than 15 days after __________ and
_____________ of each year, a list, in such form as the Trustee may
reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders as of such
dates, and
(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within
30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of
similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the
time such list is furnished, in each case to the extent such information is
in the possession or control of the Company, and excluding from any such
list names and addresses received by the Trustee in its capacity as
Securities Registrar.
SECTION 7.2. Preservation of Information, Communications to Holders.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably
practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent
list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.1 and the names and
addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Securities
Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in
Section 7.1 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
(b) The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to
their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and the corresponding
rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided in the Trust
Indenture Act.
(c) Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees
with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor
any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of the
disclosure of information as to the names and addresses of the Holders made
pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 7.3. Reports by Trustee and Paying Agent.
(a) The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the
Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the
Trust Indenture Act, at the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto.
(b) Reports so required to be transmitted at stated intervals of not more
than 12 months shall be transmitted no later than January 31 in each calendar
year, commencing with the first January 31 after the first issuance of
Securities under this Indenture.
(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to
Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each securities exchange upon which any
Securities are listed and also with the Commission. The Company will notify the
Trustee when any Securities are listed on any securities exchange.
(d) The Paying Agent shall comply with all withholding, backup withholding,
tax and information reporting requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended, and the Treasury Regulations issued thereunder with respect to
payments on, or with respect to, the Securities.
SECTION 7.4. Reports by Company.
The Company shall file or cause to be filed with the Trustee and with the
Commission, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other
reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust
Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided in the Trust Indenture
Act. In the case of information, documents or reports required to be filed with
the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act,
the Company shall file or cause the filing of such information, documents or
reports with the Trustee within 15 days after the same are required to be filed
with the Commission.
44
Notwithstanding that the Company may not be required to remain subject to the
reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company
shall continue to file with the Commission and provide the Trustee with the
annual reports and the information, documents and other reports which are
specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall
comply with the other provisions of Section 314(a) of the Trust Indenture Act.
ARTICLE VIII
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
SECTION 8.1. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.
The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or
convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety
to any Person, and no Person shall consolidate with or merge into the Company or
convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety
to the Company, unless:
(1) If the Company shall consolidate with or merge into another Person
or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an
entirety to any Person, the entity formed by such consolidation or into
which the Company is merged or the Person that acquires by conveyance or
transfer, or that leases, the properties and assets of the Company
substantially as an entirety shall be an entity organized and existing
under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the
District of Columbia and shall expressly assume, by an indenture
supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form
satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal
of (and premium, if any), and interest (including any Additional Interest)
on all the Securities of every series and the performance of every covenant
of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of
Default, and no event that, after notice or lapse of time, or both, would
constitute an Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate
and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger,
conveyance, transfer or lease and any such supplemental indenture comply
with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for
relating to such transaction have been complied with and, in the case of a
transaction subject to this Section 8.1 but not requiring a supplemental
indenture under paragraph (1) of this Section 8.1, an Officer's Certificate
or Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the surviving, resulting or
successor entity is legally bound by the Indenture and the Securities; and
the Trustee, subject to Section 6.1, may rely upon such Officers'
Certificates and Opinions of Counsel as conclusive evidence that such
transaction complies with this Section 8.1.
SECTION 8.2. Successor Company Substituted.
Upon any consolidation or merger by the Company with or into any other
Person, or any conveyance, transfer or lease by the Company of its properties
and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person in accordance with Section
8.1, the successor entity formed by such consolidation or into which the Company
is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed
to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the
Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person
had been named as the Company herein; and in the event of any such
conveyance,transfer or lease the Company shall be discharged from all
obligations and covenants under the Indenture and the Securities.
45
Such successor Person may cause to be executed, and may issue either in its
own name or in the name of the Company, any or all of the Securities issuable
hereunder that theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company and
delivered to the Trustee; and, upon the order of such successor Person instead
of the Company and subject to all the terms, conditions and limitations in this
Indenture prescribed, the Trustee shall authenticate and shall deliver any
Securities that previously shall have been signed and delivered by the officers
of the Company to the Trustee for authentication pursuant to such provisions and
any Securities that such successor Person thereafter shall cause to be executed
and delivered to the Trustee on its behalf for the purpose pursuant to such
provisions. All the Securities so issued shall in all respects have the same
legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Securities theretofore or
thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.
In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance or lease, such
changes in phraseology and form may be made in the Securities thereafter to be
issued as may be appropriate.
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.1. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board
Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may amend or
waive any provision of this Indenture or may enter into one or more indentures
supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the
following purposes:
(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company, and
the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein
and in the Securities contained; or
(2) to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or
with the Trustee or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon
the Company; or
(3) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as
permitted by Sections 2.1 or 3.1; or
(4) to facilitate the issuance of Securities of any series in
certificated or other definitive form; or
(5) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the
Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be
for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such
covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of the series
specified) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the
Company; or
(6) to add any additional Events of Default for the benefit of the
Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such additional Events
of Defaults are to be for the benefit of less than all series of
Securities, stating that such additional Events of Default are expressly
being included solely for the benefit of the series specified); or
(7) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture,
provided that any such change or elimination shall (a) become effective
only when there is no Security Outstanding of any series created prior to
the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the
benefit of such provision or (b) not apply to any Outstanding Securities;
or
46
(8) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision
herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision
herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or
questions arising under this Indenture, provided that such action pursuant
to this clause (8) shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holders
of Securities of any series in any material respect or, in the case of the
Securities of a series issued to an Issuer Trust and for so long as any of
the corresponding series of Capital Securities issued by such Issuer Trust
shall remain outstanding, the holders of such Capital Securities; or
(9) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment
hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or
more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture
as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of
the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements
of Section 6.11(b); or
(10) to comply with the requirements of the Commission in order to
effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust
Indenture Act.
SECTION 9.2. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such
supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the
Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may
enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of
adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the
provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the
Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided,
however,that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the
Holder of each Outstanding Security of each series affected thereby,
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment
of interest (including any Additional Interest) on, any Security, or reduce
the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any premium
payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of principal of a
Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of
acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2, or change the
place of payment where, or the coin or currency in which, any Security or
interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the
enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof
(or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or
(2) reduce the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is
required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose
Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions
of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences)
provided for in this Indenture, or
(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 5.13 or
Section 10.5, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that
certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived
without the consent of the Holder of each Security affected thereby;
provided, further, that, in the case of the Securities of a series issued to an
Issuer Trust, so long as any of the corresponding series of Capital Securities
issued by such Issuer Trust remains outstanding, (i) no such amendment shall be
made that adversely affects the holders of such Capital Securities in any
material respect, and no termination of this Indenture shall occur, and no
waiver of any Event of Default or compliance with any covenant under this
Indenture shall be effective, without the prior consent of the holders of at
least a majority of the aggregate Liquidation Amount (as defined in the related
Trust Agreement) of such Capital Securities then outstanding unless and until
the principal of (and premium, if any, on) the Securities of such series and all
47
accrued and (subject to Section 3.8) unpaid interest (including any Additional
Interest) thereon have been paid in full, and (ii) no amendment shall be made to
Section 5.8 of this Indenture that would impair the rights of the holders of
Capital Securities issued by an Issuer Trust provided therein without the prior
consent of the holders of each such Capital Security then outstanding unless and
until the principal of (and premium, if any, on) the Securities of such series
and all accrued and (subject to Section 3.8) unpaid interest (including any
Additional Interest) thereon have been paid in full.
A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or other
provision of this Indenture that has expressly been included solely for the
benefit of one or more particular series of Securities or any corresponding
series of Capital Securities of an Issuer Trust that holds the Securities of any
series, or that modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series
or holders of such Capital Securities of such corresponding series with respect
to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights
under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series or holders
of Capital Securities of any other such corresponding series.
It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to
approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall
be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
SECTION 9.3. Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing or accepting the additional trusts created by any supplemental
indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts
created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and
(subject to Section 6.1) shall be fully protected in conclusively relying upon,
an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of
such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, and
that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such action have
been complied with. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into
any such supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or
immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
SECTION 9.4. Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this
Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental
indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder
of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder
shall be bound thereby.
SECTION 9.5. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall
conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
SECTION 9.6. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of any
supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by
the Company, bear a notation in form approved by the Company as to any matter
provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so
determine,new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion
of the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed
by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for
Outstanding Securities of such series.
ARTICLE X
48
COVENANTS
SECTION 10.1. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of
Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium,
if any) and interest (including any Additional Interest) on the Securities of
that series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
SECTION 10.2. Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of
Securities an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented
or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered
for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or
upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture
may be served. The Company initially appoints the Trustee, acting through its
Corporate Trust Office, as its agent for said purposes. The Company will give
prompt written notice to the Trustee of any change in the location of any such
office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain such 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, and the Company hereby appoints the
Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations,surrenders, notices and
demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices
or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all
of such purposes, and may from time to time rescind such designations;
provided,however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner
relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each
Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company
will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation and any
change in the location of any such office or agency.
SECTION 10.3. Money for Security Payments to be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect
to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the
principal of (and premium, if any) or interest (including Additional Interest)on
any of the Securities of such series, segregate and hold in trust for the
benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the
principal(and premium, if any) or interest (including Additional Interest) so
becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed
of as herein provided, and will promptly notify the Trustee of its failure so to
act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents, it will, prior
to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on each due date of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest, including Additional Interest on any
Securities,deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal
(and premium,if any) or interest, including Additional Interest so becoming due,
such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such
principal (and premium, if any) or interest, including Additional Interest, and
(unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the
Trustee of its failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute
and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree
with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying
Agent will:
(1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of (and
premium, if any, or interest (including Additional Interest) on the
Securities of a series in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled
thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed
of as herein provided;
49
(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any
other obligor upon such Securities) in the making of any payment of
principal (and premium, if any) or interest (or Additional Interest) in
respect of any Security of any Series;
(3) at any time during the continuance of any default with respect to
a series of Securities, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith
pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent with
respect to such series; and
(4) comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act applicable
to it as a Paying Agent.
The Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction
and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company
Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by
the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the
same terms as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying
Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying
Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by
the Company in trust for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any)
or interest (including Additional Interest) on any Security and remaining
unclaimed for two years after such principal (and premium, if any) or
interest(including Additional Interest) has become due and payable shall (unless
otherwise required by mandatory provision of applicable escheat or abandoned or
unclaimed property law) be paid on Company Request to the Company, or (if then
held by the Company) shall (unless otherwise required by mandatory provision of
applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law) be discharged from
such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured
general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all
liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust
money,and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon
cease;provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being
required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to
be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily
published on each Business Day and of general circulation in the Borough of
Manhattan, the City of New York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and
that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from
the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining
will be repaid to the Company.
SECTION 10.4. Statement as to Compliance.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of
each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof, an Officers'
Certificate covering the preceding calendar year, stating whether or not to the
best knowledge of the signers thereof the Company is in default in the
performance, observance or fulfillment of or compliance with any of the
terms,provisions, covenants and conditions of this Indenture, and if the Company
shall be in default, specifying all such defaults and the nature and status
thereof of which they may have knowledge. For the purpose of this Section 10.4,
compliance shall be determined without regard to any grace period or requirement
of notice provided pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.
SECTION 10.5. Waiver of Certain Covenants.
Subject to the rights of holders of Capital Securities specified in Section
9.2, if any, the Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any
covenant or condition provided pursuant to Section 3.1, 9.1(3) or 9.1(4) with
respect to the Securities of any series, if before or after the time for such
compliance the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either
waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such
covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such
covenant or condition except to the
50
extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the
obligations of the Company in respect of any such covenant or condition shall
remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10.6. Additional Sums.
In the case of the Securities of a series initially issued to an Issuer
Trust, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and except
as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.1 or Section 3.1, if (i) an
Issuer Trust is the Holder of all of the Outstanding Securities of such series,
and (ii) a Tax Event has occurred and is continuing in respect of such Issuer
Trust, the Company shall pay to such Issuer Trust (and its permitted successors
or assigns under the related Trust Agreement) for so long as such Issuer Trust
(or its permitted successor or assignee) is the registered holder of the
Outstanding Securities of such series, such additional sums as maybe necessary
in order that the amount of Distributions (including any Additional Amounts (as
defined in such Trust Agreement)) then due and payable by such Issuer Trust on
the related Capital Securities and Common Securities that at anytime remain
outstanding in accordance with the terms thereof shall not be reduced as a
result of such Additional Taxes (the "Additional Sums"). Whenever in this
Indenture or the Securities there is a reference in any context to the payment
of principal of or interest on the Securities, such mention shall be deemed to
include mention of the payments of the Additional Sums provided for in this
paragraph to the extent that, in such context, Additional Sums are, were or
would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph
and express mention of the payment of Additional Sums (if applicable) in any
provisions hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Sums in those
provisions hereof where such express mention is not made; provided, however,
that the deferral of the payment of interest pursuant to Section 3.12 on the
Securities shall not defer the payment of any Additional Sums that may be due
and payable.
SECTION 10.7. Additional Covenants.
The Company covenants and agrees with each Holder of Securities of each
series that it shall not (x) declare or pay any dividends or distributions on,or
redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any
shares of the Company's capital stock, or (y) make any payment of principal of
or interest or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt
securities of the Company that rank pari passu in all respects with or junior in
interest to the Securities of such series (other than (a)
repurchases,redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of capital stock of the
Company in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other
similar arrangement with or for the benefit of any one or more employees,
officers,directors or consultants, in connection with a dividend reinvestment or
stockholder stock purchase plan or in connection with the issuance of capital
stock of the Company (or securities convertible into or exercisable for such
capital stock) as consideration in an acquisition transaction entered into prior
to the applicable Extension Period or other event referred to below, (b) as a
result of an exchange or conversion of any class or series of the Company's
capital stock(or any capital stock of a Subsidiary of the Company) for any class
or series of the Company's capital stock or of any class or series of the
Company's indebtedness for any class or series of the Company's capital stock,
(c) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of the Company's capital
stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such capital stock or
the security being converted or exchanged, (d) any declaration of a dividend in
connection with any Rights Plan, or the issuance of rights, stock or other
property under any Rights Plan, or the redemption or repurchase of rights
pursuant thereto, or (e) any dividend in the form of stock, warrants, options or
other rights where the dividend stock or the stock issuable upon exercise of
such warrants, options or other rights is the same stock as that on which the
dividend is being paid or ranks pari passu with or junior to such stock) if at
such time (i) there shall have occurred any event (A) of which the Company has
actual knowledge that with the giving of notice or the lapse of time, or
both,would constitute an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such
series, and (B) which the Company shall not have taken reasonable steps to cure,
(ii) if the Securities of such series are held by an Issuer Trust, the Company
shall be in default with respect to its payment of any obligations under the
Guarantee relating to the Capital Securities issued by such Issuer Trust, or
(iii) the Company shall have given notice of its election to
51
begin an Extension Period with respect to the Securities of such series as
provided herein and shall not have rescinded such notice, or such Extension
Period, or any extension thereof, shall be continuing.
The Company also covenants with each Holder of Securities of a series
issued to an Issuer Trust (i) to hold, directly or indirectly, 100% of the
Common Securities of such Issuer Trust, provided that any permitted successor of
the Company as provided under Section 8.2 may succeed to the Company's ownership
of such Common Securities, (ii) as holder of such Common Securities, not to
voluntarily terminate, windup or liquidate such Issuer Trust, other than (a) in
connection with a distribution of the Securities of such series to the holders
of the related Capital Securities in liquidation of such Issuer Trust, or (b) in
connection with certain mergers, consolidations or amalgamations permitted by
the related Trust Agreement, and (iii) to use its reasonable efforts, consistent
with the terms and provisions of such Trust Agreement, to cause such Issuer
Trust to continue not to be taxable as a corporation for United States Federal
income tax purposes.
SECTION 10.8. Original Issue Discount.
On or before December 15 of each year during which any Securities are
outstanding, the Company shall furnish to each Paying Agent such information as
may be reasonably requested by each Paying Agent in order that each Paying Agent
may prepare the information which it is required to report for such year on
Internal Revenue Service Forms 1096 and 1099 pursuant to Section 6049 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Such information shall include the
amount of original issue discount includible in income for each authorized
minimum denomination of principal amount at Stated Maturity of outstanding
Securities during such year.
ARTICLE XI
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 11.1. Applicability of This Article.
Redemption of Securities of any series as permitted or required by any form
of Security issued pursuant to this Indenture shall be made in accordance with
such form of Security and this Article; provided, however, that, if any
provision of any such form of Security shall conflict with any provision of this
Article, the provision of such form of Security shall govern. Except as
otherwise set forth in the form of Security for such Series, each Security of a
series shall be subject to partial redemption only in an amount of $25 or any
integral multiples thereof.
SECTION 11.2. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by
or pursuant to a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of
the Company, the Company shall, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to
the Redemption Date (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the
Trustee), notify the Trustee and, in the case of Securities of a series held by
an Issuer Trust, the Property Trustee under the related Trust Agreement, of such
date and of the principal amount of Securities of the applicable series to be
redeemed and provide the additional information required to be included in the
notice or notices contemplated by Section 11.4; provided that, in the case of
any series of Securities initially issued to an Issuer Trust, for so long as
such Securities are held by such Issuer Trust, such notice shall be given not
less than 45 nor more than 75 days prior to such Redemption Date (unless a
shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Property Trustee under the related
Trust Agreement). In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the
expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such
Securities, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers' Certificate
and an Opinion of Counsel evidencing compliance with such restriction.
52
SECTION 11.3. Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the
particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days
prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of
such series not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee
shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for
redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security of such
series,provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any
Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than
the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities
selected for partial redemption and the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all
provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of
any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the
principal amount of such Security that has been or is to be redeemed.
SECTION 11.4. Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
mailed not later than the thirtieth day, and not earlier than the sixtieth day,
prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at
the address of such Holder as it appears in the Securities Register.
With respect to Securities of such series to be redeemed, each notice of
redemption shall state:
(a) the Redemption Date;
(b) the Redemption Price or, if the Redemption Price cannot be
calculated prior to the time the notice is required to be sent, the
estimate of the Redemption Price provided pursuant to the Indenture
together with a statement that it is an estimate and that the actual
Redemption Price will be calculated on the third Business Day prior to the
Redemption Date (if such an estimate of the Redemption Price is given, a
subsequent notice shall be given as set forth above setting forth the
Redemption Price promptly following the calculation thereof);
(c) if less than all Outstanding Securities of such particular series
are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial
redemption, the respective principal amounts) of the particular Securities
to be redeemed;
(d) that, on the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price will become due
and payable upon each such Security or portion thereof, and that interest
thereon, if any, shall cease to accrue on and after said date;
(e) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered
for payment of the Redemption Price;
(f) such other provisions as may be required in respect of the terms
of a particular series of Securities; and
(g) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the
Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company's request, by the
Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company and shall be
irrevocable.The notice, if mailed in the manner provided above, shall be
conclusively presumed to have
53
been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, a
failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the Holder of
any Security designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect
the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Security.
SECTION 11.5. Deposit of Redemption Price.
Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Redemption Date specified
in the notice of redemption given as provided in Section 11.4, the Company will
deposit with the Trustee or with one or more Paying Agents (or if the Company is
acting as its own Paying Agent, the Company will segregate and hold in trust as
provided in Section 10.3) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption
Price of, and any accrued interest (including Additional Interest) on, all the
Securities (or portions thereof) that are to be redeemed on that date.
SECTION 11.6. Payment of Securities Called for Redemption.
If any notice of redemption has been given as provided in Section 11.4, the
Securities or portion of Securities with respect to which such notice has been
given shall become due and payable on the date and at the place or places stated
in such notice at the applicable Redemption Price, together with accrued
interest (including any Additional Interest) to the Redemption Date. On
presentation and surrender of such Securities at a Place of Payment in said
notice specified, the said Securities or the specified portions thereof shall be
paid and redeemed by the Company at the applicable Redemption Price, together
with accrued interest (including any Additional Interest) to the Redemption
Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by
Section 3.1, installments of interest (including Additional Interest) whose
Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the
Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as
such at the close of business on the relevant record dates according to their
terms and the provisions of Section 3.8.
Upon presentation of any Security redeemed in part only, the Company shall
execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder thereof, at
the expense of the Company, a new Security or Securities of the same series, of
authorized denominations, in aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed
portion of the Security so presented and having the same Original Issue Date,
Stated Maturity and terms.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid under surrender
thereof for redemption, the principal of and premium, if any, on such Security
shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed
therefor in the Security.
SECTION 11.7. Right of Redemption of Securities Initially Issued to an
Issuer Trust.
In the case of the Securities of a series initially issued to an Issuer
Trust, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1, the
Company, at its option, may redeem such Securities (i) on or after the date
specified in such Security, in whole at any time or in part from time to time,
or (ii) upon the occurrence and during the continuation of a Tax Event or an
Investment Company Event, at any time within 90 days following the occurrence
and during the continuation of such Tax Event or Investment Company Event, in
whole (but not in part), in each case at a Redemption Price of 100% unless
specified in such Security, together with accrued interest (including Additional
Interest) to the Redemption Date.
If less than all the Securities of any such series are to be redeemed, the
aggregate principal amount of such Securities remaining Outstanding after giving
effect to such redemption shall be sufficient to satisfy any provisions of the
Trust Agreement related to the Issuer Trust to which such Securities were
issued.
54
ARTICLE XII
SINKING FUNDS
Except as may be provided in any supplemental or amended indenture, no
sinking fund shall be established or maintained for the retirement of Securities
of any series.
ARTICLE XIII
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 13.1. Securities Subordinate to Senior Indebtedness.
The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of a Security, by its
acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that, to the extent and in
the manner hereinafter set forth in this Article, the payment of the principal
of (and premium, if any) and interest (including any Additional Interest) on
each and all of the Securities of each and every series are hereby expressly
made subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of
all Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 13.2. No Payment When Senior Indebtedness in Default; Payment Over
of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc.
If the Company shall default in the payment of any principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest on any Senior Indebtedness when the same becomes
due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by
declaration of acceleration or otherwise, then, upon written notice of such
default to the Company by the holders of Senior Indebtedness or any trustee
therefor, unless and until such default shall have been cured or waived or shall
have ceased to exist, no direct or indirect payment (in cash, property,
securities, by set-off or otherwise) shall be made or agreed to be made on
account of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest (including
Additional Interest) on any of the Securities, or in respect of any
redemption,repayment, retirement, purchase or other acquisition of any of the
Securities.
In the event of (i) any insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation,
reorganization, readjustment, composition or other similar proceeding relating
to the Company, its creditors or its property, (ii) any proceeding for the
liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of the Company, voluntary or
involuntary, whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings,
(iii) any assignment by the Company for the benefit of creditors or (iv) any
other marshalling of the assets of the Company (each such event, if any, herein
sometimes referred to as a "Proceeding"), all Senior Indebtedness (including any
interest thereon accruing after the commencement of any such proceedings) shall
first be paid in full before any payment or distribution, whether in cash,
securities or other property, shall be made to any Holder of any of the
Securities on account thereof. Any payment or distribution, whether in cash,
securities or other property (other than securities of the Company or any other
entity provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment, the payment of
which is subordinate, at least to the extent provided in these subordination
provisions with respect to the indebtedness evidenced by the Securities, to the
payment of all Senior Indebtedness at the time outstanding and to any securities
issued in respect thereof under any such plan of reorganization or
readjustment), which would otherwise (but for these subordination provisions) be
payable or deliverable in respect of the Securities of any series shall be paid
or delivered directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness in accordance with
the priorities then existing among such holders until all Senior Indebtedness
(including any interest thereon accruing after the commencement of any
Proceeding) shall have been paid in full.
In the event of any Proceeding, after payment in full of all sums owing
with respect to Senior Indebtedness, the Holders of the Securities, together
with the holders of any obligations of the Company ranking
55
on a parity with the Securities, shall be entitled to be paid from the remaining
assets of the Company the amounts at the time due and owing on account of unpaid
principal of(and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities and such other
obligations before any payment or other distribution; whether in cash, property
or otherwise, shall be made on account of any capital stock or any obligations
of the Company ranking junior to the Securities, and such other obligations.
If, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or distribution of any character
or any security, whether in cash,securities or other property (other than
securities of the Company or any other entity provided for by a plan of
reorganization or readjustment the payment of which is subordinate, at least to
the extent provided in these subordination provisions with respect to the
indebtedness evidenced by the Securities, to the payment of all Senior
Indebtedness at the time outstanding and to any securities issued in respect
thereof under any plan of reorganization or readjustment), shall be received by
the Trustee or any Holder in contravention of any of the terms hereof and before
all Senior Indebtedness shall have been paid in full,such payment or
distribution or security shall be received in trust for the benefit of, and
shall be paid over or delivered and transferred to, the holders of the Senior
Indebtedness at the time outstanding in accordance with the priorities then
existing among such holders for application to the payment of all Senior
Indebtedness remaining unpaid, to the extent necessary to pay all such Senior
Indebtedness in full. In the event of the failure of the Trustee or any Holder
to endorse or assign any such payment, distribution or security, each holder of
Senior Indebtedness is hereby irrevocably authorized to endorse or assign the
same.
The Trustee and the Holders shall take such action (including, without
limitation, the delivery of this Indenture to an agent for the holders of Senior
Indebtedness or consent to the filing of a financing statement with respect
hereto) as may, in the opinion of counsel designated by the holders of a
majority in principal amount of the Senior Indebtedness at the time
outstanding,be necessary or appropriate to assure the effectiveness of the
subordination effected by these provisions.
The provisions of this Section 13.2 shall not impair any rights,
interests,remedies or powers of any secured creditor of the Company in respect
of any security interest the creation of which is not prohibited by the
provisions of this Indenture.
The securing of any obligations of the Company, otherwise ranking on a
parity with the Securities or ranking junior to the Securities shall not be
deemed to prevent such obligations form constituting, respectively, obligations
ranking on a parity with the Securities or ranking junior to the Securities.
SECTION 13.3. Payment Permitted If No Default.
Nothing contained in this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in any
of the Securities shall prevent (a) the Company, at any time, except during the
pendency of the conditions described in the first paragraph of Section 13.2 or
of any Proceeding referred to in Section 13.2, from making payments at any time
of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest (including Additional
Interest) on the Securities, or (b) the application by the Trustee of any monies
deposited with it hereunder to the payment of or on account of the principal
of(and premium, if any) or interest (including any Additional Interest) on the
Securities or the retention of such payment by the Holders, if, at the time of
such application by the Trustee, it did not have knowledge that such payment
would have been prohibited by the provisions of this Article.
SECTION 13.4. Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Indebtedness.
Subject to the payment in full of all amounts due or to become due on all
Senior Indebtedness, or the provision for such payment in cash or cash
equivalents or otherwise in a manner satisfactory to the holders of Senior
Indebtedness, the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated to the extent of
the payments or distributions made to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness
pursuant to the provisions of this Article (equally and ratably with the holders
of all indebtedness of the Company that by its express terms is subordinated to
Senior Indebtedness of the Company to substantially the same extent as the
Securities are subordinated to the Senior Indebtedness and is entitled to like
rights of subrogation by reason of any payments or distributions made
56
to holders of such Senior Indebtedness) to the rights of the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness to receive payments and distributions of cash, property and
securities applicable to the Senior Indebtedness until the principal of (and
premium if any) and interest (including Additional Interest) on the Securities
shall be paid in full. For purposes of such subrogation, no payments or
distributions to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property or
securities to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would been
titled except for the provisions of this Article, and no payments pursuant to
the provisions of this Article to the holders of Senior Indebtedness by Holders
of the Securities or the Trustee, shall, as among the Company, its creditors
other than holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities, be
deemed to be a payment or distribution by the Company to or on account of the
Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 13.5. Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights.
The provisions of this Article are and are intended solely for the purpose
of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities on the one hand
and the holders of Senior Indebtedness on the other hand. Nothing contained in
this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to
or shall (a) impair, as between the Company and the Holders of the
Securities,the obligations of the Company, which are absolute and unconditional,
to pay to the Holders of the Securities the principal of (and premium, if any)
and interest (including any Additional Interest) on the Securities as and when
the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms; or (b)
affect the relative rights against the Company of the Holders of the Securities
and creditors of the Company other than their rights in relation to the holders
of Senior Indebtedness; or (c) prevent the Trustee or the Holder of any
Security(or to the extent expressly provided herein, the holder of any Capital
Security)from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon
default under this Indenture, including filing and voting claims in any
Proceeding,subject to the rights, if any, under this Article of the holders of
Senior Indebtedness to receive cash, property and securities otherwise payable
or deliverable to the Trustee or such Holder.
SECTION 13.6. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.
Each Holder of a Security by his or her acceptance thereof authorizes and
directs the Trustee on his or her behalf to take such action as may be necessary
or appropriate to acknowledge or effectuate the subordination provided in this
Article and appoints the Trustee his or her attorney-in-fact for any and all
such purposes.
SECTION 13.7. No Waiver of Subordination Provisions.
No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness to
enforce subordination as herein provided shall at any time in any way be
prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company
or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any
noncompliance by the Company with the terms, provisions and covenants of this
Indenture, regardless of any knowledge thereof that any such holder may have or
be otherwise charged with. Without in any way limiting the generality of the
immediately preceding paragraph, the holders of Senior Indebtedness may, at any
time and from time to time, without the consent of or notice to the Trustee or
the Holders of the Securities of any series, without incurring responsibility to
such Holders of the Securities and without impairing or releasing the
subordination provided in this Article or the obligations hereunder of such
Holders of the Securities to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, do any one or
more of the following: (i) change the manner, place or terms of payment or
extent the time of payment of,or renew or alter, Senior Indebtedness, or
otherwise amend or supplement in any manner Senior Indebtedness or any
instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which Senior Indebtedness
is outstanding; (ii) sell, exchange,release or otherwise deal with any property
pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing Senior Indebtedness; (iii) release any
Person liable in any manner for the collection of Senior Indebtedness; and (iv)
exercise or refrain from exercising any rights against the Company and any other
Person.
57
SECTION 13.8. Notice to Trustee.
The Company shall give prompt written notice to a Responsible Officer of
the Trustee of any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the making of
any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities. Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Article or any other provision of this Indenture, the
Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts that
would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the
Securities, unless and until the Trustee shall have received written notice
thereof from the Company or a holder of Senior Indebtedness or from any
trustee,agent or representative therefor; provided, however, that if the Trustee
shall not have received the notice provided for in this Section at least two
Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any monies may
become payable for any purpose (including, the payment of the principal of (and
premium, if any, on) or interest (including any Additional Interest) on any
Security), then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such monies and to apply
the same to the purpose for which they were received and shall not be affected
by any notice to the contrary that may be received by it within two Business
Days prior to such date.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall be entitled to
rely on the delivery to it of a written notice by a Person representing himself
or herself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee or attorney-in-
fact therefor) to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of
Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee or attorney-in-fact therefor). In the event
that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with
respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness to
participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article, the Trustee
may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of
the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness held by such Person, the
extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or
distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under
this Article, and if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any
payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of such
Person to receive such payment.
SECTION 13.9. Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating
Agent.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in
this Article, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, and the
Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon any order
or decree entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such
Proceeding is pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver,
conservator,liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee for the benefit of
creditors, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered
to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining
the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders
of the Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount
thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon
and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article.
SECTION 13.10. Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness.
The Trustee, in its capacity as trustee under this Indenture, shall not be
deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness and shall
not be liable to any such holders if it shall in good faith mistakenly pay over
or distribute to Holders of Securities or to the Company or to any other Person
cash, property or securities to which any holders of Senior Indebtedness shall
be entitled by virtue of this Article or otherwise.
58
SECTION 13.11. Rights of Trustee as Holder of Senior Indebtedness;
Preservation of Trustee's Rights.
The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights
set forth in this Article with respect to any Senior Indebtedness that may at
any time be held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior
Indebtedness, and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of any of
its rights as such holder.
SECTION 13.12. Article Applicable to Paying Agents.
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 shall in such case (unless the context otherwise requires)
be construed as extending to and including such Paying Agent within its meaning
as fully for all intents and purposes as if such Paying Agent were named in this
Article in addition to or in place of the Trustee.
* * * *
This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts
shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
59
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be
duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and
attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest:_____________________ EQUITABLE RESOURCES, INC.
By:_____________________________________________
Name:
Title:
Attest:_____________________ BANKERS TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee,
and not in its individual capacity
By:______________________________________________
Name:
Title:
60
