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Exhibit 4.9
TRUST AGREEMENT
OF
HERCULES TRUST I
THIS TRUST AGREEMENT is made as of September 14, 1998 (this "Trust
Agreement"), by and among Hercules Incorporated, a Delaware corporation, as
sponsor (the "Sponsor"), and Chase Manhattan Bank Delaware, a Delaware banking
corporation, as trustee, and Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, as trustee (jointly, the
"Trustees"). The Sponsor and the Trustees hereby agree as follows:
1. The trust created hereby shall be known as "Hercules Trust I" (the
"Trust"), in which name the Trustees or the Sponsor, to the extent provided
herein, may conduct the business of the Trust, make and execute contracts, and
xxx and be sued.
2. The Sponsor hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and sets over to the
Trust the sum of $10. Such amount shall constitute the initial trust estate. It
is the intention of the parties hereto that the Trust created hereby constitute
a business trust under Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code, 12 Del. C.
Section 3801, et seq. (the "Business Trust Act"), and that this document
constitute the governing instrument of the Trust. The Trustees are hereby
authorized and directed to execute and file a certificate of trust with the
Delaware Secretary of State in such form as the Trustees may approve.
3. The Sponsor and the Trustees will enter into an amended and restated
Trust Agreement satisfactory to each such party to provide for the contemplated
operation of the Trust created hereby and the issuance of the Preferred or
Capital Securities and Common Securities referred to therein. Prior to the
execution and delivery of such amended and restated Trust Agreement, the
Trustees shall not have any duty or obligation hereunder or with respect of the
trust estate, except as otherwise required by applicable law or as may be
necessary to obtain prior to such execution and delivery any licenses, consents
or approvals required by applicable law or otherwise. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Trustees may take all actions deemed proper as are necessary to
effect the transactions contemplated herein.
4. The Sponsor, as sponsor of the Trust, is hereby authorized, in its
discretion, (i) to prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") and to execute, in the case of the 1933 Act Registration
Statement and 1934 Act Registration Statement (as herein defined), on behalf of
the Trust, (a) a Registration Statement (the "1933 Act Registration Statement"),
including all pre-effective and post-effective amendments thereto, relating to
the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"),
of the Preferred or Capital Securities of the Trust, (b) any preliminary
prospectus or prospectus or supplement thereto relating to the Preferred or
Capital Securities of the Trust required to be filed pursuant to the 1933 Act,
and (c) a Registration Statement on Form 8-A or other appropriate form (the
"1934 Act Registration Statement"), including all pre-effective and
post-effective amendments thereto, relating to the registration of the Preferred
or Capital Securities of the Trust under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended; (ii) if and at such time as determined by the Sponsor, to file with the
New York Stock Exchange or other exchange, or the National
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Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD"), and execute on behalf of the Trust a
listing application and all other applications, statements, certificates,
agreements and other instruments as shall be necessary or desirable to cause the
Preferred or Capital Securities of the Trust to be listed on the New York Stock
Exchange or such other exchange, or the NASD's Nasdaq National Market; (iii) to
file and execute on behalf of the Trust, such applications, reports, surety
bonds, irrevocable consents, appointments of attorney for service of process and
other papers and documents that shall be necessary or desirable to register the
Preferred or Capital Securities of the Trust under the securities or "Blue Sky"
laws of such jurisdictions as the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, may deem
necessary or desirable; (iv) to execute and deliver letters or documents to, or
instruments for filing with, a depository relating to the Preferred or Capital
Securities of the Trust; and (v) to execute, deliver and perform on behalf of
the Trust an underwriting agreement with one or more underwriters relating to
the offering of the Preferred or Capital Securities of the Trust.
In the event that any filing referred to in this Section 4 is required
by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the New York Stock Exchange or
other exchange, NASD, or state securities or "Blue Sky" laws to be executed on
behalf of the Trust by the Trustees, the Trustees, in their capacity as trustees
of the Trust, are hereby authorized to join in any such filing and to execute on
behalf of the Trust any and all of the foregoing, it being understood that the
Trustees, in their capacity as trustees of the Trust, shall not be required to
join in any such filing or execute on behalf of the Trust any such document
unless required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the New York
Stock Exchange or other exchange, NASD, or state securities or "Blue Sky" laws.
5. This Trust Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts.
6. The number of trustees of the Trust initially shall be two and
thereafter the number of trustees of the Trust shall be such number as shall be
fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed by the Sponsor which may
increase or decrease the number of trustees of the Trust; provided, however,
that to the extent required by the Business Trust Act, one trustee of the Trust
shall either be a natural person who is a resident of the State of Delaware or,
if not a natural person, an entity which has its principal place of business in
the State of Delaware. Subject to the foregoing, the Sponsor is entitled to
appoint or remove without cause any trustee of the Trust at any time. Any
trustee of the Trust may resign upon thirty days' prior notice to the Sponsor.
7. The Sponsor hereby agrees to (i) reimburse the Trustees for all
reasonable expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel and other
experts) and (ii) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustees and any of
the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustees (the "Indemnified
Persons") from and against and all losses, damages, liabilities, claims,
actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including the reasonable fees
and expenses of counsel), taxes and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever
(collectively, "Expenses"), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are
imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Persons with
respect to the performance of this Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or
termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated hereby; provided,
however, that the Sponsor shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified
Person for any Expenses
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which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of
such Indemnified Person.
8. This Trust Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware (without regard to conflict
of laws principles).
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Trust Agreement
to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
HERCULES INCORPORATED, as Sponsor
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. XxxXxxxxx
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Name: Xxxxxx X. XxxXxxxxx
Title: Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
CHASE MANHATTAN BANK DELAWARE, not in its
individual capacity but solely as trustee
of the Trust
By: /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxx
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Name: Xxxxx Xxxxx
Title: Trust Officer
XXXXXX X. XXXXX, not in his individual
capacity but solely as trustee of the Trust
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
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