ALERE INC., as Issuer, the GUARANTORS named herein, as Guarantors, and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee TWENTY-FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE Dated as of June 24, 2015 6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023
Exhibit 4.1
EXECUTION VERSION
as Issuer,
the GUARANTORS named herein,
as Guarantors,
and
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee
TWENTY-FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Dated as of June 24, 2015
6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE ONE | ||||||
ESTABLISHMENT; DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | ||||||
SECTION 1.01 |
Establishment |
2 | ||||
SECTION 1.02 |
Definitions |
3 | ||||
SECTION 1.03 |
Other Definitions |
34 | ||||
SECTION 1.04 |
Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act |
35 | ||||
SECTION 1.05 |
Rules of Construction |
35 | ||||
ARTICLE TWO | ||||||
THE NOTES | ||||||
SECTION 2.01 |
Form and Dating |
36 | ||||
SECTION 2.02 |
Execution, Authentication and Denomination; Additional Notes |
37 | ||||
SECTION 2.03 |
Registrar and Paying Agent |
38 | ||||
SECTION 2.04 |
Paying Agent to Hold Assets in Trust |
39 | ||||
SECTION 2.05 |
Holder Lists |
39 | ||||
SECTION 2.06 |
Transfer and Exchange |
39 | ||||
SECTION 2.07 |
Replacement Notes |
40 | ||||
SECTION 2.08 |
Outstanding Notes |
40 | ||||
SECTION 2.09 |
Treasury Notes |
41 | ||||
SECTION 2.10 |
Temporary Notes |
41 | ||||
SECTION 2.11 |
Cancellation |
41 | ||||
SECTION 2.12 |
Defaulted Interest |
42 | ||||
SECTION 2.13 |
CUSIP and ISIN Numbers |
42 | ||||
SECTION 2.14 |
Deposit of Moneys |
42 | ||||
SECTION 2.15 |
Book-Entry Provisions for Global Notes |
42 | ||||
SECTION 2.16 |
Special Transfer and Exchange Provisions. |
44 | ||||
ARTICLE THREE | ||||||
REDEMPTION | ||||||
SECTION 3.01 |
Notices to Trustee |
48 | ||||
SECTION 3.02 |
Selection of Notes to be Redeemed |
48 | ||||
SECTION 3.03 |
Notice of Redemption |
48 | ||||
SECTION 3.04 |
Effect of Notice of Redemption |
49 | ||||
SECTION 3.05 |
Deposit of Redemption Price |
50 | ||||
SECTION 3.06 |
Notes Redeemed in Part |
50 |
-i-
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE FOUR | ||||||
COVENANTS | ||||||
SECTION 4.01 |
Payment of Principal and Interest |
50 | ||||
SECTION 4.02 |
Maintenance of Office or Agency |
51 | ||||
SECTION 4.03 |
Corporate Existence |
51 | ||||
SECTION 4.04 |
Compliance Certificate |
51 | ||||
SECTION 4.05 |
Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws |
53 | ||||
SECTION 4.06 |
Change of Control |
53 | ||||
SECTION 4.07 |
Limitations on Additional Indebtedness |
55 | ||||
SECTION 4.08 |
Limitations on Restricted Payments |
59 | ||||
SECTION 4.09 |
Limitations on Liens |
62 | ||||
SECTION 4.10 |
Limitations on Asset Sales |
62 | ||||
SECTION 4.11 |
Limitations on Transactions with Affiliates |
66 | ||||
SECTION 4.12 |
Limitations on Dividends and Other Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries |
68 | ||||
SECTION 4.13 |
Additional Guarantees |
70 | ||||
SECTION 4.14 |
Limitation on Layering Indebtedness |
70 | ||||
SECTION 4.15 |
SEC Reports |
71 | ||||
SECTION 4.16 |
Limitations on Designation of Unrestricted Subsidiaries |
72 | ||||
SECTION 4.17 |
Conduct of Business |
73 | ||||
SECTION 4.18 |
Limitations on Sale and Leaseback Transactions |
73 | ||||
SECTION 4.19 |
Suspension of Covenants |
73 | ||||
ARTICLE FIVE | ||||||
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION | ||||||
SECTION 5.01 |
Mergers, Consolidations, Etc |
75 | ||||
ARTICLE SIX | ||||||
DEFAULT AND REMEDIES | ||||||
SECTION 6.01 |
Events of Default |
77 | ||||
SECTION 6.02 |
Acceleration |
79 | ||||
SECTION 6.03 |
Other Remedies |
80 | ||||
SECTION 6.04 |
Waiver of Past Defaults |
80 | ||||
SECTION 6.05 |
Control by Majority |
80 | ||||
SECTION 6.06 |
Limitation on Suits |
80 | ||||
SECTION 6.07 |
Rights of Holders to Receive Payment |
81 |
-ii-
Page | ||||||
SECTION 6.08 |
Collection Suit by Trustee |
81 | ||||
SECTION 6.09 |
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
81 | ||||
SECTION 6.10 |
Priorities |
82 | ||||
SECTION 6.11 |
Undertaking for Costs |
82 | ||||
ARTICLE SEVEN | ||||||
TRUSTEE | ||||||
SECTION 7.01 |
Duties of Trustee |
82 | ||||
SECTION 7.02 |
Rights of Trustee |
83 | ||||
SECTION 7.03 |
Individual Rights of Trustee |
85 | ||||
SECTION 7.04 |
Trustee’s Disclaimer |
85 | ||||
SECTION 7.05 |
Notice of Default |
85 | ||||
SECTION 7.06 |
Reports by Trustee to Holders |
85 | ||||
SECTION 7.07 |
Compensation and Indemnity |
86 | ||||
SECTION 7.08 |
Replacement of Trustee |
87 | ||||
SECTION 7.09 |
Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc |
88 | ||||
SECTION 7.10 |
Eligibility; Disqualification |
88 | ||||
SECTION 7.11 |
Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Issuer |
88 | ||||
ARTICLE EIGHT | ||||||
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE | ||||||
SECTION 8.01 |
Termination of the Issuer’s Obligations |
88 | ||||
SECTION 8.02 |
Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance |
89 | ||||
SECTION 8.03 |
Conditions to Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
91 | ||||
SECTION 8.04 |
Application of Trust Money |
92 | ||||
SECTION 8.05 |
Repayment to the Issuer |
92 | ||||
SECTION 8.06 |
Reinstatement |
93 | ||||
ARTICLE NINE | ||||||
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS | ||||||
SECTION 9.01 |
Without Consent of Holders |
93 | ||||
SECTION 9.02 |
With Consent of Holders |
94 | ||||
SECTION 9.03 |
Effect on Senior Debt |
95 | ||||
SECTION 9.04 |
Compliance with the Trust Indenture Act |
96 | ||||
SECTION 9.05 |
Revocation and Effect of Consents |
96 | ||||
SECTION 9.06 |
Notation on or Exchange of Notes |
96 | ||||
SECTION 9.07 |
Trustee To Sign Amendments, Etc |
97 |
-iii-
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE TEN | ||||||
SUBORDINATION OF NOTES | ||||||
SECTION 10.01 |
Notes Subordinated to Senior Debt |
97 | ||||
SECTION 10.02 |
Suspension of Payment When Senior Debt Is in Default |
98 | ||||
SECTION 10.03 |
Notes Subordinated to Prior Payment of All Senior Debt on Dissolution, Liquidation or Reorganization of the Issuer | 99 | ||||
SECTION 10.04 |
Payments May Be Made on Notes |
100 | ||||
SECTION 10.05 |
Holders To Be Subrogated to Rights of Holders of Senior Debt |
101 | ||||
SECTION 10.06 |
Obligations of the Issuer Unconditional |
101 | ||||
SECTION 10.07 |
Notice to Trustee |
101 | ||||
SECTION 10.08 |
Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent |
102 | ||||
SECTION 10.09 |
Trustee’s Relation to Senior Debt |
102 | ||||
SECTION 10.10 |
Subordination Rights Not Impaired by Acts or Omissions of the Issuer or Holders of Senior Debt |
102 | ||||
SECTION 10.11 |
Holders Authorize Trustee To Effectuate Subordination of Notes |
103 | ||||
SECTION 10.12 |
This Article Ten Not To Prevent Events of Default |
103 | ||||
SECTION 10.13 |
Trustee’s Compensation Not Prejudiced |
103 | ||||
ARTICLE ELEVEN | ||||||
GUARANTEE | ||||||
SECTION 11.01 |
Unconditional Guarantee |
104 | ||||
SECTION 11.02 |
Subordination of Guarantee |
105 | ||||
SECTION 11.03 |
Limitation on Guarantor Liability |
105 | ||||
SECTION 11.04 |
Release of a Guarantor |
106 | ||||
SECTION 11.05 |
Waiver of Subrogation |
106 | ||||
SECTION 11.06 |
Immediate Payment |
107 | ||||
SECTION 11.07 |
No Set-Off |
107 | ||||
SECTION 11.08 |
Guarantee Obligations Absolute |
107 | ||||
SECTION 11.09 |
Guarantee Obligations Continuing |
107 | ||||
SECTION 11.10 |
Guarantee Obligations Not Reduced |
107 | ||||
SECTION 11.11 |
Guarantee Obligations Reinstated |
108 | ||||
SECTION 11.12 |
Guarantee Obligations Not Affected |
108 | ||||
SECTION 11.13 |
Waiver; Reliance |
109 | ||||
SECTION 11.14 |
No Obligation To Take Action Against the Issuer |
109 | ||||
SECTION 11.15 |
Dealing with the Issuer and Others |
110 | ||||
SECTION 11.16 |
Default and Enforcement |
110 | ||||
SECTION 11.17 |
Amendment, Etc |
110 |
-iv-
Page | ||||||
SECTION 11.18 |
Acknowledgment |
110 | ||||
SECTION 11.19 |
Costs and Expenses |
111 | ||||
SECTION 11.20 |
No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies |
111 | ||||
SECTION 11.21 |
Survival of Guarantee Obligations |
111 | ||||
SECTION 11.22 |
Guarantee in Addition to Other Guarantee Obligations |
111 | ||||
ARTICLE TWELVE | ||||||
MISCELLANEOUS | ||||||
SECTION 12.01 |
Trust Indenture Act Controls |
111 | ||||
SECTION 12.02 |
Notices |
111 | ||||
SECTION 12.03 |
Communications by Holders with Other Holders |
113 | ||||
SECTION 12.04 |
Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent |
113 | ||||
SECTION 12.05 |
Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion |
113 | ||||
SECTION 12.06 |
Rules by Trustee and Agents |
114 | ||||
SECTION 12.07 |
Legal Holidays |
114 | ||||
SECTION 12.08 |
Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial |
114 | ||||
SECTION 12.09 |
No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements |
114 | ||||
SECTION 12.10 |
No Recourse Against Others |
114 | ||||
SECTION 12.11 |
Successors |
115 | ||||
SECTION 12.12 |
Duplicate Originals |
115 | ||||
SECTION 12.13 |
Severability |
115 | ||||
SECTION 12.14 |
Force Majeure |
115 | ||||
SECTION 12.15 |
U.S.A. Patriot Act |
115 |
Exhibits
Exhibit A |
Form of Note | |
Exhibit B |
Forms of Legends | |
Exhibit C |
Form of Certificate to be delivered in connection with Transfers to Non-QIB Institutional Accredited Investors | |
Exhibit D |
Form of Certificate to be delivered in connection with Transfers pursuant to Regulation S | |
Exhibit E |
Form of Supplemental Indenture |
-v-
CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
Trust Indenture Act Section |
Indenture Section | |
§ 310(a)(1) | 7.10 | |
(a)(2) | 7.10 | |
(a)(3) | Not Applicable | |
(a)(4) | Not Applicable | |
(a)(5) | 7.10 | |
(b) | 7.08; 7.10 | |
311(a) | 7.11 | |
(b) | 7.11 | |
312(a) | 2.05 | |
(b) | 12.03 | |
(c) | 12.03 | |
313(a) | 7.06 | |
(b)(1) | Not Applicable | |
(b)(2) | 7.06 | |
(c) | 12.02 | |
(d) | 7.06 | |
314(a) | 4.15; 12.02 | |
(b) | Not Applicable | |
(c)(1) | 12.04 | |
(c)(2) | 12.04 | |
(c)(3) | Not Applicable | |
(d) | Not Applicable | |
(e) | 12.05 | |
(f) | Not Applicable | |
315(a) | 7.01 | |
(b) | 7.05; 12.02 | |
(c) | 7.01 | |
(d) | 7.01 | |
(e) | 6.11 | |
316(a)(1)(A) | 6.05 | |
(a)(1)(B) | 6.04 | |
(a)(2) | Not Applicable | |
(a)(last sentence) | 2.09 | |
(b) | 6.07; 9.02 | |
(c) | 9.05 | |
317(a)(1) | 6.08 | |
(a)(2) | 6.09 | |
(b) | 2.04 | |
318(a) | 12.01 |
Note: This Cross-Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of this Indenture.
TWENTY-FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of June 24, 2015 (this “Supplemental Indenture”), among Alere Inc. (formerly Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc.), a Delaware corporation, as Issuer (the “Issuer”), each of the Guarantors named herein, as Guarantors, and U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, the Issuer and the Trustee have previously executed and delivered an Indenture, dated as of May 12, 2009 (the “Base Indenture”), providing for the issuance from time to time of one or more series of the debt securities of the Issuer;
WHEREAS, Sections 2.01, 2.02 and 9.01 of the Base Indenture provide that the Issuer and the Trustee may enter into an indenture supplemental to the Base Indenture to establish the form or terms of a series of securities;
WHEREAS, the Issuer has duly authorized the creation and issue of 6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023 and, to provide therefor, the Issuer and the Guarantors have duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Issuer is entering into this Supplemental Indenture to establish the form and terms of such 6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023;
WHEREAS, the Base Indenture is incorporated in this Supplemental Indenture by reference as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture, and the Base Indenture, as amended, supplemented and modified by this Supplemental Indenture and as may be further amended, supplemented or modified with respect to this Supplemental Indenture, is referred to as this “Indenture” in this Supplemental Indenture; and
WHEREAS, all conditions precedent to be performed or effected by the Issuer and the Guarantors to authorize the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture and to make it the valid and binding obligations of the Issuer and the Guarantors, as applicable, have been complied with;
NOW THEREFORE, each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other parties and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes (each as defined below):
ARTICLE ONE
ESTABLISHMENT; DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01 Establishment.
(a) There is hereby established a new Series of Securities (each as defined in the Base Indenture) to be issued under this Indenture, designated as the Issuer’s 6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023.
-2-
(b) There are to be authenticated and delivered on the date hereof up to $425,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes.
(c) The Notes shall be issued in the form of one or more permanent Notes in accordance with Article Two of this Supplemental Indenture.
(d) Each Note shall be dated the date of authentication thereof and shall bear interest from the date of original issuance thereof (which, in the case of the Initial Notes, is the Issue Date) or from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for on the applicable Notes, all as further provided in this Supplemental Indenture.
(e) Solely with respect to the Notes and the Guarantees, the Base Indenture shall be amended, supplemented and modified pursuant to Sections 2.01, 2.02 and 9.01 thereof to establish the terms of the Notes and the Guarantees as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture, including as follows:
(1) the form and terms of the securities representing the Notes required to be established pursuant to Article Two of the Base Indenture are established pursuant to Article Two of this Supplemental Indenture;
(2) the provisions of Articles One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten of the Base Indenture are superseded in their entirety by, respectively, the provisions of Articles One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Twelve of this Supplemental Indenture;
(3) the provisions of Articles Ten and Eleven of this Supplemental Indenture supplement, but shall not otherwise modify, the Base Indenture (as otherwise supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture);
(4) to the extent that the provisions of this Supplemental Indenture (including those referred to in clauses (2) and (3) immediately above) are duplicative of, or in conflict with, any provision of the Base Indenture, the provisions of this Supplemental Indenture shall govern and be controlling;
(5) Article Eleven of the Base Indenture is deleted in its entirety for purposes of this Supplemental Indenture; and
(6) unless otherwise expressly specified, references in this Supplemental Indenture to specific Article or Section numbers refer to Articles and Sections contained in this Supplemental Indenture, and not the Base Indenture or any other document.
SECTION 1.02 Definitions.
Set forth below are certain defined terms used in this Indenture.
“2007 Convertible Notes” means those certain 3% convertible senior subordinated notes due 2016 in the aggregate principal amount of $150.0 million issued by the Issuer to certain holders thereof under that certain Indenture between the Issuer and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, dated as of May 14, 2007.
-3-
“2010 Senior Subordinated Notes” means those certain 8.625% senior subordinated notes due 2018 issued by the Issuer to certain holders thereof under the 2010 Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture.
“2010 Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture” means that certain Indenture between the Issuer and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, dated as of May 12, 2009, as amended, supplemented and modified by that certain Ninth Supplemental Indenture among the Issuer, the guarantors named therein and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, dated as of September 21, 2010, as the foregoing has been further amended, supplemented and modified to date and may be further amended, supplemented and modified.
“2013 Senior Subordinated Notes” means those certain 6.500% senior subordinated notes due 2020 issued by the Issuer to certain holders thereof under the 2013 Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture.
“2013 Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture” means that certain Indenture between the Issuer and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, dated as of May 12, 2009, as amended, supplemented and modified by that certain Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture among the Issuer, the guarantors named therein and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, dated as of May 24, 2013, as further amended, supplemented and modified to date and as may be further amended, supplemented and modified.
“Acquired Indebtedness” means (1) with respect to any Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary after the Issue Date, Indebtedness of such Person and its Subsidiaries existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary that was not incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary and (2) with respect to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, any Indebtedness of a Person (other than the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary) existing at the time such Person is merged with or into, or consolidated with, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, or Indebtedness expressly assumed by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with the acquisition of any Person or any asset or assets from another Person, which Indebtedness was not, in any case, incurred by such other Person in connection with, or in contemplation of, such merger, consolidation or acquisition.
“Affiliate” of any Person means any other Person which directly or indirectly controls or is controlled by, or is under direct or indirect common control with, the referent Person. For purposes of Section 4.11, Affiliates shall be deemed to include, with respect to any Person, any other Person (1) which beneficially owns or holds, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of any class of the Voting Stock of the referent Person, (2) of which 10% or more of the Voting Stock is beneficially owned or held, directly or indirectly, by the referenced Person or (3) with respect to an individual, any immediate family member of such Person. For purposes of this definition, “control” of a Person shall mean 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 “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control” shall have correlative meanings.
-4-
“Agent” means any Registrar or Paying Agent.
“amend” means to amend, supplement, restate, amend and restate or otherwise modify; and “amendment” shall have a correlative meaning.
“asset” means any asset or property.
“Asset Acquisition” means:
(1) an Investment by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer in any other Person if, as a result of such Investment, such Person shall become a Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer, or shall be merged with or into the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer; or
(2) the acquisition by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer of all or substantially all of the assets of any other Person or any division or line of business of any other Person.
“Asset Sale” means any sale, conveyance, transfer, lease, assignment, license or other disposition on or after the Issue Date by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to any Person other than the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (including by means of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction or a merger or consolidation) (collectively, for purposes of this definition, a “transfer”), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of any assets of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries other than in the ordinary course of business. For purposes of this definition, the term “Asset Sale” shall not include:
(1) transfers of cash or Cash Equivalents;
(2) transfers of assets (including Equity Interests) that are governed by, and made in accordance with, Article Five;
(3) Permitted Investments, Restricted Payments permitted under Section 4.08 and transfers that would constitute Restricted Payments but for the exclusions in clauses (1) and (2) of the definition thereof;
(4) the creation or realization of any Permitted Lien;
(5) transfers of damaged, worn-out or obsolete equipment or assets that, in the Issuer’s reasonable judgment, are no longer used or useful in the business of the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries;
(6) any license of intellectual property not otherwise in the ordinary course of business, other than the license of all or substantially all of the rights associated with any intellectual property owned or controlled by the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries if (i) such rights are used or could be used in a line of business then being conducted by the Issuer or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries and such rights and line of business are material to the
-5-
business of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole, as reasonably determined by the Issuer, (ii) such license is for all or substantially all of the remaining contractual or useful life of such intellectual property, whichever is shorter, determined as of the date such license is granted, and (iii) the Fair Market Value of such license, together with that of any other such licenses meeting the criteria in clauses (i) and (ii) (with the Fair Market Value of any such license being determined at the time thereof and without regard to subsequent changes in value), exceeds $25.0 million in any fiscal year of the Issuer; and
(7) any transfer or series of related transfers that, but for this clause, would be Asset Sales, if after giving effect to such transfers, the aggregate Fair Market Value of the assets transferred in such transaction or any such series of related transactions does not exceed, in the aggregate with all other such transactions or series of related transactions (with the Fair Market Value of any such transaction being determined at the time thereof and without regard to subsequent changes in value), $25.0 million in any fiscal year of the Issuer.
“Attributable Indebtedness,” when used with respect to any Sale and Leaseback Transaction, means, as at the time of determination, the present value (discounted at a rate equivalent to the Issuer’s then-current weighted average cost of funds for borrowed money as at the time of determination, compounded on a semi-annual basis) of the total obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in any such Sale and Leaseback Transaction.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
“Board of Directors” shall mean, with respect to any Person, (i) in the case of any corporation, the board of directors of such Person, (ii) in the case of any limited liability company, the board of managers of such Person, (iii) in the case of any partnership, the Board of Directors of the general partner of such Person and (iv) in any other case, the functional equivalent of the foregoing, or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such Board.
“Business Day” means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in The City of New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.
“Capitalized Lease” means a lease required to be capitalized for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP.
“Capitalized Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under a Capitalized Lease, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Cash Equivalents” means:
(1) marketable obligations with a maturity of one (1) year or less issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or issued by any agency or instrumentality thereof and the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged in support thereof;
-6-
(2) any marketable direct obligations issued by any other agency of the United States of America, any State of the United States of America or the District of Columbia, or any political subdivision of any such state or instrumentality thereof, in each case having one of the two highest ratings obtainable from either S&P or Moody’s;
(3) demand and time deposits and certificates of deposit or acceptances with a maturity of one hundred eighty (180) days or less of any financial institution that is a member of the Federal Reserve System having combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $500.0 million;
(4) commercial paper maturing no more than one (1) year from the date of creation thereof issued by a corporation that is not the Issuer or an Affiliate of the Issuer, and is organized under the laws of any State of the United States of America or the District of Columbia and rated at least A-1 by S&P or at least P-1 by Moody’s;
(5) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than ten (10) days for underlying securities of the types described in clause (1) above entered into with any commercial bank meeting the specifications of clause (3) above;
(6) investments in money market or other mutual funds substantially all of whose assets comprise securities of the types described in clauses (1) through (5) above; and
(7) other short-term investments utilized by any Foreign Subsidiary in accordance with normal investment practices for cash management, and other investments by Foreign Subsidiaries in or with foreign obligors that, in the reasonable judgment of the Issuer, are of a credit quality comparable to those listed in clauses (1) through (6) above.
“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following events:
(1) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act (except that for purposes of this clause that person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all securities that any such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time)), directly or indirectly, of Voting Stock representing more than 50% of the voting power of the total outstanding Voting Stock of the Issuer;
(2) consummation of (a) any share exchange, consolidation or merger of the Issuer or series of such related transactions (excluding a merger with a Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary solely for the purpose of changing the Issuer’s name or jurisdiction of incorporation) or (b) any sale, lease or other transfer, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any “person” or “group” within the meaning thereof in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, other than one or more of the Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries; provided, however, that a transaction described in foregoing clause (a) or (b) where the holders of Voting
-7-
Stock representing more than 50% of the voting power of the total outstanding Voting Stock of the Issuer immediately prior to such transaction own, directly or indirectly, Voting Stock representing more than 50% of the voting power of the total outstanding Voting Stock of the continuing, surviving or resulting entity or the transferee immediately after such event shall not be a Change of Control; or
(3) the Issuer shall adopt a Plan of Liquidation or dissolution or any such plan shall be approved by the stockholders of the Issuer.
“Consolidated Amortization Expense” for any period means the amortization expense of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Cash Flow” for any period means, without duplication, the sum of the amounts for such period of:
(1) Consolidated Net Income; plus
(2) in each case only to the extent (and in the same proportion) deducted in determining Consolidated Net Income and with respect to the portion of Consolidated Net Income attributable to any Restricted Subsidiary only if a corresponding amount would be permitted at the date of determination to be distributed to the Issuer by such Restricted Subsidiary without prior approval (that has not been obtained), pursuant to the terms of its charter and all agreements, instruments, judgments, decrees, orders, statutes, rules and governmental regulations applicable to such Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders,
(a) Consolidated Income Tax Expense,
(b) Consolidated Amortization Expense (but only to the extent not included in Consolidated Interest Expense),
(c) Consolidated Depreciation Expense,
(d) Consolidated Interest Expense, and
(e) all other non-cash items reducing Consolidated Net Income for such period, including any stock-based compensation expense, in each case determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; minus
(3) the aggregate amount of all non-cash items, determined on a consolidated basis, to the extent such items increased Consolidated Net Income (including the reversal of accruals or reserves for charges that increased Consolidated Net Income at any time during the Four-Quarter Period ending on the Issue Date or thereafter) for such period; minus
(4) cash disbursements in respect of previously accrued or reserved items increasing Consolidated Cash Flow in that or prior periods.
-8-
“Consolidated Depreciation Expense” for any period means the depreciation expense of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Income Tax Expense” for any period means the provision for taxes of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio” means the ratio of (x) Consolidated Cash Flow during the Four-Quarter Period ending on or prior to the date of the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio (the “Transaction Date”) to (y) Consolidated Interest Expense for such Four-Quarter Period. For purposes of this definition, Consolidated Cash Flow and Consolidated Interest Expense shall be calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis for the period of such calculation to:
(1) the incurrence of any Indebtedness or the issuance of any Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary (and the application of the proceeds thereof) and any repayment of other Indebtedness or the redemption of any Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary (and the application of the proceeds thereof), other than the incurrence or repayment of Indebtedness in the ordinary course of business for working capital purposes pursuant to any revolving credit arrangement, occurring during the Four-Quarter Period or at any time subsequent to the last day of the Four-Quarter Period and on or prior to the Transaction Date, as if such incurrence, issuance, repayment or redemption, as the case may be (and the application of the proceeds thereof), occurred on the first (1st) day of the Four-Quarter Period; and
(2) any Asset Sale or Asset Acquisition (including any Asset Acquisition giving rise to the need to make such calculation as a result of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (including any Person who becomes a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such Asset Acquisition) incurring Acquired Indebtedness and also including any Consolidated Cash Flow (including any pro forma expense and cost reductions calculated on a basis consistent with Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act) associated with any such Asset Acquisition) occurring during the Four-Quarter Period or at any time subsequent to the last day of the Four-Quarter Period and on or prior to the Transaction Date, as if such Asset Sale or Asset Acquisition (including the incurrence of, or assumption or liability for, any such Acquired Indebtedness) occurred on the first (1st) day of the Four-Quarter Period.
If the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary directly or indirectly guarantees Indebtedness of a third Person, the preceding sentence shall give effect to the incurrence of such guaranteed Indebtedness as if the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary had directly incurred or otherwise assumed such guaranteed Indebtedness.
In calculating Consolidated Interest Expense for purposes of determining the denominator (but not the numerator) of this Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio:
(1) interest on outstanding Indebtedness determined on a fluctuating basis as of the Transaction Date and which will continue to be so determined thereafter shall be deemed to have accrued at a fixed rate per annum equal to the rate of interest on such Indebtedness in effect on the Transaction Date;
-9-
(2) if interest on any Indebtedness actually incurred on the Transaction Date may optionally be determined at an interest rate based upon a factor of a prime or similar rate, a eurocurrency interbank offered rate, or other rates, then the interest rate in effect on the Transaction Date will be deemed to have been in effect during the Four-Quarter Period; and
(3) notwithstanding clause (1) or (2) above, interest on Indebtedness determined on a fluctuating basis, to the extent such interest is covered by agreements relating to Hedging Obligations, shall be deemed to accrue at the rate per annum resulting after giving effect to the operation of such agreements.
“Consolidated Interest Expense” for any period means the sum, without duplication, of the total interest expense of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and including without duplication:
(1) imputed interest on Capitalized Lease Obligations and Attributable Indebtedness;
(2) commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit securing financial obligations, bankers’ acceptance financing and receivables financings;
(3) the net costs associated with Hedging Obligations;
(4) amortization of debt issuance costs, debt discount or premium and other financing fees and expenses (other than the write-off of deferred debt issuance costs resulting from the initial offering of the Notes);
(5) the interest portion of any deferred payment obligations;
(6) all other non-cash interest expense;
(7) capitalized interest;
(8) the product of (x) all dividend payments on any series of Disqualified Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary (other than any such Disqualified Equity Interests or any Preferred Stock held by the Issuer or a Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary or to the extent paid in Qualified Equity Interests), multiplied by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is one minus the then current combined federal, state and local statutory tax rate of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries, expressed as a decimal;
(9) all interest payable with respect to discontinued operations; and
(10) all interest on any Indebtedness of any other Person guaranteed by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary.
-10-
Consolidated Interest Expense shall be calculated after giving effect to Hedging Obligations (including associated costs) described in clause (1) of the definition of “Hedging Obligations,” but excluding unrealized gains and losses with respect to Hedging Obligations.
“Consolidated Net Income” for any period means the net income (or loss) of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided, however, that there shall be excluded from such net income (to the extent otherwise included therein), without duplication:
(1) the net income (or loss) of any Person (other than a Restricted Subsidiary) in which any Person other than the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries has an ownership interest, except to the extent that cash in an amount equal to any such income has actually been received by the Issuer or any of its Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries during such period;
(2) except to the extent includible in the consolidated net income of the Issuer pursuant to the foregoing clause (1), the net income (or loss) of any Person that accrued prior to the date that (i) such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is merged into or consolidated with the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) the assets of such Person are acquired by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(3) the net income of any Restricted Subsidiary during such period to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Restricted Subsidiary of that income is not permitted by operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Subsidiary during such period, except that the Issuer’s equity in a net loss of any such Restricted Subsidiary for such period shall be included in determining Consolidated Net Income;
(4) for the purposes of calculating the Restricted Payments Basket only, in the case of a successor to the Issuer by consolidation, merger or transfer of its assets, any income (or loss) of the successor prior to such merger, consolidation or transfer of assets;
(5) other than for purposes of calculating the Restricted Payments Basket, any gain (or loss), together with any related provisions for taxes on any such gain (or the tax effect of any such loss), realized during such period by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary upon (i) the acquisition of any securities, or the extinguishment of any Indebtedness, of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) any Asset Sale by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(6) any gains and losses due solely to fluctuations in currency values and the related tax effects according to GAAP;
(7) any unrealized gains and losses with respect to Hedging Obligations;
(8) any extraordinary, unusual or nonrecurring gain, charges and losses (including all restructuring costs, facilities relocation costs, acquisition integration costs and fees, including cash severance payments made in connection with acquisitions, and any expense or charge related to the repurchase of Equity Interests or warrants or options to purchase Equity Interests), and the related tax effects according to GAAP;
-11-
(9) any acquisition-related expenses expensed in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 141(R) promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“SFAS 141(R)”) and any gains or losses on any earn-out payments, contingent consideration or deferred purchase price in conjunction with any Asset Acquisition determined in accordance with SFAS 141(R);
(10) any impairment charge or asset write-off, in each case pursuant to GAAP, and the amortization of intangibles arising pursuant to GAAP;
(11) any non-cash compensation charges and deferred compensation charges, including any arising from existing stock options resulting from any merger or recapitalization transaction; provided, however, that Consolidated Net Income for any period shall be reduced by any cash payments made during such period by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with any such deferred compensation, whether or not such reduction is in accordance with GAAP; and
(12) inventory purchase accounting adjustments and amortization and impairment charges resulting from other purchase accounting adjustments in connection with acquisition transactions.
In addition, any return of capital with respect to an Investment that increased the Restricted Payments Basket pursuant to Section 4.08(a)(3)(v) or decreased the amount of Investments outstanding pursuant to clause (14) of the definition of “Permitted Investments” shall be excluded from Consolidated Net Income for purposes of calculating the Restricted Payments Basket.
“Consolidated Secured Debt” means all Secured Indebtedness, without duplication, that is Indebtedness of a type described in clause (1), (2), (3), (4)(i), (5), (6), (7), (8) or (9) of the definition thereof, in each case of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and treating (i) any commitment to provide any Indebtedness under a revolving credit facility as though such commitment were fully drawn and (ii) all Permitted Indebtedness incurred or to be incurred under clause (1) of the definition thereof as Secured Indebtedness regardless of whether such Indebtedness is secured by a Lien or not.
“Consolidated Secured Leverage Ratio” means the ratio of (x) Consolidated Secured Debt as of the date of the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Secured Leverage Ratio (the “Secured Transaction Date”) to (y) Consolidated Cash Flow for the Four-Quarter Period ending on or prior to the Secured Transaction Date; provided, however that “Consolidated Cash Flow” shall be calculated in the manner contemplated by, and subject to the adjustments provided in, the definition of the term “Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio.”
“Consolidated Total Assets” means, at any time of determination, the consolidated total assets of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP as of the most recent date for which financial statements of the Issuer are then available.
-12-
“Corporate Trust Office” means the corporate trust office of the Trustee located at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, or such other office, designated by the Trustee by written notice to the Issuer, at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered.
“Credit Agreement” means that certain new Credit Agreement, dated as of June 18, 2015, among, inter alios, the Issuer, the lenders party thereto, the letter of credit issuers party thereto, Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Bank USA, as the B Term Loan Administrative Agent, General Electric Capital Corporation, as the Pro Rata Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent, General Electric Capital Corporation, as Syndication Agent, and Citizens Bank, N.A. and DNB Bank ASA, New York Branch, as Co-Documentation Agents, including any notes, guarantees, collateral and security documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith (including Hedging Obligations related to the Indebtedness incurred thereunder), and in each case as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time before, on or after the Issue Date, including one or more agreements extending the maturity of, refinancing, refunding, replacing or otherwise restructuring (including increasing the amount of borrowings or other Indebtedness outstanding or available to be borrowed thereunder) all or any portion of the Indebtedness under such agreement or agreements, and any successor or replacement agreement or agreements with the same or any other agent or agents, creditor, lender or group of creditors or lenders.
“Credit Facilities” means, with respect to the Issuer or any Subsidiary, one or more debt facilities (including any Credit Agreement) or commercial paper facilities with banks or institutional or other similar lenders providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to such lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from such lenders against such receivables), letters of credit or other similar debt financing arrangements, in each case, as amended, restated, supplemented, modified, extended, renewed, refunded, replaced, refinanced or otherwise restructured (including any increase in the amount of borrowings or other Indebtedness outstanding or available to be borrowed thereunder) in whole or in part from time to time.
“Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
“Default” means (1) any Event of Default or (2) any event, act or condition that, after notice or the passage of time or both, would be an Event of Default.
“Depository” means The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, or a successor thereto that is a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act or other applicable statute or regulation.
“Designated Senior Debt” means (1) Senior Debt under or in respect of any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement), and (2) any other Indebtedness constituting Senior Debt which, in the case of clause (2), at the time of determination, (x) has an aggregate principal amount of at least $25.0 million and (y) is specifically designated in the instrument evidencing such Senior Debt as “Designated Senior Debt” for purposes of this Indenture.
-13-
“Disqualified Equity Interests” of any Person means any class of Equity Interests of such Person that, by its terms, or by the terms of any related agreement or of any security into which it is convertible, puttable or exchangeable, is, or upon the happening of any event or the passage of time would be, required to be redeemed by such Person, whether or not at the option of the holder thereof (but excluding redemption at the option of such Person), or matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date which is ninety-one (91) days after the Maturity Date; provided, however, that any class of Equity Interests of such Person that, by its terms, authorizes such Person to satisfy in full its obligations with respect to the payment of dividends or upon maturity, redemption (pursuant to a sinking fund or otherwise) or repurchase thereof or otherwise by the delivery of Equity Interests that are not Disqualified Equity Interests (other than the payment of cash in lieu of delivery of fractional shares of Equity Interests), and that is not convertible, puttable or exchangeable for Disqualified Equity Interests or Indebtedness, will not be deemed to be Disqualified Equity Interests so long as such Person satisfies its obligations with respect thereto solely by the delivery of Equity Interests that are not Disqualified Equity Interests (other than the payment of cash in lieu of delivery of fractional shares of Equity Interests); provided further, however, that any Equity Interests that would not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests but for provisions thereof giving holders thereof (or the holders of any security into or for which such Equity Interests is convertible, exchangeable or exercisable) the right to require the Issuer to redeem such Equity Interests upon the occurrence of a change of control or an asset disposition occurring prior to the Maturity Date shall not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests if the change in control or asset disposition provisions applicable to such Equity Interests are no more favorable to such holders than the provisions set forth in Section 4.06 and Section 4.10, respectively, and such Equity Interests specifically provide that the Issuer will not redeem any such Equity Interests pursuant to such provisions prior to the Issuer’s purchase of the Notes as required pursuant to the provisions set forth in Section 4.06 and Section 4.10, respectively; provided further, however, in no event shall the Series B Preferred Stock on the terms thereof existing on the Issue Date (or any other Preferred Stock issued by the Issuer on substantially similar terms with regard to the foregoing matters in this definition) be deemed to be Disqualified Equity Interests.
“Dollars” and “$” mean the currency of the United States of America.
“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Issuer that is not a Foreign Subsidiary.
“Equity Interests” of any Person means (1) any and all shares or other equity interests (including common stock, preferred stock, limited liability company interests and partnership interests) in such Person and (2) all rights to purchase, warrants or options (whether or not currently exercisable), participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) such shares or other interests in such Person; provided, however, that no Indebtedness under the 2007 Convertible Notes or any other Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Subsidiary of the Issuer that is convertible into Equity Interests of such Person shall be deemed to be Equity Interests of such Person prior to conversion thereof into such Equity Interests.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
-14-
“Existing Senior Subordinated Notes” means, collectively, the 2010 Senior Subordinated Notes and the 2013 Senior Subordinated Notes.
“Existing Senior Subordinated Notes Indentures” means, collectively, the 2010 Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture and the 2013 Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture.
“Fair Market Value” means, with respect to any asset, the price (after taking into account any liabilities relating to such assets) that would be negotiated in an arm’s-length transaction for cash between a willing seller and a willing and able buyer, neither of which is under any compulsion to complete the transaction, as such price is determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Issuer or a duly authorized committee thereof, as evidenced by a resolution of such Board of Directors or committee.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of such Person that is not organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia, or any territory thereof and any Subsidiary of such Foreign Subsidiary (whether or not such Subsidiary of such Foreign Subsidiary is organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia, or any territory thereof).
“Four-Quarter Period” means the most recent four consecutive full fiscal quarters of the Issuer for which financial statements are available.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession of the United States, as in effect on May 12, 2009.
“guarantee” means a direct or indirect guarantee by any Person of any Indebtedness of any other Person and includes any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of such Person: (1) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) Indebtedness of such other Person (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreements to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services (unless such purchase arrangements are on arm’s-length terms and are entered into in the ordinary course of business), to take-or-pay, or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise); or (2) entered into for purposes of assuring in any other manner the obligee of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), and “guarantee,” when used as a verb, and “guaranteed” have correlative meanings.
“Guarantee” means the senior subordinated guarantee by each of the Guarantors of the Issuer’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes as provided in Article Eleven.
“Guarantor Senior Debt” means, with respect to any Guarantor, the principal of, premium, if any, and interest (including any interest accruing subsequent to the filing of a petition of bankruptcy at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, whether or not such interest is an allowed claim under applicable law) on any Indebtedness of such Guarantor, whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter created, incurred or assumed, unless, in the case of any particular Indebtedness, the instrument creating or evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding expressly provides that such Indebtedness shall not be senior in right of payment to the Guarantees and the Notes.
-15-
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, “Guarantor Senior Debt” shall also include the principal of, premium, if any, and interest (including any interest accruing subsequent to the filing of a petition of bankruptcy at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, whether or not such interest is an allowed claim under applicable law) on, and all other amounts owing in respect of:
(1) all obligations of every nature of such Guarantor under, or with respect to, any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement), including obligations to pay principal and interest, reimbursement obligations under letters of credit, fees, expenses and indemnities (and guarantees thereof), and including all obligations of each Guarantor under guarantees under or with respect to any of the foregoing or otherwise under or with respect to any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement);
(2) all obligations of every nature of such Guarantor under or with respect to any Hedging Obligations in respect of any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) (and guarantees thereof); and
(3) all obligations of every nature of such Guarantor under, or with respect to, its guarantee of the Issuer’s obligations under, or with respect to, the Senior Notes;
in each case whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter incurred.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Guarantor Senior Debt” shall not include:
(1) any Indebtedness of such Guarantor to the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries;
(2) Indebtedness to, or guaranteed on behalf of, any director, officer or employee of the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries (including amounts owed for compensation);
(3) obligations to trade creditors and other amounts incurred (but not under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement)) in connection with obtaining goods, materials or services;
(4) Indebtedness represented by Disqualified Equity Interests;
(5) any liability for taxes owed or owing by such Guarantor;
(6) that portion of any Indebtedness incurred in violation of this Indenture (but, as to any such obligation, no such violation shall be deemed to exist for purposes of this clause (6) if the holder(s) of such obligation or their representative shall have received an Officers’ Certificate (or representation or warranty) of such Guarantor (any such Officers’ Certificate, notwithstanding the definition of such term, to be executed by analogous officers of the Guarantor rather than the Issuer) to the effect that the incurrence of such Indebtedness does not (or, in the case of revolving credit indebtedness, the incurrence of the entire committed amount thereof at the date on which the initial borrowing thereunder is made would not) violate the provisions of this Indenture);
-16-
(7) Indebtedness which, when incurred and without respect to any election under Section 1111(b) of Xxxxx 00, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Code, is without recourse to such Guarantor;
(8) Indebtedness under or evidenced by such Guarantor’s guarantee of the Issuer’s obligations under, or with respect to, the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes, and any Indebtedness that expressly provides that it ranks pari passu in right of payment with any such guarantee Indebtedness; and
(9) any Indebtedness (including any Pari Passu Indebtedness or Subordinated Indebtedness) which is, by its express terms, subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of such Guarantor.
“Guarantors” means (1) each party named as such on the signature page of this Indenture, which (subject to the proviso below), collectively, consist of each Domestic Subsidiary on the Issue Date that guarantees any Indebtedness or other Obligation under any Credit Agreement, and (2) each other Person that is required to, or at the election of the Issuer does, become a Guarantor by the terms of this Indenture after the Issue Date, in each case, until such Person is released from its Guarantee in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; provided, however, in each case, that in no event shall SPDH, Inc. be a Guarantor unless the Issuer so elects by notice to the Trustee delivered in accordance with this Indenture (in which case such Subsidiary shall become a Guarantor as provided in Section 4.13).
“Hedging Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person pursuant to (1) any interest rate swap agreement, interest rate collar agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement designed to alter the risks to that Person arising from fluctuations in interest rates, (2) agreements or arrangements designed to alter the risks to that Person arising from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates in the conduct of its operations, or (3) any forward contract, commodity swap agreement, commodity option agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in commodity prices, in each case entered into in the ordinary course of business for bona fide hedging purposes and not for the purpose of speculation.
“Holder” means any registered holder, from time to time, of the Notes.
“incur” means, with respect to any Indebtedness or Obligation, incur, create, issue, assume, guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable, contingently or otherwise, with respect to such Indebtedness or Obligation; provided, however, that (1) the Indebtedness of a Person existing at the time such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary shall be deemed to have been incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary at such time and (2) neither the accrual of interest nor the accretion of original issue discount shall be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness.
-17-
“Indebtedness” of any Person at any date means, without duplication:
(1) all liabilities, contingent or otherwise, of such Person for borrowed money (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such Person or only to a portion thereof);
(2) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments;
(3) all reimbursement obligations of such Person in respect of letters of credit, letters of guaranty, bankers’ acceptances and similar credit transactions;
(4) (i) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred and unpaid purchase price of property or services, and (ii) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to the assets purchased by such Person; provided, however, that in no event shall the following constitute “Indebtedness” under this Indenture: (x) trade payables and other accrued liabilities incurred by such Person in the ordinary course of business and (y) customary adjustments of purchase price, contingent payments, earnout payments or similar obligations of such Person arising under any of the documents pertaining to any acquisition of any Person or assets or Equity Interests of any Person or any sale, transfer or other disposition of assets to any Person, in each case in this clause (y) to the extent not yet determined, due and payable;
(5) the maximum fixed involuntary redemption or repurchase price of all Disqualified Equity Interests of such Person;
(6) all Capitalized Lease Obligations of such Person;
(7) all Indebtedness of others secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by such Person;
(8) all Indebtedness of others guaranteed by such Person to the extent of such guarantee; provided, however, that Indebtedness of the Issuer or its Subsidiaries that is guaranteed by the Issuer or the Issuer’s Subsidiaries shall only be counted once in the calculation of the amount of Indebtedness of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis;
(9) all Attributable Indebtedness; and
(10) to the extent not otherwise included in this definition, Hedging Obligations of such Person, determined as the net amount of all payments that would be required to be made in respect thereof in the event of a termination (including an early termination) on the date of determination.
The amount of any Indebtedness which is incurred at a discount to the principal amount at maturity thereof as of any date shall be deemed to have been incurred at the accreted value thereof as of such date. The amount of Indebtedness of any Person at any date shall be the outstanding balance at such date of all unconditional obligations as described above, the maximum liability of such Person for any such contingent obligations at such date and, in the
-18-
case of clause (7), the lesser of (a) the Fair Market Value of any asset subject to a Lien securing the Indebtedness of others on the date that the Lien attaches and (b) the amount of the Indebtedness secured. For purposes of clause (5), the “maximum fixed involuntary redemption or repurchase price” of any Disqualified Equity Interests that do not have a fixed involuntary redemption or repurchase price shall be calculated in accordance with the terms of such Disqualified Equity Interests as if such Disqualified Equity Interests were redeemed or repurchased on any date on which an amount of Indebtedness outstanding shall be required to be determined pursuant to this Indenture.
“Independent Director” means a director of the Issuer who:
(1) is independent with respect to the transaction at issue;
(2) does not have any material financial interest in the Issuer or any of its Affiliates (other than as a result of holding securities of the Issuer); and
(3) has not and whose Affiliates or affiliated firm has not, at any time during the twelve months prior to the taking of any action hereunder, directly or indirectly, received, or entered into any understanding or agreement to receive, any compensation, payment or other benefit, of any type or form, from the Issuer or any of its Affiliates, other than customary directors’ fees for serving on the Board of Directors of the Issuer or any Affiliate and reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses for attendance at the Issuer’s or Affiliate’s board and board committee meetings.
“Independent Financial Advisor” means an accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm of recognized standing that is, in the reasonable judgment of the Issuer’s Board of Directors, qualified to perform the task for which it has been engaged and disinterested and independent with respect to the Issuer and its Affiliates.
“Institutional Accredited Investor” or “IAI” means an “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act.
“interest” means, with respect to the Notes, interest on the Notes.
“Interest Payment Date” means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on the Notes.
“Investments” of any Person means:
(1) all direct or indirect investments by such Person in any other Person in the form of loans, advances or capital contributions or other credit extensions constituting Indebtedness of such other Person, and any guarantee of Indebtedness of any other Person;
(2) all purchases (or other acquisitions for consideration) by such Person of Indebtedness, Equity Interests or other securities of any other Person (other than any such purchase that constitutes a Restricted Payment of the type described in clause (2) of the definition thereof);
-19-
(3) all other items that would be classified as investments (including purchases of assets outside the ordinary course of business) on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP; and
(4) the Designation after the Issue Date of any Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
Except as otherwise expressly specified in this definition, the amount of any Investment (other than an Investment made in cash) shall be the Fair Market Value thereof on the date such Investment is made. The amount of any Investment pursuant to clause (4) shall be the Designation Amount determined in accordance with Section 4.16. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither (a) purchases or redemptions of Equity Interests of the Issuer nor (b) acquisitions of assets by any Person shall be deemed to be Investments.
“Issue Date” means the date on which the Initial Notes are originally issued.
“Issuer” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.
“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, deed of trust, lien (statutory or other), pledge, lease, easement, restriction, charge, security interest or other similar encumbrance of any kind or nature in respect of such asset, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law, including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, and any lease in the nature thereof.
“Major Foreign Exchange” means an exchange which is the primary non-U.S. trading location for one or more stocks included in the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Capital International Europe, Australasia and Far East Index (or if such index does not exist a comparable then existing index).
“Maturity Date” means July 1, 2023.
“Moody’s” means Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc., and its successors.
“Net Available Proceeds” means, with respect to any Asset Sale, the proceeds thereof in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents, net of:
(1) brokerage commissions and other fees and expenses (including fees and expenses of legal counsel, accountants and investment banks) incurred in connection with such Asset Sale;
(2) provisions for taxes payable as a result of such Asset Sale (after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions and any tax sharing arrangements);
(3) amounts required to be paid to any Person (other than the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary) owning a beneficial interest in the assets subject to the Asset Sale or having a Lien thereon;
-20-
(4) payments of unassumed liabilities (not constituting Indebtedness) relating to the assets sold at the time of, or within one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of, such Asset Sale; and
(5) appropriate amounts to be provided by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, as a reserve required in accordance with GAAP against any adjustment in the sale price of such asset or assets or liabilities associated with such Asset Sale and retained by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, after such Asset Sale, including pensions and other post-employment benefit liabilities, liabilities related to environmental matters and liabilities under any indemnification obligations associated with such Asset Sale, all as reflected in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee; provided, however, that any amounts remaining after adjustments, revaluations or liquidations of such reserves shall constitute Net Available Proceeds.
“Non-Recourse Debt” means Indebtedness of an Unrestricted Subsidiary:
(1) as to which neither the Issuer nor any Restricted Subsidiary (i) provides credit support of any kind (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument that would constitute Indebtedness), (ii) is directly or indirectly liable as a guarantor or otherwise, or (iii) constitutes the lender; provided, however, that (x) Indebtedness of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as to which the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary provides any such credit support or is so liable as a guarantor or otherwise shall not constitute “Non-Recourse Debt” to the extent that the aggregate obligations of such Unrestricted Subsidiary under any such support or guarantee arrangements, taken together with all such obligations of all other Unrestricted Subsidiaries, do not exceed $25.0 million in the aggregate, and (y) an intercompany loan from the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be deemed Non- Recourse Debt if such loan at the time such Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary or if made later, at the time such intercompany loan is made, was permitted under and made in compliance with Section 4.08; and
(2) no default with respect to which (including any rights that the holders thereof may have to take enforcement action against an Unrestricted Subsidiary) would permit upon notice, lapse of time or both any holder or holders of any other Indebtedness (other than the Notes) of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in an aggregate principal amount of $50.0 million or more to declare a default on the other Indebtedness or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its stated maturity.
“Non-U.S. Person” means a person other than a U.S. Person (as such term is defined in Regulation S).
“Notes” means, collectively, the Issuer’s 6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023 issued in accordance with Section 2.02 (whether issued on the Issue Date, issued as Additional Notes or otherwise issued after the Issue Date) treated as a single class of securities under this Indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.
-21-
“Obligation” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnification, reimbursements, costs, expenses, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
“Offering Memorandum” means the offering memorandum, dated June 11, 2015, under which the Initial Notes are being offered.
“Officer” means any of the following of the Issuer: the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary.
“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may (but need not) be an employee of, or counsel to, the Issuer, a Guarantor or the Trustee.
“Pari Passu Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Guarantor that ranks pari passu in right of payment with the Notes or the Guarantees, as applicable, including (i) the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes and the Guarantors’ related guarantees thereof and any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Guarantor that expressly provides that it ranks pari passu in right of payment with any of the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes or such guarantees, as the case may be, and (ii) the 2007 Convertible Notes and any Indebtedness of the Issuer that expressly provides that it ranks pari passu in right of payment with the 2007 Convertible Notes.
“Permitted Business” means the businesses engaged in by the Issuer and its Subsidiaries on the Issue Date as described in the Offering Memorandum, businesses that are otherwise within the healthcare, life sciences or diagnostic industries and businesses that are reasonably similar, ancillary or related to, or that are a reasonable extension, development or expansion of, any of the foregoing.
“Permitted Investments” means:
(1) Investments by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (i) in any Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) including the purchase price paid for and reasonable transaction costs related thereto, in any Person that is or will become immediately after or substantially concurrent with such Investment a Restricted Subsidiary or that will merge or consolidate into the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary (including the exercise or performance of any rights or obligations to acquire any equity or ownership interest in any joint venture under the terms of the agreements governing such joint venture);
(2) Investments in the Issuer by any Restricted Subsidiary;
(3) loans and advances to directors, employees and officers of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries (i) for bona fide business purposes and (ii) to purchase Equity Interests of the Issuer not in excess of $5.0 million at any one time outstanding, in each case, in addition to any such loans outstanding on the Issue Date;
-22-
(4) Hedging Obligations incurred pursuant to Section 4.07(b)(4);
(5) cash and Cash Equivalents;
(6) receivables owing to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary and payable or dischargeable in accordance with customary trade terms; provided, however, that such trade terms may include such concessionary trade terms as the Issuer or any such Restricted Subsidiary deems reasonable under the circumstances;
(7) Investments in securities of trade creditors or customers received pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of such trade creditors or customers;
(8) Investments made by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from an Asset Sale that was made in compliance with Section 4.10;
(9) lease, utility and other similar deposits in the ordinary course of business;
(10) Investments made by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary for consideration consisting only of Qualified Equity Interests of the Issuer;
(11) stock, obligations or securities received in settlement of debts created in the ordinary course of business and owing to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or in satisfaction of judgments;
(12) Investments existing on the Issue Date;
(13) acquisitions (including the purchase price paid for and reasonable transaction costs related thereto) by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of (i) Equity Interests of another Person engaged in the Permitted Business and who will thereafter become a Restricted Subsidiary (including the exercise or performance of any rights or obligations to acquire any equity or ownership interest in any joint venture under the terms of the agreements governing such joint venture), (ii) all or a substantial portion of the assets of a Person engaged in or of a line of business, in each case, within the Permitted Business, or (iii) any other assets within the Permitted Business; and
(14) other Investments having an aggregate Fair Market Value at any one time outstanding not to exceed the greater of (x) $200.0 million and (y) 3.0% of Consolidated Total Assets (with the Fair Market Value of each Investment being determined as of the date made and without regard to subsequent changes in value) (it being understood that any Investment permitted under this clause (14) shall remain so permitted notwithstanding any decrease in Consolidated Total Assets). (For avoidance of doubt, in determining the amount of any Investments made and outstanding under this clause (14) in any joint venture in connection with any contribution, transfer or other disposition of assets by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to such joint venture, the aggregate amount of cash and Cash Equivalents received by the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries in consideration for such contribution, transfer or disposition shall be netted against the Fair Market Value of the assets so contributed, transferred or disposed of.)
-23-
The amount of Investments outstanding at any time pursuant to clause (14) above shall be deemed to be reduced:
(a) upon the disposition or repayment of or return on any Investment made pursuant to clause (14) above, by an amount equal to the return of capital with respect to such Investment to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (to the extent not included in the computation of Consolidated Net Income), less the cost of the disposition of such Investment and net of taxes; and
(b) upon a Redesignation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, by an amount equal to the lesser of (x) the Fair Market Value of the Issuer’s proportionate interest in such Subsidiary immediately following such Redesignation, and (y) the aggregate amount of Investments in such Subsidiary that increased (and did not previously decrease) the amount of Investments outstanding pursuant to clause (14) above.
“Permitted Junior Securities” means:
(1) Equity Interests in the Issuer or any Guarantor; and
(2) debt securities,
in the case of each of clauses (1) and (2), provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment and that are subordinated to (a) all Senior Debt and Guarantor Senior Debt and (b) any securities issued in exchange for Senior Debt, in each case, to substantially the same extent as, or to a greater extent than, the Notes and the Guarantees are subordinated to Senior Debt and Guarantor Senior Debt under this Indenture.
“Permitted Liens” means the following types of Liens:
(1) Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or claims either (i) not delinquent or payable without penalty or (ii) contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to which the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiaries shall have set aside on its books such reserves as may be required pursuant to GAAP;
(2) statutory, contractual or common law Liens of landlords and mortgagees of landlords and Liens of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics, suppliers, materialmen, repairmen or workmen and other Liens imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business for sums not yet delinquent or being contested in good faith, if such reserve or other appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required by GAAP shall have been made in respect thereof;
(3) Liens arising or pledges or deposits made in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, social security or other types of government insurance benefits, or made in lieu of, or to secure the performance of tenders, statutory obligations, surety, customs, reclamation, performance or appeal bonds, bids, leases, government, sales or other trade contracts, performance and return-of-money bonds and other similar obligations (exclusive of obligations for the payment of borrowed money);
-24-
(4) Liens upon specific items of inventory, equipment or other goods and proceeds of any Person securing such Person’s obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances issued or created for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods;
(5) attachment or judgment Liens not giving rise to a Default so long as any appropriate legal proceedings which may have been duly initiated for the review of such judgment have not been finally terminated or the period within which the proceedings may be initiated has not expired, and pledges or cash deposits made in lieu of, or to secure the performance of, judgment or appeal bonds in connection with the foregoing;
(6) easements, rights-of-way, zoning restrictions and other similar charges, restrictions, licenses, reservations, covenants, encroachments or other similar encumbrances in respect of real property or immaterial imperfections of title which are customary or do not, in the aggregate, impair in any material respect the ordinary conduct of the business of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(7) (i) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to commercial letters of credit which encumber documents, goods covered thereby, and other assets relating to such letters of credit and products and proceeds thereof and (ii) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to commercial letters of credit, letters of credit issued to landlords and other letters of credit issued, in each case in the ordinary course of business in an aggregate face amount not exceeding $26.25 million at any time;
(8) Liens encumbering deposits made to secure obligations arising from statutory, regulatory, contractual or warranty requirements of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, including rights of offset and setoff;
(9) bankers’ Liens, rights of setoff and other similar Liens existing solely with respect to cash and Cash Equivalents on deposit in one or more of accounts maintained by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, in each case granted in the ordinary course of business in favor of the bank or banks with which such accounts are maintained, securing amounts owing to such bank with respect to cash management and operating account arrangements, including those involving pooled accounts and netting arrangements (including any Liens securing Permitted Indebtedness incurred in reliance on Section 4.07(b)(8)); provided, however, that in no case shall any such Liens secure (either directly or indirectly) the repayment of any Indebtedness (except such Permitted Indebtedness expressly referenced above);
(10) leases or subleases (or any Liens on the property related thereto) granted to others that do not materially interfere with the ordinary course of business of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(11) licenses and sublicenses of intellectual property granted to third parties in the ordinary course of business;
-25-
(12) Liens arising from filing Uniform Commercial Code financing statements regarding leases or other transactions that are not secured transactions;
(13) Liens securing all of the Notes and the Guarantees;
(14) (i) Liens securing Senior Debt or Guarantor Senior Debt (including, in each case, Indebtedness under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement, including with respect to letters of credit or bankers’ acceptances issued thereunder)); and (ii) Liens securing Hedging Obligations permitted by Section 4.07(b)(4)(i) with respect to Indebtedness under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement), which Liens in this clause (ii) extend only to assets securing such Indebtedness under such Credit Facility or Credit Agreement;
(15) Liens securing Indebtedness of any Domestic Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor (other than Indebtedness that is Subordinated Indebtedness or that ranks pari passu in right of payment with the Notes or any Guarantee), provided that such Liens do not extend to the assets of a Person who is not liable for such Indebtedness, whether as a borrower, a guarantor or otherwise;
(16) Liens securing Indebtedness of Foreign Subsidiaries that relate solely to the Equity Interests or assets of Foreign Subsidiaries;
(17) Liens existing on the Issue Date securing Indebtedness outstanding on the Issue Date;
(18) Liens in favor of the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary;
(19) Liens securing Purchase Money Indebtedness;
(20) Liens securing Acquired Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under this Indenture; provided, however, that the Liens do not extend to assets not subject to such Lien at the time of acquisition (other than improvements thereon) and are no more favorable to the lienholders than those securing such Acquired Indebtedness prior to the incurrence of such Acquired Indebtedness by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary;
(21) Liens on assets of a Person existing at the time such Person is acquired or merged with or into or consolidated with the Issuer or any such Restricted Subsidiary (and not created in anticipation or contemplation thereof);
(22) Liens to secure Refinancing Indebtedness of Indebtedness secured by Liens referred to in the foregoing clauses (17), (20) and (21) and this clause (22); provided, however, that in each case such Liens do not extend to any additional assets (other than improvements thereon and replacements thereof);
(23) Liens to secure Attributable Indebtedness or that are incurred pursuant to a Sale and Leaseback Transaction that complies with Section 4.18; provided, however, that any such Lien shall not extend to or cover any assets of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary other than the assets which are the subject of the Sale and Leaseback Transaction in which the Attributable Indebtedness is incurred;
-26-
(24) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods;
(25) Liens securing Permitted Indebtedness incurred in reliance on Section 4.07(b)(16); provided, however, that this clause (25) shall not permit Liens on the assets of any Domestic Subsidiary to secure Indebtedness of any Foreign Subsidiary; and
(26) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary with respect to obligations (other than Indebtedness) that do not in the aggregate exceed $35.0 million at any one time outstanding.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or other agency or political subdivision thereof or other entity of any kind.
“P&G JV Agreements” means the various joint venture, limited liability company, asset transfer and contribution agreements dated on or about May 17, 2007 among the Issuer and certain of its Subsidiaries and Procter & Xxxxxx RHD, Inc., Procter & Xxxxxx International Operations, SA and certain of their Affiliates, and the other agreements, instruments and documents executed or delivered in connection therewith on or after such date.
“P&G JV Companies” means US CD LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, a company organized under the laws of Switzerland, and any subsidiaries of either of them.
“Plan of Liquidation” with respect to any Person, means a plan that provides for, contemplates or the effectuation of which is preceded or accompanied by (whether or not substantially contemporaneously, in phases or otherwise): (1) the sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of such Person otherwise than as an entirety or substantially as an entirety; and (2) the distribution of all or substantially all of the proceeds of such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the remaining assets of such Person to holders of Equity Interests of such Person.
“Preferred Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all preferred or preference stock or other equity interests (however designated) of such Person whether outstanding on the Issue Date or issued thereafter.
“principal” of a Note means the principal of the Note plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on the Note.
“Private Placement Legend” means the legends initially set forth on the Notes in the form set forth in Exhibit B.
“Purchase Money Indebtedness” means Indebtedness, including Capitalized Lease Obligations, of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price of property, plant or equipment used in the business of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or the cost of installation, construction or improvement
-27-
thereof; provided, however, that (1) the amount of such Indebtedness shall not exceed such purchase price or cost, (2) such Indebtedness shall not be secured by any asset other than the specified asset being financed or, in the case of real property or fixtures, including additions and improvements, the real property to which such asset is attached and (3) such Indebtedness shall be incurred within one hundred eighty (180) days before or after such acquisition of such asset by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary or such installation, construction or improvement.
“Qualified Equity Interests” means Equity Interests of the Issuer other than Disqualified Equity Interests.
“Qualified Equity Offering” means the issuance and sale of Qualified Equity Interests of the Issuer.
“Qualified Institutional Buyer” or “QIB” shall have the meaning specified in Rule 144A.
“Record Date” means the applicable Record Date specified in the Notes; provided, however, that if any such date is not a Business Day, the Record Date shall be the first (1st) day immediately succeeding such specified day that is a Business Day.
“redeem” means to redeem, repurchase, purchase, defease, discharge or otherwise acquire or retire for value, and “redemption” has a correlative meaning; provided, however, that this definition shall not apply for purposes of Section 5, Section 6 or Section 7 of the Notes, Article Three or Section 4.06(i).
“Redemption Date,” when used with respect to any Note to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption pursuant to this Indenture and the Notes.
“Redemption Price,” when used with respect to any Note to be redeemed, means the price fixed for such redemption, payable in immediately available funds, pursuant to this Indenture and the Notes.
“refinance” means to refinance, repay, prepay, replace, renew or refund.
“Refinancing Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary issued in exchange for, or the proceeds from the issuance and sale or disbursement of which are used substantially concurrently to redeem or refinance in whole or in part, or constituting an amendment of, any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (the “Refinanced Indebtedness”); provided, however, that:
(1) the principal amount (or accreted value, in the case of Indebtedness issued at a discount) of the Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, as the case may be) of the Refinanced Indebtedness plus the amount of accrued and unpaid interest on the Refinanced Indebtedness, any premium paid to the holders of the Refinanced Indebtedness and reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the incurrence of the Refinancing Indebtedness;
-28-
(2) the Refinancing Indebtedness is the obligation of the same Person as that of the Refinanced Indebtedness;
(3) if the Refinanced Indebtedness was subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or the Guarantees, as the case may be, then such Refinancing Indebtedness, by its terms, is subordinate in right of payment to the Notes or the Guarantees, as the case may be, at least to the same extent as the Refinanced Indebtedness;
(4) the Refinancing Indebtedness is scheduled to mature either (i) no earlier than the Refinanced Indebtedness being repaid or amended or (ii) after the Maturity Date;
(5) the portion, if any, of the Refinancing Indebtedness that is scheduled to mature on or prior to the Maturity Date has a Weighted Average Life to Maturity at the time such Refinancing Indebtedness is incurred that is equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to Maturity of the portion of the Refinanced Indebtedness being repaid that is scheduled to mature on or prior to the Maturity Date; and
(6) the Refinancing Indebtedness is secured only to the extent, if at all, and by the assets, that the Refinanced Indebtedness being repaid or amended is secured.
“Regulation S” means Regulation S under the Securities Act.
“Regulation S Legend” means the legend initially set forth on the Regulation S Global Notes or Physical Notes representing Notes sold to Non-U.S. Persons in reliance on Regulation S in the form set forth in Exhibit B.
“Representative” means any agent or representative in respect of any Designated Senior Debt; provided, however, that if, and for so long as, any Designated Senior Debt lacks such representative, then the Representative for such Designated Senior Debt shall at all times constitute the holders of a majority in outstanding principal amount of such Designated Senior Debt.
“Responsible Officer” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer in the Corporate Trust Office or equivalent office, group or department of the Trustee to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such officer’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and shall also mean any officer who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
“Restricted Payment” means any of the following:
(1) the declaration or payment of any dividend or any other distribution on Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or any payment made to the direct or indirect holders (in their capacities as such) of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (in respect of such Equity Interests) by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, including any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Issuer, but excluding (i) dividends, distributions or payments payable or paid solely in Qualified Equity Interests (and payments of cash in lieu of delivering fractional shares in connection therewith) and (ii) in the case of Restricted Subsidiaries, dividends, distributions or payments payable or paid to the Issuer or to a Restricted Subsidiary and pro rata dividends or distributions payable to minority stockholders of any Restricted Subsidiary;
-29-
(2) the redemption of any Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, including any payment by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with any merger or consolidation involving the Issuer, but excluding (i) any such Equity Interests held by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) any redemptions to the extent payable or paid in Equity Interests of the Issuer or of an acquirer of the Issuer (and payments of cash in lieu of delivering fractional shares in connection therewith), in either case in this clause (ii) other than Disqualified Equity Interests;
(3) any Investment other than a Permitted Investment; or
(4) any redemption prior to the scheduled maturity or prior to any scheduled repayment of principal or sinking fund payment, as the case may be, in respect of Subordinated Indebtedness, but excluding (i) any redemptions to the extent payable or paid in Qualified Equity Interests (and payments of cash in lieu of delivering fractional shares in connection therewith), (ii) any redemptions of any Indebtedness the incurrence of which is permitted pursuant to Section 4.07(b)(5), or (iii) any redemption of Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary purchased in anticipation of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final maturity, in each case due within one year of such redemption.
“Restricted Security” means a Note that constitutes a “restricted security” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act; provided, however, that the Trustee shall be entitled to request and conclusively rely on an Opinion of Counsel (which shall be at the expense of the Issuer) with respect to whether any Note constitutes a Restricted Security.
“Restricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Issuer other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
“Rule 144A” means Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies, Inc., and its successors.
“Sale and Leaseback Transactions” means with respect to any Person an arrangement with any bank, insurance company or other lender or investor or to which such lender or investor is a party, providing for the leasing by such Person of any asset of such Person which has been or is being sold or transferred by such Person to such lender or investor or to any Person to whom funds have been or are to be advanced by such lender or investor on the security of such asset.
“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Secretary’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Issuer.
“Secured Indebtedness” of any Person at any date means Indebtedness of such Person that is secured by a Lien on any assets of such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
-30-
“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Senior Debt” means the principal of, premium, if any, and interest (including any interest accruing subsequent to the filing of a petition of bankruptcy at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, whether or not such interest is an allowed claim under applicable law) on any Indebtedness of the Issuer, whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter created, incurred or assumed, unless, in the case of any particular Indebtedness, the instrument creating or evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding expressly provides that such Indebtedness shall not be senior in right of payment to the Notes.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, “Senior Debt” shall also include the principal of, premium, if any, and interest (including any interest accruing subsequent to the filing of a petition of bankruptcy at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, whether or not such interest is an allowed claim under applicable law) on, and all other amounts owing in respect of:
(1) all obligations of every nature of the Issuer under, or with respect to, any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement), including obligations to pay principal and interest, reimbursement obligations under letters of credit, fees, expenses and indemnities (and guarantees thereof), and including all obligations under guarantees of the Issuer under or with respect to any of the foregoing or otherwise under or with respect to any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement);
(2) all obligations of every nature of the Issuer under, or with respect to, any Hedging Obligations in respect of any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement); and
(3) all obligations of every nature of the Issuer under, or with respect to, the Senior Notes;
in each case, whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter incurred.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Senior Debt” shall not include:
(1) any Indebtedness of the Issuer to any of its Subsidiaries;
(2) Indebtedness to, or guaranteed on behalf of, any director, officer or employee of the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries (including amounts owed for compensation);
(3) obligations to trade creditors and other amounts incurred (but not under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement)) in connection with obtaining goods, materials or services;
(4) Indebtedness represented by Disqualified Equity Interests;
(5) any liability for taxes owed or owing by the Issuer;
(6) that portion of any Indebtedness incurred in violation of this Indenture (but, as to any such obligation, no such violation shall be deemed to exist for purposes of this clause (6) if
-31-
the holder(s) of such obligation or their representative shall have received an Officers’ Certificate (or representation or warranty) of the Issuer to the effect that the incurrence of such Indebtedness does not (or, in the case of revolving credit indebtedness, the incurrence of the entire committed amount thereof at the date on which the initial borrowing thereunder is made would not) violate the provisions of this Indenture);
(7) Indebtedness which, when incurred and without respect to any election under Section 1111(b) of Xxxxx 00, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Code, is without recourse to the Issuer;
(8) Indebtedness under or evidenced by the 2007 Convertible Notes and any Indebtedness that expressly provides that it ranks pari passu in right of payment with the 2007 Convertible Notes;
(9) Indebtedness under or evidenced by the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes and any Indebtedness that expressly provides that it ranks pari passu in right of payment with any Existing Senior Subordinated Notes; and
(10) any Indebtedness (including any Pari Passu Indebtedness or Subordinated Indebtedness) which is, by its express terms, subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Issuer.
“Senior Notes” means those certain 7.250% senior notes due 2018 issued by the Issuer to certain holders thereof under the Senior Notes Indenture.
“Senior Notes Indenture” means that certain Indenture between the Issuer and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, dated as of August 11, 2009, as amended, supplemented and modified by that certain Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture among the Issuer, the guarantors named therein and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, dated as of December 11, 2012, as the foregoing has been further amended, supplemented and modified to date and may be further amended, supplemented and modified.
“Series B Preferred Stock” means the Series B Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Issuer.
“Significant Subsidiary” means (1) any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Regulation S-X promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act as such Regulation is in effect on the Issue Date and (2) any Restricted Subsidiary that, when aggregated with all other Restricted Subsidiaries that are not otherwise Significant Subsidiaries and as to which any event described under Section 6.01(6) or Section 6.01(7) has occurred and is continuing, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary under clause (1) of this definition.
“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any Indebtedness, the date on which such payment of interest or principal is scheduled to be paid in the documentation governing such Indebtedness, and shall not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.
-32-
“Subordinated Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or the Guarantees, respectively.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person:
(1) any corporation, limited liability company, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of the Equity Interests entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of the Board of Directors thereof are at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and
(2) any partnership (i) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (ii) the only general partners of which are such Person or of one or more Subsidiaries of such Person (or any combination thereof).
Unless otherwise specified, “Subsidiary” refers to a Subsidiary of the Issuer. Based on the capital structure and ownership of the P&G JV Companies as of the Issue Date, the P&G JV Companies are not Subsidiaries of the Issuer.
“Transaction Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of “Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio.”
“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder.
“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means (1) any Subsidiary that at the time of determination shall be designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary by the Board of Directors of the Issuer in accordance with Section 4.16 and (2) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary. As of the Issue Date, no Subsidiary has been designated by the Board of Directors of the Issuer as an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
“U.S. Government Obligations” means direct, non-callable obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America, and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.
“Voting Stock” with respect to any Person, means securities of any class of Equity Interests of such Person entitling the holders thereof (whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock or other relevant equity interest has voting power by reason of any contingency) to vote in the election of members of the Board of Directors of such Person.
“Weighted Average Life to Maturity” when applied to any Indebtedness at any date, means the number of years obtained by dividing (1) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payment of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof by (b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one twelfth) that will elapse between such date and the making of such payment by (2) the then outstanding principal amount of such Indebtedness.
-33-
“Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary” means a Restricted Subsidiary of which 100% of the Equity Interests (except for directors’ qualifying shares or certain minority interests owned by other Persons solely due to local law requirements that there be more than one stockholder, but which interest is not in excess of what is required for such purpose) are owned directly by the Issuer or through one or more Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries.
SECTION 1.03 Other Definitions.
TERM |
DEFINED IN SECTION | |
“Acceleration Notice” |
6.02 | |
“Additional Notes” |
2.02 | |
“Affiliate Transaction” |
4.11 | |
“Authentication Order” |
2.02 | |
“Base Indenture” |
Recitals | |
“Change of Control Offer” |
4.06 | |
“Change of Control Payment Date” |
4.06 | |
“Change of Control Purchase Price” |
4.06 | |
“Covenant Defeasance” |
8.02 | |
“Covenant Suspension Event” |
4.19 | |
“Coverage Ratio Exception” |
4.07 | |
“Designation” |
4.16 | |
“Designation Amount” |
4.16 | |
“Designated Non-Cash Consideration |
4.10 | |
“Event of Default” |
6.01 | |
“Excess Proceeds” |
4.10 | |
“Global Notes” |
2.01 | |
“Guarantee Obligations” |
11.01 | |
“IAI Global Note” |
2.01 | |
“Indenture” |
Recitals | |
“Initial Global Notes” |
2.01 | |
“Initial Notes” |
2.02 | |
“Investment Grade Rating |
4.19 | |
“Legal Defeasance” |
8.02 | |
“Net Proceeds Deficiency” |
4.10 | |
“Net Proceeds Offer” |
4.10 | |
“Net Proceeds Payment Date” |
4.10 | |
“Non-Payment Default” |
10.02 | |
“Offered Price” |
4.10 | |
“Pari Passu Indebtedness Price” |
4.10 | |
“Participants” |
2.15 | |
“Paying Agent” |
2.03 | |
“Payment Amount” |
4.10 | |
“Payment Blockage Notice” |
10.02 |
-34-
“Payment Blockage Period” |
10.02 | |
“Payment Default” |
10.02 | |
“Permitted Indebtedness” |
4.07 | |
“Physical Notes” |
2.01 | |
“Rating Agencies” |
4.19 | |
“Redesignation” |
4.16 | |
“Registrar” |
2.03 | |
“Regulation S Global Note” |
2.01 | |
“Restricted Payments Basket” |
4.08 | |
“Reversion Date” |
4.19 | |
“Successor” |
5.01 | |
“Suspended Covenants” |
4.19 | |
“Suspension Date” |
4.19 | |
“Suspension Period” |
4.19 |
SECTION 1.04 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the Trust Indenture Act, such provision is incorporated by reference in, and made a part of, this Indenture. The following Trust Indenture Act terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“indenture securities” means the Notes.
“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Issuer, any Guarantor or any other obligor on the Notes.
All other Trust Indenture Act terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the Trust Indenture Act, defined by Trust Indenture Act reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them therein.
SECTION 1.05 Rules of Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(3) “or” is not exclusive;
(4) words in the singular include the plural, and words in the plural include the singular;
(5) all references in this Indenture to “Articles,” “Sections” and other subdivisions are to the designated Articles, Sections and provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise indicated;
-35-
(6) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;
(7) “herein,” “hereof” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision; and
(8) the words “including,” “includes” and similar words shall not be limiting and shall be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.”
ARTICLE TWO
THE NOTES
Pursuant to Article Two of the Base Indenture, the provisions of this Article Two and the other provisions of this Supplemental Indenture establish the form and terms of the Notes and the Guarantees under this Supplemental Indenture.
SECTION 2.01 Form and Dating.
The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. The Issuer shall approve the form of the Notes and any notation, legend or endorsement on them. Each Note shall be dated the date of its issuance and show the date of its authentication.
The terms and provisions contained in the Notes shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and, to the extent applicable, the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.
Notes offered and sold in reliance on Rule 144A shall be issued initially in the form of a single permanent global Note in registered form, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A (the “144A Global Note”), deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depository, duly executed by the Issuer and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided and shall bear the legends set forth in Exhibit B.
Notes offered and sold in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S shall be issued initially in the form of a single permanent global Note in registered form, substantially in the form of Exhibit A (the “Regulation S Global Note”), deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depository, duly executed by the Issuer and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided and shall bear the legends set forth in Exhibit B.
The initial offer and resale of the Notes shall not be to an Institutional Accredited Investor. The Notes resold to Institutional Accredited Investors in connection with the first transfer made pursuant to Section 2.16(a) shall be issued initially in the form of a single permanent global Note in registered form, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A (the “IAI Global Note,” and, together with the 144A Global Note and the Regulation S Global Note, the “Initial Global Notes”), deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depository, duly executed by the Issuer and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided and shall bear the legends set forth in Exhibit B.
-36-
Notes issued after the Issue Date shall be issued initially in the form of one or more global Notes in registered form, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A, deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depository, duly executed by the Issuer and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided and shall bear the applicable legends set forth in Exhibit B and any legends required by applicable law (together with the Initial Global Notes, the “Global Notes”).
The aggregate principal amount of the Global Notes may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee, as custodian for the Depository, as hereinafter provided. Notes issued in exchange for interests in a Global Note pursuant to Section 2.16 may be issued in the form of permanent certificated Notes in registered form in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit A and bearing the Private Placement Legend or the Regulation S Legend, in each case if applicable, and any legends required by applicable law (the “Physical Notes”).
SECTION 2.02 Execution, Authentication and Denomination; Additional Notes.
One Officer of the Issuer (who shall have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate actions) shall sign the Notes on behalf of the Issuer by manual or facsimile signature.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Note was an Officer at the time of such execution but no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates such Note, such Note shall nevertheless be valid.
A Note shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Note. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall authenticate (i) on the Issue Date, Notes for original issue in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $425,000,000 (the “Initial Notes”), and (ii) so long as not otherwise prohibited by the terms of this Indenture, including Section 4.07, additional Notes in an unlimited principal amount (the “Additional Notes”), in each case upon a written order of the Issuer in the form of a certificate of an Officer of the Issuer (an “Authentication Order”). Each such Authentication Order shall specify the amount of Notes to be authenticated and the date on which the Notes are to be authenticated, whether the Notes are to be Initial Notes or Additional Notes and whether the Notes are to be issued as certificated Notes or Global Notes and such other information as the Trustee may reasonably request. In addition, with respect to authentication pursuant to clause (ii) of the first sentence of this paragraph, such Authentication Order from the Issuer (i) shall certify that such issuance is in compliance with Section 4.07 and is otherwise permitted by the terms of the Indenture and (ii) shall be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel of the Issuer in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee.
Notes may be issued in one or more series (with all of the Notes of any one series to be substantially identical except as to denomination), and Additional Notes may have an issue date, issue price, aggregate principal amount or first interest payment date different from those of the
-37-
Initial Notes or any other Additional Notes. Any Additional Notes that are not fungible with the Initial Notes or any other Additional Notes for United States federal income tax purposes shall constitute a separate issue and shall carry a separate “CUSIP” or “ISIN” number. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all Notes issued under this Indenture shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, including for purposes of voting with respect to consents, waivers and amendments regarding this Indenture or the Notes and redemptions of and offers to purchase the Notes. The Notes shall bear any legend required by applicable law.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent reasonably acceptable to the Issuer to authenticate Notes. Unless otherwise provided in the appointment, an authenticating agent may authenticate Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Issuer and Affiliates of the Issuer. The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Notes under this Indenture if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken or if the Trustee in good faith shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability.
The Notes shall be issuable in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
SECTION 2.03 Registrar and Paying Agent.
The Issuer shall maintain or cause to be maintained an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York where (a) Notes may be presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (“Registrar”) and (b) Notes may, subject to Section 2 of the Notes, be presented or surrendered for payment (“Paying Agent”). The Issuer may act as Registrar or Paying Agent, except that for the purposes of Articles Three and Eight and Section 4.06 and Section 4.10, neither the Issuer nor any Affiliate of the Issuer shall act as Paying Agent. The Registrar shall keep a register of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent. The Issuer hereby appoints the Trustee as the initial Registrar and Paying Agent for the Notes and the Trustee hereby agrees to so act. The Issuer will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar and Paying Agent. If at any time the Issuer shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar and Paying Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Issuer hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands and the Trustee hereby agrees to so act.
The Issuer shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Agent not a party to this Indenture, which agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such Agent.
The Issuer may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars or additional paying agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Issuer of its obligations to maintain a Registrar and Paying Agent in the place so specified above for such purposes. The Issuer will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar or additional paying agent.
-38-
Notices and demands to or upon the Issuer in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served to the Issuer at its address set forth in Section 12.02.
SECTION 2.04 Paying Agent to Hold Assets in Trust.
The Trustee as Paying Agent shall, and the Issuer shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee or the Issuer or any Subsidiary to agree in writing that it shall, subject to Article Ten and Section 11.02, hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all assets held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of, or interest on, the Notes (whether such assets have been distributed to it by the Issuer or any other obligor on the Notes), and shall notify the Trustee of any Default by the Issuer (or any other obligor on the Notes) in making any such payment. The Issuer at any time may require a Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the Trustee and account for any assets disbursed, and the Trustee may at any time during the continuance of any payment Default, upon written request to a Paying Agent, require such Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the Trustee and to account for any assets distributed. Upon distribution to the Trustee of all assets that shall have been delivered by the Issuer to the Paying Agent, the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for such assets. If the Issuer or a Subsidiary of the Issuer acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes all money held by it as Paying Agent.
SECTION 2.05 Holder Lists.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Holders of the Notes and shall otherwise comply with Trust Indenture Act § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Issuer shall furnish to the Trustee at least two (2) Business Days prior to each Interest Payment Date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Holders, which list may be conclusively relied upon by the Trustee.
SECTION 2.06 Transfer and Exchange.
Subject to Sections 2.15 and 2.16, when Notes are presented to the Registrar with a request to register the transfer of such Notes or to exchange such Notes for an equal principal amount of Notes of other authorized denominations, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange as requested if its requirements for such transaction are met; provided, however, that the Notes surrendered for transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Issuer and the Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his or her attorney duly authorized in writing. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Issuer shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Notes at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Issuer or Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Section 2.10, 3.06 or 9.06).
-39-
Without the prior written consent of the Issuer, the Registrar shall not be required to register the transfer of or exchange of any Note (i) during the period beginning at the opening of business fifteen (15) days before the mailing of a notice of redemption of Notes and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, (ii) selected for redemption in whole or in part pursuant to Article Three, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part, and (iii) beginning at the opening of business on any Record Date and ending on the close of business on the related Interest Payment Date.
Any Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note shall, by acceptance of such beneficial interest, agree that transfers of beneficial interests in such Global Notes may be effected only through a book-entry system maintained by the Depository or other Person that is the Holder of such Global Note (or its agent) in accordance with the applicable legends thereon, and that ownership of a beneficial interest in the Note shall be required to be reflected in a book-entry system.
SECTION 2.07 Replacement Notes.
If a mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or if the Holder of a Note claims that the Note has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Issuer shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver a replacement Note if the requirements of Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code are met and the Holder satisfies any other reasonable requirements of the Trustee. Such Holder shall furnish an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment of the Issuer and the Trustee to protect the Issuer, the Trustee or any Agent from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Issuer and the Trustee may charge such Holder for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in replacing a Note pursuant to this Section 2.07, including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel and of the Trustee.
Every replacement Note issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Note shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Issuer, whether or not the lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Note 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 Notes duly issued hereunder.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or wrongfully taken Note has become or is about to become due and payable, the Issuer in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Note, pay such Note.
The provisions of this Section 2.07 are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Notes.
SECTION 2.08 Outstanding Notes.
Subject to Section 2.09, the Notes outstanding at any time are all the Notes that have been authenticated by the Trustee except those cancelled by it, those paid pursuant to Section 2.07,
-40-
delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section as not outstanding. Subject to Section 2.09, a Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Issuer, the Guarantors or any of their respective Affiliates hold the Note.
If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 (other than a mutilated Note surrendered for replacement), it ceases to be outstanding unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser. A mutilated Note ceases to be outstanding upon surrender of such Note and replacement thereof pursuant to Section 2.07.
If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under Section 4.01, it ceases to be outstanding and interest ceases to accrue. If on a Redemption Date or the Maturity Date the Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Issuer or an Affiliate thereof) holds cash in Dollars or U.S. Government Obligations, or a combination thereof, in amounts sufficient to pay all of the principal and interest due on the Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such Notes cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.
SECTION 2.09 Treasury Notes.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Notes have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Notes owned by the Issuer or an Affiliate of the Issuer shall be disregarded, except that for, the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Notes that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
SECTION 2.10 Temporary Notes.
Until definitive Notes are ready for delivery, the Issuer may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be substantially in the form of definitive Notes but may have variations that the Issuer considers appropriate for temporary Notes. Without unreasonable delay, the Issuer shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate definitive Notes in exchange for temporary Notes. Until such exchange, temporary Notes shall be entitled to the same rights, benefits and privileges as definitive Notes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long as the Notes are represented by a Global Note, such Global Note may be in typewritten form.
SECTION 2.11 Cancellation.
The Issuer at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee, or at the direction of the Trustee, the Registrar or the Paying Agent (other than the Issuer or an Affiliate of the Issuer), and no one else, shall cancel and, at the written direction of the Issuer, shall dispose of all Notes surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation in accordance with its customary procedures. Certification of the destruction of all cancelled Notes shall be delivered to the Issuer upon request by the Issuer. Subject to Section 2.07, the Issuer may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation. If the Issuer or any Guarantor shall acquire any of the
-41-
Notes, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the Indebtedness represented by such Notes unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation pursuant to this Section 2.11.
SECTION 2.12 Defaulted Interest.
If the Issuer defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus (to the extent lawful) any interest payable on the defaulted interest, in any lawful manner. The Issuer may pay the defaulted interest to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date, which date shall be the fifteenth (15th) day next preceding the date fixed by the Issuer for the payment of defaulted interest or the next succeeding Business Day if such date is not a Business Day. At least fifteen (15) days before any such subsequent special record date, the Issuer (or, upon the written request of the Issuer, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Issuer) shall mail to each Holder, with a copy to the Trustee, a notice that states the subsequent special record date, the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest, and interest payable on such defaulted interest, if any, to be paid.
SECTION 2.13 CUSIP and ISIN Numbers.
The Issuer in issuing the Notes may use “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers, and if so, the Trustee shall use the “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers in notices of redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders; provided, however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers printed in the notice or on the Notes, and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes. The Issuer will promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers.
SECTION 2.14 Deposit of Moneys.
Subject to Section 2 of the Notes, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on each Interest Payment Date, Maturity Date, Redemption Date, Change of Control Payment Date and Net Proceeds Payment Date, the Issuer shall have deposited with the Paying Agent, in immediately available funds, funds in Dollars sufficient to make cash payments, if any, due on such Interest Payment Date, Maturity Date, Redemption Date, Change of Control Payment Date and Net Proceeds Payment Date, as the case may be, in a timely manner which permits the Paying Agent to remit payment to the Holders on such Interest Payment Date, Maturity Date, Redemption Date, Change of Control Payment Date and Net Proceeds Payment Date, as the case may be.
SECTION 2.15 Book-Entry Provisions for Global Notes.
(a) The Global Notes initially shall (i) be registered in the name of the Depository or the nominee of such Depository, (ii) be delivered to the Trustee as custodian for such Depository and (iii) bear legends as set forth in Exhibit B, as applicable.
Members of, or participants in, the Depository (“Participants”) shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Note held on their behalf by the Depository, or
-42-
the Trustee as its custodian, or under the Global Note, and the Depository may be treated by the Issuer, the Trustee and any agent of the Issuer or the Trustee as the absolute owner of the Global Note for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Issuer, the Trustee or any agent of the Issuer or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depository or impair, as between the Depository and Participants, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of any Note.
(b) The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes will be effected through the Depository, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture and the rules and procedures of the Depository that apply to such transfer or exchange.
(c) Transfers of Global Notes shall be limited to transfers in whole, but not in part, to the Depository, its successors or their respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in the Global Notes may be transferred or exchanged for Physical Notes in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depository and the provisions of Section 2.16. In addition, Physical Notes shall be transferred to all beneficial owners in exchange for their beneficial interests in Global Notes if (i) the Depository notifies the Issuer that it is unwilling or unable to act as Depository for any Global Note, the Issuer so notifies the Trustee in writing and a successor Depository is not appointed by the Issuer within ninety (90) days of such notice or (ii) a Default has occurred and is continuing and the Registrar has received a written request from any owner of a beneficial interest in a Global Note to issue Physical Notes. Upon any issuance of a Physical Note in accordance with this Section 2.15(c), the Trustee shall be required to register such Physical Note in the name of, and cause the same to be delivered to, such Person or Persons (or the nominee of any thereof). All such Physical Notes shall bear any legends required by applicable law.
(d) In connection with any transfer or exchange of a portion of the beneficial interest in a Global Note to beneficial owners pursuant to Section 2.15(c), the Registrar shall (if one or more Physical Notes are to be issued) reflect on its books and records the date and a decrease in the principal amount of such Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interest in the Global Note to be transferred, and the Issuer shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, one or more Physical Notes of authorized denominations in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interest in the Global Note so transferred.
(e) In connection with the transfer of a Global Note as an entirety to beneficial owners pursuant to Section 2.15(c), such Global Note shall be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and (i) the Issuer shall execute and (ii) the Trustee shall, upon written instructions from the Issuer, authenticate and deliver to each beneficial owner identified by the Depository, in exchange for its beneficial interest in such Global Note, an equal aggregate principal amount of Physical Notes of authorized denominations.
(f) Any Physical Note constituting a Restricted Security delivered in exchange for an interest in a Global Note pursuant to paragraph (c) or (d) of this Section 2.15 shall, except as otherwise provided by Section 2.16, bear the Private Placement Legend or, to the extent such Physical Note represents Notes sold to a Non-U.S. Person in reliance on Regulation S, a Regulation S Legend.
-43-
(g) The Holder of any Global Note, including the Depository, may grant proxies, appoint agents and otherwise authorize any Person, including Participants and Persons that may hold interests through Participants, to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that a Holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Notes.
(h) Except as provided in the last sentence of Section 2.08, the Issuer, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a Person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Notes represented by a Global Note as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository with respect to such Global Note, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.
SECTION 2.16 Special Transfer and Exchange Provisions.
(a) Transfers to Non-QIB Institutional Accredited Investors. The following provisions shall apply with respect to any proposed transfer of a Restricted Security to any Institutional Accredited Investor which is not a QIB:
(1) the Registrar shall register the transfer of any Restricted Security, whether or not such Note bears the Private Placement Legend, if (x) the requested transfer is after the first anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note (or until an earlier transfer if (i) such Note is transferred following the six-month anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note in accordance with this Indenture and (ii) the Issuer has at the time of such transfer filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve-month period preceding the date of transfer), provided, however, that neither the Issuer nor any Affiliate of the Issuer has held any beneficial interest in such Note, or portion thereof, at any time on or prior to the first anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note (or until an earlier transfer if (i) such Note is transferred following the six-month anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note in accordance with this Indenture and (ii) the Issuer has at the time of such transfer filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve-month period preceding the date of transfer) (it being understood that the Registrar shall have no responsibility to confirm whether the Issuer or its Affiliates so held any beneficial interest in such Note, or portion thereof, during such time), or (y) the proposed transferee has delivered to the Registrar a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto and any legal opinions and certifications as may be reasonably requested by the Trustee or the Issuer;
(2) if the proposed transferee is a Participant and the Notes to be transferred consist of Physical Notes which after transfer are to be evidenced by an interest in the IAI Global Note, upon receipt by the Registrar of the Physical Note and (x) written instructions given in accordance with the Depository’s and the Registrar’s procedures and (y) the certificate, if required, referred to in clause (y) of paragraph (i) above (and any legal opinions or other certifications), the Registrar shall register the transfer and reflect on its books and records the date of transfer and an increase in the principal amount of the IAI Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of Physical Notes to be transferred, and the Registrar or Trustee shall cancel the Physical Notes so transferred; and
-44-
(3) if the proposed transferor is a Participant seeking to transfer an interest in a Global Note, upon receipt by the Registrar of (x) written instructions given in accordance with the Depository’s and the Registrar’s procedures and (y) the certificate, if required, referred to in clause (y) of paragraph (i) above (and any legal opinions or other certifications), the Registrar shall register the transfer and reflect on its books and records the date of transfer and (A) a decrease in the principal amount of the Global Note from which such interests are to be transferred in an amount equal to the principal amount of the Notes to be transferred and (B) an increase in the principal amount of the IAI Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of the Notes to be transferred.
(b) Transfers to QIBs. The following provisions shall apply with respect to any proposed transfer of a Restricted Security to a QIB:
(1) the Registrar shall register the transfer of any Restricted Security, whether or not such Note bears the Private Placement Legend, if (x) the requested transfer is after the first anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note (or until an earlier transfer if (i) such Note is transferred following the six-month anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note in accordance with this Indenture and (ii) the Issuer has at the time of such transfer filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve-month period preceding the date of transfer); provided, however, that neither the Issuer nor any Affiliate of the Issuer has held any beneficial interest in such Note, or portion thereof, at any time on or prior to the first anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note (or until an earlier transfer if (i) such Note is transferred following the six-month anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note in accordance with this Indenture and (ii) the Issuer has at the time of such transfer filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve-month period preceding the date of transfer) (it being understood that the Registrar shall have no responsibility to confirm whether the Issuer or its Affiliates so held any beneficial interest in such Note, or portion thereof, during such time) or (y) such transfer is being made by a proposed transferor who has checked the box provided for on the applicable Global Note stating, or has otherwise advised the Issuer and the Registrar in writing, (1) that the sale has been made in compliance with the provisions of Rule 144A to a transferee who has signed the certification provided for on the applicable Global Note stating, or has otherwise advised the Issuer and the Registrar in writing, that it is purchasing the Note for its own account or an account with respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion and that it and any such account is a QIB within the meaning of Rule 144A, (2) that it is aware that the sale to it is being made in reliance on Rule 144A, and (3) that it acknowledges (A) that it has received such information regarding the Issuer as it has requested pursuant to Rule 144A or has determined not to request such information and (B) that it is aware that the transferor is relying upon its foregoing representations in order to claim the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A;
(2) if the proposed transferee is a Participant and the Notes to be transferred consist of Physical Notes which after transfer are to be evidenced by an interest in the 144A Global Note, upon receipt by the Registrar of the Physical Note and written instructions given in accordance with the Depository’s and the Registrar’s procedures, the Registrar shall register the transfer and reflect on its book and records the
-45-
date of transfer and an increase in the principal amount of the 144A Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of Physical Notes to be transferred, and the Registrar shall cancel the Physical Notes so transferred; and
(3) if the proposed transferor is a Participant seeking to transfer an interest in the IAI Global Note or the Regulation S Global Note, upon receipt by the Registrar of written instructions given in accordance with the Depository’s and the Registrar’s procedures, the Registrar shall register the transfer and reflect on its books and records the date of transfer and (A) a decrease in the principal amount of the IAI Global Note or the Regulation S Global Note, as the case may be, in an amount equal to the principal amount of the Notes to be transferred and (B) an increase in the principal amount of the 144A Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of the Notes to be transferred.
(c) Transfers to Non-U.S. Persons. The following provisions shall apply with respect to any proposed transfer of a Restricted Security to a Non-U.S. Person under Regulation S:
(1) the Registrar shall register any proposed transfer of any Restricted Security to a Non-U.S. Person upon receipt of a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D from the proposed transferor and such certifications, legal opinions and other information as the Trustee or the Issuer may reasonably request; and
(2) (a) if the proposed transferor is a Participant holding a beneficial interest in the Rule 144A Global Note or the IAI Global Note or the Note to be transferred consists of Physical Notes, upon receipt by the Registrar of (x) any such Physical Note to be transferred and the documents required by paragraph (1) and (y) instructions in accordance with the Depository’s and the Registrar’s procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and records the date of transfer and a decrease in the principal amount of the Rule 144A Global Note or the IAI Global Note, as the case may be, in an amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interest in the Rule 144A Global Note or the IAI Global Note, as the case may be, to be transferred or cancel the Physical Notes to be transferred, and (b) if the proposed transferee is a Participant, upon receipt by the Registrar of any such Physical Note to be transferred and instructions given in accordance with the Depository’s and the Registrar’s procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and records the date of transfer and an increase in the principal amount of the Regulation S Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of the Rule 144A Global Note, the IAI Global Note or the Physical Notes, as the case may be, to be transferred.
(d) Restrictions on Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, a Global Note may not be transferred as a whole except by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository or by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such successor Depository.
(e) Restrictive Legends. Unless (i) there is delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Issuer and the Trustee to the effect that neither such legend nor the related restrictions on transfer are required in order to maintain compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act or (ii) such Note has been offered and sold pursuant to an
-46-
effective registration statement under the Securities Act, (x) each Global Note and each Physical Note that constitutes a Restricted Security shall bear the Private Placement Legend set forth in Exhibit B hereto on the face thereof and (y) each Regulation S Global Note and each Physical Note representing Notes sold to a Non-U.S. Person in reliance on Regulation S shall bear the Regulation S Legend set forth in Exhibit B hereto. Upon the transfer, exchange or replacement of Notes not bearing the Private Placement Legend or the Regulation S Legend, unless otherwise required by applicable law, the Registrar shall deliver Notes that do not bear the Private Placement Legend or the Regulation S Legend.
(f) General. By its acceptance of any Note bearing the Private Placement Legend or the Regulation S Legend, each Holder of such a Note acknowledges the restrictions on transfer of such Note set forth in this Indenture, in the Private Placement Legend and the Regulation S Legend and agrees that it will transfer such Note only as provided in this Indenture.
The Registrar shall retain copies of all letters, notices and other written communications received pursuant to Section 2.15 or this Section 2.16. The Issuer shall have the right to inspect and make copies of all such letters, notices or other written communications at any reasonable time upon the giving of reasonable written notice to the Registrar. Neither the Trustee nor the Registrar shall have any obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Note (including any transfers between or among Participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Note) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof. Neither the Trustee nor the Registrar shall have any responsibility for the actions or omissions of the Depository, or the accuracy of the books and records of the Depository.
(g) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Note. At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for Physical Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed, repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note shall be returned to or retained and canceled by the Trustee in accordance with Section 2.11. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note or for Physical Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such Global Note shall be reduced accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depository at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note shall be increased accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depository at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.
-47-
ARTICLE THREE
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01 Notices to Trustee.
If the Issuer elects to redeem Notes pursuant to Section 5, Section 6 or Section 7 of the Notes or Section 4.06(i), it shall notify the Trustee of the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price and the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed. The Issuer shall give the notice of redemption to the Trustee at least forty-five (45) days (unless a shorter notice shall be agreed to by the Trustee in writing) but not more than sixty (60) days before the applicable Redemption Date (except that a notice issued in connection with a redemption referred to in Article Eight may be more than sixty (60) days before such Redemption Date), together with such documentation and records as shall enable the Trustee to select the Notes to be redeemed.
SECTION 3.02 Selection of Notes to be Redeemed.
If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed at any time pursuant to Section 5, Section 6 or Section 7 of the Notes, the Trustee shall select the Notes to be redeemed as follows:
(1) if the Notes are listed on a national securities exchange, in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange on which the Notes are listed; or
(2) if the Notes are not so listed, on a pro rata basis (if the Notes are issued in physical form), or in accordance with applicable procedures of the Depository (if the Notes are issued in global form);
provided, however, that, in the case of such redemption, the Trustee will select the Notes on a pro rata basis or on as nearly a pro rata basis as practicable (subject to the procedures of the Depository), unless that method is otherwise prohibited.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Issuer in writing of the Notes selected for redemption and, in the case of any Note selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. Notes and portions of Notes selected shall be in the amounts of $1,000 or integral multiples of $1,000; provided, however, that no Note shall be redeemed in part if such Note would have a remaining principal amount of less than $2,000; provided further, however, that that if all of the Notes of a Holder are to be redeemed, the entire outstanding amount of the Notes held by such Holder, even if not an integral multiple of $1,000, shall be redeemed. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, provisions of this Indenture that apply to the Notes called for redemption shall also apply to portions of Notes called for redemption.
SECTION 3.03 Notice of Redemption.
At least thirty (30) days but not more than sixty (60) days before the applicable Redemption Date, the Issuer shall mail, or cause to be mailed, a notice of redemption by first class mail, postage prepaid, to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed, at the Holder’s registered address (except that a notice issued in connection with a redemption referred to in Article Eight may be more than sixty (60) days before such Redemption Date). At the Issuer’s written request, the Trustee shall forward the notice of redemption in the Issuer’s name and at the Issuer’s expense. Each notice for redemption shall identify the Notes to be redeemed (including the CUSIP or ISIN number, if any) and shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date;
-48-
(2) the Redemption Price and the amount of accrued interest, if any, to be paid;
(3) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(4) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the Redemption Price plus accrued interest, if any;
(5) that, unless the Issuer defaults in making the redemption payment, interest on Notes called for redemption shall cease to accrue on and after the Redemption Date, and the only remaining right of the Holders of such Notes shall be to receive payment of the Redemption Price (together with accrued interest, if any, thereon to, but not including, the Redemption Date) upon surrender to the Trustee or Paying Agent of the Notes redeemed;
(6) if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Note to be redeemed and that, after the Redemption Date, and upon surrender and cancellation of such Note, a new Note or Notes in aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued;
(7) if fewer than all the Notes are to be redeemed, the identification of particular Notes (or portion thereof) to be redeemed, as well as the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be redeemed and the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be outstanding after such partial redemption; and
(8) the Section of the Notes or this Indenture, as applicable, pursuant to which the Notes are to be redeemed.
The notice, if mailed in a manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Note designated for redemption in whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Note. Notices of redemption, if conditional, shall specify the conditions to the redemption described therein.
At the Issuer’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Issuer’s name and at its expense.
SECTION 3.04 Effect of Notice of Redemption.
Once notice of redemption is mailed in accordance with Section 3.03, Notes called for redemption shall become due and payable on the Redemption Date at the Redemption Price therefor plus accrued interest, if any, thereon to, but not including, the Redemption Date; provided that, any such redemption may, at the Issuer’s option, be subject to one or more conditions precedent, including but not limited to the consummation of a Qualified Equity Offering or a Change of Control. Upon surrender to the Trustee or Paying Agent, such Notes called for redemption shall be paid at the Redemption Price plus accrued interest, if any, thereon to, but not including, the Redemption Date, provided that installments of interest whose Stated
-49-
Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Notes registered at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates. On and after the Redemption Date interest shall cease to accrue on Notes or portions thereof called for redemption unless the Issuer shall have not complied with its obligations pursuant to Section 3.05.
SECTION 3.05 Deposit of Redemption Price.
On or before 10:00 a.m. New York time on the Redemption Date, the Issuer shall deposit with the Paying Agent funds in Dollars sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of all Notes to be redeemed on that date plus all accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to, but not including, the Redemption Date.
If the Issuer complies with the preceding paragraph, then, unless the Issuer defaults in the payment of such Redemption Price (together with all accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to, but not including, the Redemption Date) with respect to the Notes to be redeemed, interest on such Notes will cease to accrue on and after the applicable Redemption Date, whether or not such Notes are presented for payment.
SECTION 3.06 Notes Redeemed in Part.
Upon surrender of a Note that is to be redeemed in part, the notice of redemption that relates to such Note shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. A new Note or Notes of the same Maturity Date and equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the original Note or Notes shall be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon surrender and cancellation of the original Note or Notes surrendered.
ARTICLE FOUR
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01 Payment of Principal and Interest.
The Issuer shall pay or cause to be paid the principal of and interest on the Notes in the manner provided in the Notes and this Indenture. An installment of principal of, or interest on, the Notes shall be considered paid on the date it is due if the Trustee or the Paying Agent (other than the Issuer or an Affiliate thereof) holds by 10:00 a.m. New York time on that date funds designated for and sufficient to pay the installment. The Paying Agent shall return to the Issuer promptly, and in any event, no later than five (5) Business Days following the date of payment, any money (including accrued interest) that exceeds such amount of principal and interest paid on the Notes. If a payment date is not a Business Day, at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day, and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the intervening period.
The Issuer shall pay interest (including post petition interest in a proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law), on overdue principal and premium, if any, and overdue interest (without regard to applicable grace periods), to the extent lawful, at the same rate per annum borne by the Notes.
-50-
Interest on the Notes will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months.
SECTION 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Issuer covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders that it will maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York the office or agency required under Section 2.03 (which may be an office or drop facility of the Trustee or the Registrar, as applicable, for such Notes or an Affiliate of such Trustee or the Registrar, as applicable, for such Notes) where such Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Issuer in respect of such Notes and this Indenture may be served. The Issuer will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Issuer shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Issuer hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Issuer may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations. The Issuer will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
The Issuer hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Issuer in accordance with Section 2.03.
SECTION 4.03 Corporate Existence.
Except as otherwise permitted by Article Five and the other provisions of this Indenture, the Issuer shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and the corporate, partnership, limited liability company or other existence of each of its Restricted Subsidiaries in accordance with the respective organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of each such Restricted
Subsidiary and the material rights (charter and statutory) and material franchises of the Issuer and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided, however, that the Issuer shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise with respect to itself or any Restricted Subsidiary or any such corporate, partnership, limited liability company or other existence with respect to any Restricted Subsidiary if the Issuer shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
SECTION 4.04 Compliance Certificate.
(a) The Issuer and each Guarantor (to the extent that such Guarantor is so required under the Trust Indenture Act) shall deliver to the Trustee, within one hundred twenty (120) days after the close of each fiscal year, an Officers’ Certificate, one of the signatories of which shall
-51-
be the Issuer’s or Guarantor’s, as applicable, principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer (as such terms are defined in the Trust Indenture Act), stating that a review of the activities of the Issuer or Guarantor, as applicable, has been made under the supervision of the signing officers with a view to determining whether it has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to such Officer’s knowledge, the Issuer or Guarantor, as applicable, during such preceding fiscal year has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every such covenant and no Default occurred during such year and at the date of such certificate there is no Default that has occurred and is continuing or, if such signers do know of such Default, the certificate shall describe its status with particularity.
(b) Upon any Officer of the Issuer becoming aware of any Default, the Issuer shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying such Default and what action the Issuer is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
(c) The Officers’ Certificate shall also notify the Trustee should the Issuer elect to change the manner in which it fixes its fiscal year end.
-52-
SECTION 4.05 Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws.
The Issuer and each Guarantor covenants (to the extent permitted by applicable law) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law or any usury law or other law that would prohibit or forgive such Issuer or such Guarantor from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on the Notes or the Guarantee of any such Guarantor as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture, and (to the extent permitted by applicable law) each 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.
SECTION 4.06 Change of Control.
(a) Upon the occurrence of any Change of Control, each Holder of Notes will have the right to require the Issuer to repurchase all or any part (equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof; provided, however, that no Note shall be repurchased in part if such Note would have a remaining principal amount of less than $2,000) of that Holder’s Notes pursuant to a Change of Control Offer (the “Change of Control Offer”). In the Change of Control Offer, the Issuer will offer to pay an amount in cash (the “Change of Control Purchase Price”) equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes purchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase. Within thirty (30) days following any Change of Control, the Issuer will mail, or cause to be mailed, a notice to each Holder describing the transaction or transactions that constitute the Change of Control and offering to purchase Notes on the date (the “Change of Control Payment Date”) specified in such notice, which date shall be a Business Day no earlier than thirty (30) days and no later than sixty (60) days from the date such notice is mailed, pursuant to the procedures described below. Such notice shall state:
(1) that the Change of Control Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 4.06 and that all Notes tendered and not withdrawn will be accepted for payment;
(2) the Change of Control Purchase Price and the Change of Control Payment Date;
(3) that any Note not tendered will continue to accrue interest;
(4) that, unless the Issuer defaults in making payment therefor, any Note accepted for payment pursuant to the Change of Control Offer shall cease to accrue interest after the Change of Control Payment Date;
(5) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required to surrender the Note, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” on the reverse of the Note completed, to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the third (3rd) Business Day prior to the Change of Control Payment Date;
-53-
(6) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election if the Paying Agent receives, not later than the second (2nd) Business Day prior to the Change of Control Payment Date, a telegram, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Notes the Holder delivered for purchase and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Note purchased;
(7) that Holders whose Notes are purchased only in part will be issued new Notes in a principal amount equal to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered (equal to integral multiple of $1,000 but not less than $2,000); and
(8) the circumstances and relevant facts regarding such Change of Control.
(b) On or before the Change of Control Payment Date, the Issuer will, to the extent lawful:
(1) accept for payment all Notes or portions thereof properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;
(2) deposit with the Paying Agent funds sufficient to pay the Change of Control Purchase Price in respect of all Notes or portions thereof so tendered; and
(3) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes so accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions thereof being purchased by the Issuer.
(c) The Paying Agent will promptly mail to each Holder of Notes so tendered the Change of Control Purchase Price for such Notes, and the Trustee will promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered, if any; provided, however, that each such new Note will be in a principal amount equal to an integral multiple of $1,000 but not less than $2,000.
(d) The Issuer will publicly announce the results of the Change of Control Offer on or as soon as practicable after the Change of Control Payment Date.
(e) The Issuer will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if (1) a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Issuer and purchases all Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer, or (2) notice of redemption has been given to the Trustee pursuant to the Indenture with respect to all of the Notes then outstanding as described under Section 5 or Section 7 of the Notes, unless and until there is a default in payment of the applicable redemption price. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, a Change of Control Offer may be made in advance of a Change of Control, or conditioned upon the consummation of such Change of Control, if a definitive agreement is in place for the Change of Control at the time the Change of Control Offer is made.
-54-
(f) The Issuer shall cause the Change of Control Offer to remain open for at least twenty (20) Business Days or for such longer period as may be required by law. The Issuer will comply, and will cause any third party making a Change of Control Offer to comply, with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable in connection with a Change of Control Offer. To the extent the provisions of any applicable securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Section 4.06, the Issuer will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section 4.06 by virtue of complying with such laws or regulations.
(g) In the event that at the time of such Change of Control the terms of the Indebtedness under any Credit Agreement restrict or prohibit the purchase of the Notes pursuant to this Section 4.06, then prior to the mailing of the notice to Holders provided for in Section 4.06(a), but in any event within thirty (30) days following any Change of Control, the Issuer shall (i) repay in full the Indebtedness and terminate all commitments under such Credit Agreement or (ii) obtain the requisite consent under the agreements governing the Indebtedness under such Credit Agreement to permit the purchase of the Notes as provided for in this Section 4.06.
(h) The Issuer shall first comply with the covenant in the immediately preceding sentence before it shall be required to repurchase Notes or send the notice to the Holders referred to in clause (a) above pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4.06. The Issuer’s failure to comply with the covenant described in the second preceding sentence (and any failure to send the notice referred to in clause (a) above because the same is prohibited by the second preceding sentence) may (with notice and lapse of time) constitute an Event of Default described in Section 6.01(3) but shall not constitute an Event of Default described in Section 6.01(2).
(i) In the event that Holders of not less than 90% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes accept a Change of Control Offer and the Issuer (or any third party making such Change of Control Offer in lieu of the Issuer as described in Section 4.06(e)(1) above) purchases all of the Notes held by such Holders, the Issuer will have the right, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice, given not more than 30 days following the purchase pursuant to the Change of Control Offer described above, to redeem all of the Notes that remain outstanding following such purchase at a redemption price equal to the Change of Control Purchase Price plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes that remain outstanding, to the date of redemption, subject to the rights of Holders of the Notes on the relevant regular record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date that is on or prior to the applicable redemption date.
SECTION 4.07 Limitations on Additional Indebtedness.
(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, incur any Indebtedness; provided, however, that the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary may incur additional Indebtedness, and the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary may incur Acquired Indebtedness if, after giving effect thereto, the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio would be at least 2.00 to 1.00 (the “Coverage Ratio Exception”).
-55-
(b) Notwithstanding Section 4.07(a), each of the following shall be permitted to be incurred (the “Permitted Indebtedness”):
(1) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) (including the issuance or creation of letters of credit or bankers’ acceptances thereunder) so long as the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries (without duplication) at any time outstanding under all Credit Facilities (including all Credit Agreements) (excluding Hedging Obligations related to the Indebtedness thereunder) does not exceed the greatest of (x) $2,350.0 million, less the aggregate amount of Net Available Proceeds applied after the Issue Date to repayments under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) pursuant to Section 4.10(c), (y) the maximum aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness that would not result in the Consolidated Secured Leverage Ratio, after giving effect to the incurrence of such Indebtedness and the application of the proceeds therefrom, being greater than 4.75 to 1.00, less the aggregate amount of Net Available Proceeds applied after the Issue Date to repayments under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) pursuant to Section 4.10(c), and (z) 85% of the book value of the accounts receivable of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries plus 65% of the book value of inventory of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries, in each case calculated on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP as of the last day of the last full fiscal quarter for which financial statements are available;
(2) the Initial Notes and the related Guarantees;
(3) Indebtedness of the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries to the extent outstanding on the Issue Date (other than Indebtedness referred to in clauses (1) and (2) above);
(4) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary under Hedging Obligations (i) entered into for bona fide purposes of hedging against fluctuations in interest rates with respect to Indebtedness under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) or (ii) entered into in the ordinary course of business for bona fide hedging purposes and not for the purpose of speculation that are designed to protect against fluctuations in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices, provided that if, in the case of either (i) or (ii), such Hedging Obligations are of the type described in clause (1) of the definition thereof, (a) such Hedging Obligations relate to payment obligations on Indebtedness otherwise permitted to be incurred by this covenant and (b) the notional principal amount of such Hedging Obligations at the time incurred does not exceed the principal amount of the Indebtedness to which such Hedging Obligations relate;
(5) Indebtedness of the Issuer owed to a Restricted Subsidiary and Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary owed to the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary, provided that upon any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or such Indebtedness being owed to any Person other than the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary, as applicable, shall be deemed to have incurred Indebtedness not permitted by this clause (5);
-56-
(6) (i) Indebtedness in respect of bid, performance or surety bonds issued for the account of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business, including guarantees or obligations of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary with respect to letters of credit supporting such bid, performance or surety obligations (in each case other than for an obligation for money borrowed), and (ii) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary consisting of reimbursement obligations with respect to commercial letters of credit, letters of credit issued to landlords and other letters of credit, in each case in the ordinary course of business in an aggregate face amount not to exceed $26.25 million at any time;
(7) Purchase Money Indebtedness incurred by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, and Refinancing Indebtedness with respect thereto, in an aggregate outstanding amount not to exceed $50.0 million at any time;
(8) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument inadvertently (except in the case of daylight overdrafts) drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business, provided that such Indebtedness is extinguished within five (5) Business Days of incurrence;
(9) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary arising in connection with endorsement of instruments for deposit in the ordinary course of business;
(10) (i) Capitalized Lease Obligations arising under Sale and Leaseback Transactions with respect to any of the real property currently owned by Alere San Diego, Inc. or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in San Diego, California, and Refinancing Indebtedness with respect thereto, in an aggregate outstanding amount for all such transactions under this clause (i) not to exceed $200.0 million at any time and (ii) Capitalized Lease Obligations arising under any other Sale and Leaseback Transactions, and Refinancing Indebtedness with respect thereto, in an aggregate outstanding amount for all such transactions under this clause (ii) not to exceed $50.0 million at any time;
(11) guarantee Obligations of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to Indebtedness of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(12) (i) Indebtedness incurred by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary for the purpose of financing all or any part of the cost of, or in order to consummate, the acquisition of (x) Equity Interests of another Person engaged in the Permitted Business that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, (y) all or substantially all of the assets of such a Person or a line of business, division or business unit within the Permitted Business by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, or (z) any other Permitted Business assets by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) Acquired Indebtedness incurred by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with an acquisition by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that, in each of the foregoing cases, on the date of the incurrence of such Indebtedness or Acquired Indebtedness, after giving effect to the incurrence thereof and the use of any proceeds therefrom and otherwise determined on a
-57-
pro forma basis for such transaction in accordance with the provisions set forth in the definition of “Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio,” either:
(A) the Issuer would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Coverage Ratio Exception, or
(B) the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio would be greater than the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio immediately prior to the incurrence of such Indebtedness;
(13) guarantees by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of the performance by any Restricted Subsidiary of its obligations under the P&G JV Agreements or the joint venture agreement or other related agreements, instruments or documents relating to any other joint venture entered into by the Issuer of any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in compliance with this Indenture (for the avoidance of doubt this clause shall not be read to allow guarantees of Indebtedness of any joint venture or joint venture partner or their Affiliates);
(14) Refinancing Indebtedness incurred by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary with respect to Indebtedness incurred pursuant to the Coverage Ratio Exception or clause (2), (3) or (12) or this clause (14) in this Section 4.07(b);
(15) Indebtedness of any Foreign Subsidiary or of any Domestic Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor in an aggregate outstanding principal amount for all such Indebtedness at any time not to exceed $50.0 million; and
(16) any other Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in an aggregate outstanding principal amount for all such Indebtedness not to exceed $50.0 million at any time.
(c) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.07, in the event that an item of Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of Permitted Indebtedness described in clauses (1) through (16) of Section 4.07(b) or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to the Coverage Ratio Exception, the Issuer shall, in its sole discretion, classify such item of Indebtedness and may divide and classify (and may later redivide and reclassify) such Indebtedness in more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in Section 4.07(a) or Section 4.07(b) in any manner that complies with this Section 4.07, except that Indebtedness incurred under the Credit Agreement on the Issue Date shall be deemed to have been incurred under clause (1) of Section 4.07(b). Any item of Indebtedness entitled to be incurred pursuant to the Coverage Ratio Exception and classified by the Issuer within such type of Indebtedness shall retain such classification (and the amount thereof shall not be counted in the determination of the amount of Indebtedness under any of clauses (1) through (16) of Section 4.07(b)) notwithstanding that the Coverage Ratio Exception is not available at any later time. In addition, for purposes of determining any particular amount of Indebtedness under this Section 4.07 or any category of Permitted Indebtedness, guarantees, Liens, letter of credit obligations or other obligations supporting Indebtedness otherwise included in the determination of such particular amount shall not be included so long as incurred by a Person that could have incurred such Indebtedness.
-58-
(d) The accrual of interest, the accretion or amortization of original issue discount, the payment of interest on any Indebtedness in the form of additional Indebtedness with the same terms and the payment of dividends on Disqualified Equity Interests of the Issuer in the form of additional shares of the same class of Disqualified Equity Interest (or in the form of Qualified Equity Interests) will not be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness for purposes of this Section 4.07.
SECTION 4.08 Limitations on Restricted Payments.
(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, make any Restricted Payment if at the time of such Restricted Payment:
(1) a Default shall have occurred and be continuing or shall occur as a consequence thereof;
(2) the Issuer cannot incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Coverage Ratio Exception; or
(3) the amount of such Restricted Payment, when added to the aggregate amount of all other Restricted Payments made after the Issue Date (other than Restricted Payments made pursuant to clauses (2) through (7), (8) (with respect to non-cash dividends only), (10), (11) and (12) of Section 4.08(b), exceeds the sum (the “Restricted Payments Basket”) of (without duplication):
(i) 50% of Consolidated Net Income for the period (taken as one accounting period) commencing on the first (1st) day of the fiscal quarter in which the Issue Date occurs to and including the last day of the fiscal quarter ended immediately prior to the date of such calculation for which consolidated financial statements are available (or, if such Consolidated Net Income shall be a deficit, minus 100% of such aggregate deficit), plus
(ii) 100% of the aggregate net proceeds, including cash and the Fair Market Value of the equity of a Person or of assets used in or constituting a line of business, in each case which becomes or becomes owned by a Restricted Subsidiary, received by the Issuer from the issuance and sale of Qualified Equity Interests after the Issue Date, other than any such proceeds which are used to redeem Notes in accordance with Section 6 of the Notes, provided that the Issuer delivers to the Trustee:
(x) with respect to any equity or assets with a Fair Market Value in excess of $15.0 million, an Officers’ Certificate setting forth such Fair Market Value and a Secretary’s Certificate which sets forth and authenticates a resolution that has been adopted by a majority of the Independent Directors approving such Fair Market Value; and
-59-
(y) with respect to any equity or assets with a Fair Market Value in excess of $50.0 million, the certificates described in the preceding clause (x) and a written opinion as to the Fair Market Value of such equity or assets received by the Issuer from the issuance and sale of such Qualified Equity Interests issued by an Independent Financial Advisor (which opinion may be in the form of a fairness opinion with respect to the transaction in which the equity or assets are acquired), plus
(iii) 100% of the aggregate net cash proceeds received by the Issuer as contributions to the common or preferred equity (other than Disqualified Equity Interests) of the Issuer after the Issue Date, other than any such proceeds which are used to redeem Notes in accordance with Section 6 of the Notes, plus
(iv) the aggregate amount by which Indebtedness incurred by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary subsequent to the Issue Date is reduced on the Issuer’s balance sheet upon the conversion or exchange (other than by a Subsidiary of the Issuer) of Indebtedness into Qualified Equity Interests (less the amount of any cash, or the fair value of assets, distributed by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary upon such conversion or exchange), plus
(v) in the case of the disposition or repayment of or return on any Investment that was treated as a Restricted Payment made after the Issue Date, an amount (to the extent not included in the computation of Consolidated Net Income) equal to the lesser of (A) the return of capital with respect to such Investment and (B) the amount of such Investment that was treated as a Restricted Payment, in either case, less the cost of the disposition of such Investment and net of taxes, plus
(vi) upon a Redesignation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, the lesser of (A) the Fair Market Value of the Issuer’s proportionate interest in such Subsidiary immediately following such Redesignation, and (B) the aggregate amount of the Issuer’s Investments in such Subsidiary to the extent such Investments reduced the Restricted Payments Basket and were not previously repaid or otherwise reduced.
(b) The foregoing provisions shall not prohibit:
(1) the payment by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of any dividend within sixty (60) days after the date of declaration thereof, if on the date of declaration the payment would have complied with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) the redemption of any Equity Interests of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent issuance and sale of, Qualified Equity Interests (and any payment of cash in lieu of delivering fractional shares in connection therewith);
(3) the redemption of Subordinated Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (i) in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially
-60-
concurrent issuance and sale of, Qualified Equity Interests (and any payment of cash in lieu of delivering fractional shares in connection therewith) or (ii) in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent incurrence of, Refinancing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under Section 4.07 and the other terms of this Indenture;
(4) the redemption of Equity Interests of the Issuer held by officers, directors or employees or former officers, directors or employees (or their transferees, estates or beneficiaries under their estates) upon their death, disability, retirement, severance or termination of employment or service; provided, however, that the aggregate cash consideration paid for all such redemptions shall not exceed $15.0 million during any calendar year, with any portion of such amount that is not used during such calendar year being carried forward to the succeeding calendar year, subject to a maximum of $20.0 million during any calendar year;
(5) repurchases of Equity Interests deemed to occur upon the exercise of stock options or warrants if the Equity Interests represents a portion of the exercise price thereof;
(6) the redemption of any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary owing to any Restricted Subsidiary or the Issuer;
(7) upon the occurrence of a Change of Control and within one hundred twenty (120) days after the completion of the offer to repurchase the Notes pursuant to Section 4.06, any redemption of Indebtedness of the Issuer required pursuant to the terms thereof;
(8) the payment by the Issuer of cash dividends on shares of its common stock or preferred stock to the holders thereof; provided, however, that the aggregate amount of all cash dividends paid pursuant to this clause (8) shall not exceed $25.0 million during any calendar year;
(9) payments of dividends on Disqualified Equity Interests issued in compliance with Section 4.07;
(10) payments made using any Net Proceeds Deficiency;
(11) redemptions and repurchases of Equity Interests of the Issuer held by any Person; provided, however, that the aggregate cash consideration paid for all such redemptions and repurchases made pursuant to this clause (11) shall not exceed $200.0 million in the aggregate; or
(12) other Restricted Payments in an amount which, when taken together with all other Restricted Payments made pursuant to this clause (12), does not exceed $215.0 million in the aggregate (with the amount of each Restricted Payment being determined as of the date made and without regard to subsequent changes in value);
provided, however, that (x) in the case of any Restricted Payment pursuant to clause (3)(ii), (10) or (12) of this Section 4.08(b), no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or will occur as
-61-
a consequence thereof and (y) no issuance and sale of Qualified Equity Interests pursuant to clause (2) or (3) of this Section 4.08(b) shall increase the Restricted Payments Basket, except to the extent the proceeds thereof exceed the amounts used to effect the transactions described therein.
SECTION 4.09 Limitations on Liens.
The Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume or permit or suffer to exist any Lien of any nature whatsoever (other than Permitted Liens) against any assets of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary (including Equity Interests of a Restricted Subsidiary), whether owned on the Issue Date or thereafter acquired, or any proceeds therefrom, in each case securing an obligation that ranks pari passu in right of payment with, or that is subordinated in right of payment to, the Notes or any Guarantee, unless contemporaneously therewith:
(a) in the case of any Lien securing an obligation that ranks pari passu in right of payment with the Notes or any Guarantee, effective provision is made to secure the Notes or such Guarantee, as the case may be, at least equally and ratably with or prior to such obligation with a Lien on the same collateral; and
(b) in the case of any Lien securing an obligation that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or a Guarantee, effective provision is made to secure the Notes or such Guarantee, as the case may be, with a Lien on the same collateral that is prior to the Lien securing such subordinated obligation,
in each case, for so long as such obligation is secured by such Lien.
SECTION 4.10 Limitations on Asset Sales.
(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, consummate any Asset Sale unless:
(1) the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary receives consideration at the time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the Fair Market Value of the assets included in such Asset Sale; and
(2) at least 75% of the total consideration received in such Asset Sale consists of cash or Cash Equivalents.
For purposes of clause (2) (and not for purposes of determining the Net Available Proceeds with respect to the application and purchase offer provisions in this Section 4.10), the following shall be deemed to be cash:
(i) the amount (without duplication) of any Indebtedness of the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary that is expressly assumed by the transferee in such Asset Sale and with respect to which the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, is released by the holder of such Indebtedness;
-62-
(ii) the amount of any obligations received from such transferee that are within one hundred eighty (180) days converted by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary to cash (to the extent of the cash actually so received);
(iii) the Fair Market Value of (x) any assets (other than securities) received by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to be used by it in the Permitted Business, (y) Equity Interests in a Person that is a Restricted Subsidiary or in a Person engaged in a Permitted Business that shall become a Restricted Subsidiary immediately upon the acquisition of such Person by the Issuer or (z) a combination of (x) and (y); and
(iv) the Fair Market Value of any Equity Interests for which the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary has a contractual right to require the registration (or equivalent) of such Equity Interests under the Securities Act or the applicable securities laws of the jurisdiction in which such securities are listed on a Major Foreign Exchange (“Designated Non-Cash Consideration”); provided, however, that no consideration received in an Asset Sale will constitute Designated Non-Cash Consideration if and to the extent that the classification of such consideration as Designated Non-Cash Consideration would cause the aggregate amount of all such Designated Non-Cash Consideration outstanding at that time to exceed 2.5% of Consolidated Total Assets (with the Fair Market Value of each item of Designated Non-Cash Consideration being measured at the time received and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value).
(b) If at any time any non-cash consideration (including any Designated Non-Cash Consideration) received by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer, as the case may be, in connection with any Asset Sale is repaid or converted into or sold or otherwise disposed of for cash (other than interest received with respect to any such non-cash consideration), then the date of such repayment, conversion or disposition shall be deemed to constitute the date of an Asset Sale hereunder and the Net Available Proceeds thereof shall be applied in accordance with this Section 4.10.
(c) If the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary engages in an Asset Sale, the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary shall, no later than 360 days following the consummation thereof, apply all or any (or, in the Issuer’s discretion, none) of the Net Available Proceeds therefrom to:
(1) repay Senior Debt or Guarantor Senior Debt, and in the case of any such repayment under any revolving credit facility, effect a permanent reduction in the availability under such revolving credit facility, in each case if and to the extent permitted under the terms of such Senior Debt or Guarantor Senior Debt;
(2) repay any Indebtedness which was secured by the assets sold in such Asset Sale; or
(3) (i) invest all or any part of the Net Available Proceeds thereof in assets (other than securities), including expenditures for research and development activities, to be used by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in the Permitted Business, (ii) acquire
-63-
Equity Interests in a Person that is a Restricted Subsidiary or in a Person engaged in a Permitted Business that shall become a Restricted Subsidiary immediately upon the consummation of such acquisition or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).
The amount of Net Available Proceeds not applied or invested as provided in this paragraph will constitute “Excess Proceeds.” The Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary may repay Senior Debt or Guarantor Senior Debt under a revolving Credit Facility during the 360 days following the consummation of such Asset Sale without effecting a permanent reduction in the availability under such revolving credit facility, pending application of such proceeds pursuant to clause (1), (2) or (3) of this Section 4.10(c) or their use as Excess Proceeds in accordance with the next paragraph, and such repayment shall not be considered an application of Net Available Proceeds for purposes of this paragraph; provided, however, that, if such Net Available Proceeds are not applied after 360 days for any purpose other than the repayment of a revolving credit facility, a permanent reduction in the availability under such revolving credit facility shall then be required in order for such repayment to be considered an application of Net Available Proceeds for purposes of this paragraph.
(d) When the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds equals or exceeds $50.0 million, the Issuer will be required to make an offer to purchase from all Holders and, if applicable, redeem (or make an offer to do so) any Pari Passu Indebtedness of the Issuer the provisions of which require the Issuer to redeem such Pari Passu Indebtedness with the proceeds from any Asset Sales (or offer to do so), in an aggregate principal amount of Notes and such Pari Passu Indebtedness equal to the amount of such Excess Proceeds as follows:
(1) the Issuer will (i) make an offer to purchase (a “Net Proceeds Offer”) to all Holders in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Indenture, and (ii) redeem (or make an offer to do so) any such other Pari Passu Indebtedness, on a pro rata basis (or on as nearly a pro rata basis as is practicable) in proportion to the respective principal amounts of the Notes and such other Pari Passu Indebtedness required to be redeemed, the maximum principal amount of Notes (in each case in whole in a principal amount of $1,000 or integral multiples thereof; provided, however, that no Note will be purchased in part if such Note would have a remaining principal amount of less than $2,000) and Pari Passu Indebtedness that may be redeemed out of the amount (the “Payment Amount”) of such Excess Proceeds;
(2) the offer price for the Notes will be payable in cash in an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes tendered pursuant to a Net Proceeds Offer, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the date such Net Proceeds Offer is consummated (the “Offered Price”), in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Indenture, and the redemption price for such Pari Passu Indebtedness (the “Pari Passu Indebtedness Price”) shall be as set forth in the related documentation governing such Indebtedness;
(3) if the aggregate Offered Price of Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn by Holders thereof exceeds the pro rata portion of the Payment Amount allocable to the Notes, Notes to be purchased will be selected on a pro rata basis (or on as nearly a pro rata basis as is practicable); and
-64-
(4) upon completion of such Net Proceeds Offer in accordance with the foregoing provisions, the amount of Excess Proceeds with respect to which such Net Proceeds Offer was made shall be deemed to be zero.
(e) To the extent that the sum of the aggregate Offered Price of Notes tendered pursuant to a Net Proceeds Offer and the aggregate Pari Passu Indebtedness Price paid to the holders of such Pari Passu Indebtedness is less than the Payment Amount relating thereto (such shortfall constituting a “Net Proceeds Deficiency”), the Issuer may use the Net Proceeds Deficiency, or a portion thereof, for general corporate purposes, subject to the provisions of this Indenture, and the amount of Excess Proceeds with respect to such Net Proceeds Offer shall be deemed to be zero.
(f) Upon the commencement of a Net Proceeds Offer, the Issuer shall send or cause to be sent, by first class mail, a notice to the Trustee and to each Holder at its registered address. The notice shall contain all instructions and materials necessary to enable such Holder to tender Notes pursuant to the Net Proceeds Offer. Any Net Proceeds Offer shall be made to all Holders. The notice, which shall govern the terms of the Net Proceeds Offer, shall state:
(1) that the Net Proceeds Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 4.10;
(2) the Payment Amount, the Offered Price, and the date on which Notes tendered and accepted for payment shall be purchased, which date shall be at least thirty (30) days and not later than sixty (60) days from the date such notices is mailed (the “Net Proceeds Payment Date”);
(3) that any Notes not tendered or accepted for payment shall continue to accrue interest;
(4) that, unless the Issuer defaults in making such payment, any Notes accepted for payment pursuant to the Net Proceeds Offer shall cease to accrue interest on and after the Net Proceeds Payment Date;
(5) that Holders electing to have any Notes purchased pursuant to any Net Proceeds Offer shall be required to surrender the Notes, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” on the reverse of the Note completed, or transfer by book-entry transfer, to the Issuer, a depository, if appointed by the Issuer, or the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice at least three (3) days before the Net Proceeds Payment Date;
(6) that Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their election if the Issuer, the Depository or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, receives, not later than the Net Proceeds Payment Date, a notice setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Note the Holder delivered for purchase and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Note purchased;
(7) that if the aggregate principal amount of Notes surrendered by Holders exceeds the Payment Amount, the Issuer shall select the Notes to be purchased on a pro rata basis (with such adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by the Issuer so that
-65-
only Notes in denominations of $1,000, or integral multiples thereof, shall be purchased; provided, however, that no Note will be purchased in part if such Note would have a remaining principal amount of less than $2,000); and
(8) that Holders whose Notes were purchased only in part shall be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered (or transferred by book-entry); provided, however, that each such new Note will be in a principal amount equal to an integral multiple of $1,000 but not less than $2,000.
(g) On the Net Proceeds Payment Date, the Issuer shall, to the extent lawful: (1) accept for payment all Notes or portions thereof properly tendered pursuant to the Net Proceeds Offer, subject to pro ration if the aggregate Notes tendered exceed the Payment Amount allocable to the Notes; (2) deposit with the Paying Agent funds in Dollars equal to the lesser of the Payment Amount allocable to the Notes and the amount sufficient to pay the Offered Price in respect of all Notes or portions thereof so tendered; and (3) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes so accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions thereof being repurchased by the Issuer. The Issuer shall publicly announce the results of the Net Proceeds Offer on or as soon as practicable after the Net Proceeds Payment Date.
(h) The Paying Agent shall promptly mail to each Holder of Notes so tendered the Offered Price for such Notes, and the Trustee shall promptly authenticate pursuant to an Authentication Order and mail (or cause to be transferred by book-entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any unrepurchased portion of the Notes surrendered, if any; provided, however, that each such new Note shall be in principal amount equal to an integral multiple of $1,000 but not less than $2,000. However, if the Net Proceeds Payment Date is on or after an interest Record Date and on or before the related interest payment date, any accrued and unpaid interest shall be paid to the Person in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on such Record Date, and no additional interest shall be payable to Holders who tender Notes pursuant to the Net Proceeds Offer.
(i) The Issuer shall comply with applicable tender offer rules, including the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other applicable laws and regulations in connection with the purchase of Notes pursuant to a Net Proceeds Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Section 4.10, the Issuer shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section 4.10 by virtue of this compliance.
-66-
SECTION 4.11 Limitations on Transactions with Affiliates.
(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its assets to, or purchase any assets from, or enter into any contract, agreement, understanding, loan, advance or guarantee with, or for the benefit of, any Affiliate (an “Affiliate Transaction”), unless:
(1) such Affiliate Transaction is on terms that are no less favorable to the Issuer or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable transaction at such time on an arm’s-length basis by the Issuer or that Restricted Subsidiary from a Person that is not an Affiliate of the Issuer or that Restricted Subsidiary; and
(2) the Issuer delivers to the Trustee:
(i) with respect to any Affiliate Transaction involving aggregate value expended by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in a consecutive twelve-month period in excess of $15.0 million, an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction complies with clause (1) above and a Secretary’s Certificate which sets forth and authenticates a resolution that has been adopted by a majority of the Independent Directors approving such Affiliate Transaction; and
(ii) with respect to any Affiliate Transaction involving aggregate value expended by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in a consecutive twelve-month period of $50.0 million or more, the certificates described in the preceding clause (i) and a written opinion as to the fairness of such Affiliate Transaction to the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary from a financial point of view issued by an Independent Financial Advisor.
(b) The foregoing restrictions shall not apply to:
(1) transactions exclusively between or among (i) the Issuer and one or more Restricted Subsidiaries or (ii) Restricted Subsidiaries, provided, in each case, that no Affiliate of the Issuer (other than another Restricted Subsidiary) owns Equity Interests of any such Restricted Subsidiary;
(2) director, officer and employee compensation (including bonuses) and other benefits (including retirement, health, stock option and other benefit plans) and indemnification and insurance arrangements;
(3) the entering into of any tax sharing agreement, or the making of payments pursuant to any such agreement, between the Issuer or one or more Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any other Person with which the Issuer or such Subsidiaries are required or permitted to file a consolidated tax return or with which the Issuer or such Subsidiaries are part of a consolidated group for tax purposes, on the other hand, which payments by the Issuer and the Subsidiaries are not materially in excess of the tax liabilities that would have been payable by them on a stand-alone basis;
-67-
(4) any Permitted Investments;
(5) Restricted Payments which are made in accordance with Section 4.08 (including payments and transactions that would constitute Restricted Payments but for the exclusions in clauses (1) and (2) of the definition thereof);
(6) any transaction with an Affiliate where the only consideration paid by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary is Qualified Equity Interests (and any payments of cash in lieu of delivering fractional shares in connection therewith);
(7) the sale to an Affiliate of the Issuer of Equity Interests of the Issuer that do not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests, and the sale to an Affiliate of the Issuer of Indebtedness (including Disqualified Equity Interests) of the Issuer in connection with an offering of such Indebtedness in a market transaction and on terms substantially identical to those of other purchasers in such market transaction who are not Affiliates;
(8) any transaction with a joint venture in which the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary is a joint venturer and no other Affiliate is a joint venturer, or with any Subsidiary thereof or other joint venturer therein, pursuant to the joint venture agreement or related agreements for such joint venture, including any transfers of any equity or ownership interests in any such joint venture to any other joint venturer therein pursuant to the performance or exercise of any rights or obligations to make such transfer under the terms of the agreements governing such joint venture; or
(9) without limiting clause (8) immediately above, (i) any transaction with a P&G JV Company or any Subsidiary or member thereof pursuant to the P&G JV Agreements or (ii) any other transactions with a P&G JV Company or any Subsidiary or member thereof for the manufacturing, packaging, supply or distribution of products or materials, or the provision of other administrative or operational services (whether on a transitional or ongoing basis), solely with respect to the consumer diagnostic business, so long as, with respect to this clause (ii), the charges for manufacturing such products are on a “cost-plus” basis.
The foregoing restrictions in Section 4.11(a)(2) shall not apply to ordinary course transactions between the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary and an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
SECTION 4.12 Limitations on Dividend and Other Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.
The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or permit to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or consensual restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to:
(a) pay dividends or make any other distributions on or in respect of its Equity Interests;
(b) make loans or advances, or pay any Indebtedness or other obligation owed, to the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary; or
-68-
(c) transfer any of its assets to the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary;
except for:
(1) encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of applicable law;
(2) encumbrances or restrictions existing under the Indenture (including the Guarantees) and the Notes;
(3) non-assignment provisions or other restrictions on transfer contained in any lease, license or other contract;
(4) encumbrances or restrictions existing under agreements existing on the Issue Date (including any Credit Facility (including the Credit Agreement), the Senior Notes Indenture and the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes Indentures) (with similar restrictions under any such agreement applicable to future Restricted Subsidiaries being permitted hereunder);
(5) encumbrances or restrictions under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) (including with regard to future Restricted Subsidiaries);
(6) restrictions on the transfer of assets subject to any Lien imposed by the holder of such Lien;
(7) restrictions on the transfer of assets imposed under any agreement to sell such assets to any Person pending the closing of such sale;
(8) encumbrances or restrictions under any instrument governing Acquired Indebtedness that are not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person or the properties or assets of the Person so acquired;
(9) encumbrances or restrictions under any other agreement entered into after the Issue Date that are, in the good faith judgment of the Issuer, not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, with respect to any Restricted Subsidiary than those in effect on the Issue Date with respect to that Restricted Subsidiary (or any future Restricted Subsidiary) pursuant to agreements in effect on the Issue Date (including the Indenture, the Senior Notes Indenture, the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes Indentures and the Credit Agreement);
(10) restrictions under customary provisions in partnership agreements, limited liability company organizational or governance documents, joint venture agreements, corporate charters, stockholders’ agreements, and other similar agreements and documents on the transfer of ownership interests in such partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or similar Person;
-69-
(11) encumbrances or restrictions imposed under Purchase Money Indebtedness on the assets acquired that are of the nature described in clause (c) above, provided such Purchase Money Indebtedness is incurred in compliance with Section 4.07;
(12) restrictions of the nature described in clause (c) above contained in any security agreement or mortgage securing Indebtedness or other obligations of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent such restrictions restrict the transfer of the property subject to such security agreement or mortgage; and
(13) any encumbrances or restrictions imposed by any amendments or refinancings of the contracts, instruments or obligations referred to in clauses (1) through (12) above; provided, however, that such encumbrances or restrictions are, in the good faith judgment of the Issuer, no more materially restrictive, taken as a whole, than those in effect prior to such amendment or refinancing.
SECTION 4.13 Additional Guarantees.
(a) If, after the Issue Date, (i) the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary acquires or creates a Domestic Subsidiary that guarantees any Indebtedness or other Obligation under any Credit Agreement (other than a Subsidiary that has been designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary), (ii) any Unrestricted Subsidiary that is a Domestic Subsidiary that guarantees any Indebtedness or other Obligation under any Credit Agreement is redesignated a Restricted Subsidiary, then, in each such case, the Issuer shall cause such Restricted Subsidiary to execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture in the form of Exhibit E attached to this Indenture, pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary shall unconditionally and irrevocably guarantee all of the Issuer’s obligations under the Notes and this Indenture. Thereafter, such Restricted Subsidiary shall be a Guarantor for all purposes of this Indenture.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 4.13(a), a Subsidiary Guarantor will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from its obligations under its Guarantee and this Indenture under the circumstances set forth in Section 11.04.
SECTION 4.14 Limitation on Layering Indebtedness.
(a) The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, incur any Indebtedness that by its terms (or by the terms of any agreement governing such Indebtedness) is or purports to be senior in right of payment to the Notes or the Guarantee, if any, of such Restricted Subsidiary and subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Issuer or of such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be.
(b) For purposes of Section 4.14(a), no Indebtedness will be deemed to be subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary solely by virtue of being unsecured or by virtue of the fact that the holders of such Indebtedness have entered into intercreditor agreements or other arrangements giving one or more of such holders priority over the other holders in the collateral held by them or by virtue of structural subordination.
-70-
SECTION 4.15 SEC Reports.
(a) Whether or not required by the SEC’s rules and regulations, so long as any Notes are outstanding, the Issuer will furnish to the Holders, cause the Trustee to furnish to the Holders, or file electronically with the SEC through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (or any successor system, including the Interactive Data Electronic Applications System), within 15 days after the time periods (including any extensions thereof) applicable to (or that would be applicable to) the Issuer under the SEC’s rules and regulations:
(1) all quarterly and annual financial information that would be required to be contained in a filing with the SEC on Forms 10-Q or 10-K (or any successor forms), as the case may be, if the Issuer were required to file these Forms, including a “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and, with respect to the annual information only, a report on the annual financial statements by the Issuer’s independent accountants; and
(2) all current reports that would be required to be filed with the SEC on Form 8-K (or any successor form) if the Issuer were required to file these reports; provided, that the Issuer shall not be obligated to furnish or file (i) any current report on Form 8-K if the Issuer determines in its good faith judgment that the information reportable therein is not material to the Holders of the Notes or the business, assets, operations, financial position or prospects of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (ii) any agreements, financial statements or other items that would be required to be filed as exhibits to a current report on Form 8-K.
In addition, whether or not required by the SEC’s rules and regulations, the Issuer will file a copy of all of the information and reports referred to in clauses (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this Section 4.15 with the SEC for public availability within the time periods applicable to the Issuer under Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (unless the SEC will not accept the filing, in which case the Issuer shall make the information available to securities analysts and prospective investors upon request). For so long as any Notes remain outstanding, the Issuer will furnish to the Holders and to securities analysts and prospective investors, upon their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act. The Issuer also shall comply with the other provisions of Trust Indenture Act § 314(a).
(b) Delivery of such reports and information to the Trustee shall be for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of them shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein (including the Issuer’s compliance with any of its covenants under this Indenture as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on an Officers’ Certificate).
-71-
SECTION 4.16 Limitations on Designation of Unrestricted Subsidiaries.
(a) The Issuer may designate any Subsidiary of the Issuer (including any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary) as an “Unrestricted Subsidiary” under this Indenture (a “Designation”) only if:
(1) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of or after giving effect to such Designation; and
(2) the Issuer would be permitted to make, at the time of such Designation, (i) a Permitted Investment or (ii) an Investment pursuant to Section 4.08(a), in either case, in an amount (the “Designation Amount”) equal to the Fair Market Value of the Issuer’s proportionate interest in such Subsidiary on such date, less, for this purpose, the amount of any intercompany loan from the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary to such Subsidiary that was treated as a Restricted Payment.
(b) No Subsidiary shall be Designated as an “Unrestricted Subsidiary” unless such Subsidiary:
(1) has no Indebtedness other than Non-Recourse Debt;
(2) is not party to any agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding with the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary unless the terms of the agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding are no less favorable to the Issuer or the Restricted Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons who are not Affiliates;
(3) is a Person with respect to which neither the Issuer nor any Restricted Subsidiary has any direct or indirect obligation (a) to subscribe for additional Equity Interests or (b) to maintain or preserve the Person’s financial condition or to cause the Person to achieve any specified levels of operating results; and
(4) has not guaranteed or otherwise directly or indirectly provided credit support for any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in excess of $25.0 million in the aggregate, except for any guarantee given solely to support the pledge by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Equity Interests of such Unrestricted Subsidiary, which guarantee is not recourse to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, and except to the extent the amount thereof constitutes a Restricted Payment permitted pursuant to Section 4.08.
(c) If, at any time, any Unrestricted Subsidiary fails to meet the requirements of Section 4.16(a) and (b) as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, it shall thereafter cease to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary for purposes of this Indenture and any Indebtedness of the Subsidiary and any Liens on assets of such Subsidiary shall be deemed to be incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary as of the date of such cessation and, if the Indebtedness is not permitted to be incurred under Section 4.07 or the Lien is not permitted under Section 4.09, the Issuer shall be in default of the applicable covenant.
-72-
(d) The Issuer may redesignate an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary (a “Redesignation”) only if:
(1) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of and after giving effect to such Redesignation; and
(2) all Liens, Indebtedness and Investments of such Unrestricted Subsidiary outstanding immediately following such Redesignation would, if incurred or made at such time, have been permitted to be incurred or made for all purposes of this Indenture.
(e) All Designations and Redesignations must be evidenced by (1) resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Issuer and (2) an Officers’ Certificate certifying compliance with the foregoing provisions, in each case delivered to the Trustee.
SECTION 4.17 Conduct of Business.
The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, engage in any business other than the Permitted Business.
SECTION 4.18 Limitations on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.
The Issuer will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction; provided, however, that the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary may enter into a Sale and Leaseback Transaction if:
(a) the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary could have (1) incurred the Indebtedness attributable to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction pursuant to Section 4.07 and (2) incurred a Lien to secure such Indebtedness without equally and ratably securing the Notes pursuant to Section 4.09;
(b) the gross cash proceeds of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction are at least equal to the Fair Market Value of the asset that is the subject of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction; and
(c) the transfer of assets in such Sale and Leaseback Transaction is permitted by, and the Issuer or the applicable Restricted Subsidiary applies the proceeds of such transaction in accordance with, Section 4.10.
SECTION 4.19 Suspension of Covenants.
(a) During any period of time following the issuance of the Initial Notes that (i) the Notes have a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Xxxxx’x and BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P, or, if either or both shall not make a rating on the Notes publicly available, from a nationally recognized statistical rating agency or agencies, as the case may be, selected by the Issuer that shall be substituted for Xxxxx’x or S&P or both, as the case may be (Xxxxx’x, S&P or such other agency or agencies, as the case may be, the “Rating Agencies”), an equivalent rating by such other agency or agencies, as the case may be (any such rating, an “Investment Grade Rating”), and (ii) no Default has occurred and is continuing under this
-73-
Indenture (the occurrence of the events described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being collectively referred to as a “Covenant Suspension Event”), the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries shall not be subject to the following provisions of this Indenture:
(1) | Section 4.07; |
(2) | Section 4.08; |
(3) | Section 4.10; |
(4) | Section 4.11; |
(5) | Section 4.12; |
(6) | Section 4.18; and |
(7) | Section 5.01(a)(iii) |
(collectively, the “Suspended Covenants”). Upon the occurrence of a Covenant Suspension Event, the amount of Net Available Proceeds with respect to any applicable Asset Sale shall be set at zero at such date (the “Suspension Date”). In the event that the Issuer and the Restricted
Subsidiaries are not subject to the Suspended Covenants for any period of time as a result of the foregoing, and on any subsequent date (the “Reversion Date”) one or both of the Rating Agencies withdraws its Investment Grade Rating or downgrades the rating assigned to the Notes below an Investment Grade Rating or a Default occurs and is continuing, then the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries shall thereafter again be subject to the Suspended Covenants, but only with respect to events after the Reversion Date. The period of time between the Suspension Date and the Reversion Date is referred to as the “Suspension Period.” Notwithstanding that the Suspended Covenants may be reinstated, no Default will be deemed to have occurred as a result of a failure to comply with the Suspended Covenants during the Suspension Period.
(b) On the Reversion Date, all Indebtedness incurred during the Suspension Period will be subject to Section 4.07. To the extent such Indebtedness would not be so permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.07, such Indebtedness will be deemed to have been outstanding on the Issue Date, so that it is classified as permitted under Section 4.07(b)(3).
(c) Calculations made after the Reversion Date of the amount available to be made as Restricted Payments under Section 4.08 will be made as though Section 4.08 had been in effect from the Issue Date and throughout the Suspension Period. Accordingly, Restricted Payments made during the Suspension Period will be deemed to have been permitted but will reduce the amount available to be made as Restricted Payments under Section 4.08(a).
(d) The Issuer shall give the Trustee notice of any Covenant Suspension Event and in any event not later than five (5) Business Days after such Covenant Suspension Event. In the absence of such notice, the Trustee shall assume the Suspended Covenants apply and are in full force and effect. The Issuer shall give the Trustee notice of any occurrence of a Reversion Date not later than five (5) Business Days after such Reversion Date. After any such notice of the occurrence of a Reversion Date, the Trustee shall assume the Suspended Covenants apply and are in full force and effect.
-74-
(e) During a Suspension Period, the Issuer may not designate a Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary under Section 4.16.
(f) Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither (1) the continued existence, after the Reversion Date, of facts and circumstances or obligations that occurred, were incurred or otherwise came into existence during a Suspension Period nor (2) the performance of any such obligations, shall constitute a breach of any Suspended Covenant set forth in this Indenture or cause a Default hereunder; provided that (i) the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries did not incur or otherwise cause such facts and circumstances or obligations to exist in anticipation of a withdrawal or downgrade by the applicable Rating Agency below an Investment Grade Rating and (ii) the Issuer reasonably believed that such incurrence or actions would not result in such withdrawal or downgrade. The Issuer shall inform the Trustee of the occurrence of a Covenant Suspension Event or a Reversion Date and in the absence of any such notice, the Trustee shall be entitled to assume that no such event occurred.
ARTICLE FIVE
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 5.01 Mergers, Consolidations, Etc.
(a) The Issuer will not, directly or indirectly, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, (1) consolidate or merge with or into any other Person (other than a merger with a Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary solely for the purpose of changing the Issuer’s name or jurisdiction of incorporation to another State of the United States), or sell, lease, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of or assign all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer or the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or (2) effect a Plan of Liquidation unless, in either case:
(i) either:
(x) the Issuer will be the surviving or continuing Person; or
(y) the Person formed by or surviving such consolidation or merger (if not the Issuer) or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition shall be made (or, in the case of a Plan of Liquidation, any Person to which assets are transferred) (collectively, the “Successor”) is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of any State of the United States of America or the District of Columbia, and the Successor expressly assumes, by a supplemental indenture hereto in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Issuer under the Notes and this Indenture;
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and the assumption of the obligations as set forth in clause (a)(i)(y) above, if applicable, and the incurrence of any Indebtedness to be incurred in connection therewith, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and
-75-
(iii) except in the case of the consolidation or merger of any Restricted Subsidiary with or into the Issuer, immediately after giving effect to such transaction and the assumption of the obligations set forth in clause (a)(i)(y) above, if applicable, and the incurrence of any Indebtedness to be incurred in connection therewith, and the use of any net proceeds therefrom on a pro forma basis, either (A) the Issuer or the Successor, as the case may be, could incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Coverage Ratio Exception or (B) the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio of the Issuer or the Successor, as the case may be, determined on a pro forma basis for such transaction, would not be lower than the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio of the Issuer immediately prior to such transaction.
For purposes of this Section 5.01, any Indebtedness of the Successor which was not Indebtedness of the Issuer immediately prior to the transaction shall be deemed to have been incurred in connection with such transaction.
(b) Except as provided under Article Eleven, no Guarantor may consolidate with or merge with or into (whether or not such Guarantor is the surviving Person) another Person (other than the Issuer or another Guarantor), whether or not affiliated with such Guarantor, unless:
(i) either:
(x) such Guarantor will be the surviving or continuing Person; or
(y) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger assumes, by supplemental indenture in the form of Exhibit E attached to this Indenture, all of the obligations of such Guarantor under the Guarantee of such Guarantor and this Indenture; and
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
(c) For purposes of this Section 5.01, the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition or assignment of all or substantially all of the assets of one or more Restricted Subsidiaries, the Equity Interests of which constitute all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer, will be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer.
(d) Except as provided under Article Eleven, upon any consolidation, combination or merger of the Issuer or a Guarantor, or any sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition or assignment of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer in accordance with the foregoing, in which the Issuer or such Guarantor is not the continuing obligor or continuing guarantor, as the case may be, under the Notes or its Guarantee, the surviving entity formed by such consolidation or into which the Issuer or such Guarantor is merged or the entity to which the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition or assignment is made will succeed to,
-76-
and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Issuer or such Guarantor under this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantee with the same effect as if such surviving entity had been named therein as the Issuer or such Guarantor, and, except in the case of a lease, the Issuer or such Guarantor, as the case may be, will be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Notes or in respect of its Guarantee, as the case may be, and all of the Issuer’s or such Guarantor’s other obligations and covenants under the Notes and this Indenture.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 5.01, any Restricted Subsidiary may merge into the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary.
ARTICLE SIX
DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01 Events of Default.
Each of the following is an “Event of Default”:
(1) failure by the Issuer to pay interest on any of the Notes when it becomes due and payable and the continuance of any such failure for thirty (30) consecutive days (whether or not such payment is prohibited by the subordination provisions of this Indenture);
(2) failure by the Issuer to pay the principal on any of the Notes when it becomes due and payable, whether at Stated Maturity, upon redemption, upon purchase, upon acceleration or otherwise (including the failure to make a payment to purchase Notes tendered pursuant to a Change of Control Offer or Net Proceeds Offer on the date specified for such payment in the applicable offer to purchase, if required) (whether or not such payment is prohibited by the subordination provisions of this Indenture);
(3) failure by the Issuer to comply with any other agreement or covenant in this Indenture and the continuance of any such failure for sixty (60) consecutive days after notice of such failure has been given to the Issuer by the Trustee or by the Holders of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (except in the case of a default under Section 5.01, which shall constitute an Event of Default with such notice requirement but without such passage of time requirement);
(4) default under any mortgage, indenture or other instrument or agreement under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, whether such Indebtedness exists on the Issue Date or is incurred thereafter, which default:
(i) is caused by a failure to pay at final maturity (giving effect to any applicable grace periods and any extensions thereof) principal on such Indebtedness, or
-77-
(ii) results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its express final maturity,
and, in each case, the principal amount of such Indebtedness, together with any other Indebtedness with respect to which an event described in clause (i) or (ii) has occurred and is continuing, aggregates $50.0 million or more;
(5) entry by a court or courts of competent jurisdiction against the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of one or more final judgments or orders for the payment of money that exceed $50.0 million in the aggregate (net of amounts covered by insurance or bonded) and such judgments or orders have not been satisfied, stayed, annulled or rescinded within sixty (60) days of entry (or such longer period as may be permitted for timely appeal under applicable law);
(6) the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
(i) commences a voluntary case,
(ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,
(iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its assets, or
(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;
(7) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(i) is for relief against the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary as debtor in an involuntary case,
(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary or a Custodian for all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary, or
(iii) orders the liquidation of the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary,
and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for sixty (60) days; or
(8) (i) the Guarantee of any Significant Subsidiary (A) ceases to be in full force and effect (other than in accordance with the terms of this Indenture (including such Guarantee)) or (B) is declared null and void and unenforceable or found to be invalid, and such circumstance or event remains uncured for a period of thirty (30) days, or (ii) any Guarantor denies its liability under its Guarantee (other than by reason of release of a Guarantor from its Guarantee in accordance with the terms of this Indenture (including such Guarantee)).
-78-
SECTION 6.02 Acceleration.
(a) If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(6) or Section 6.01(7) with respect to the Issuer occurs, all outstanding Notes shall become immediately due and payable without any further action or notice. If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(6) or Section 6.01(7) with respect to the Issuer) shall have occurred and be continuing under this Indenture, the Trustee, by written notice to the Issuer, or the Holders of at least twenty-five percent (25%) in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding by written notice to the Issuer and the Trustee, may declare all amounts owing under the Notes to be due and payable, which notice shall specify each applicable Event of Default and that it is a “notice of acceleration” (an “Acceleration Notice”). Upon proper delivery of an Acceleration Notice, the aggregate principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the outstanding Notes shall become due and payable (a) if there is any Designated Senior Debt outstanding at such time, with respect to any acceleration arising out of any Event of Default other than a payment default under Section 6.01(1) or Section 6.01(2), upon the earlier of (x) the date which is five (5) Business Days after receipt by the Representatives of such Acceleration Notice or (y) the date of acceleration of any Designated Senior Debt and (b) if otherwise, immediately, but, in any case, only if one or more of the Events of Default specified in such Acceleration Notice are then continuing; provided, however, that after such declaration of acceleration, but before a judgment or decree based on acceleration, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may, on behalf of all of the Holders, rescind and annul such declaration of acceleration and its consequences:
(1) if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree;
(2) if all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived (except nonpayment of principal and interest that has become due solely because of such declaration of acceleration);
(3) to the extent the payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest and overdue principal, which has become due (otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration), has been paid; and
(4) if the Issuer has paid to the Trustee its reasonable compensation and reimbursed the Trustee of its expenses, disbursements and advances;
(5) in the event of a cure or waiver of an Event of Default of the type set forth in Section 6.01(6) or Section 6.01(7), the Trustee shall have received an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel that such Event of Default has been cured or waived.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereto.
(b) The Issuer shall provide prompt notice to the holders of Senior Debt and Guarantor Senior Debt of any acceleration pursuant to Section 6.02(a).
-79-
SECTION 6.03 Other Remedies.
If a Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of principal of, or interest on, the Notes or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Notes or this Indenture.
The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon a Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Default. No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.
SECTION 6.04 Waiver of Past Defaults.
Subject to Section 2.09, Section 6.07 and Section 9.02, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes, by notice to the Trustee, may, on behalf of all of the Holders of such Notes, waive (which may include waivers obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for Notes), an existing Default and its consequences, except a Default in the payment of principal or interest on such Notes as specified in Section 6.01(1) or Section 6.01(2). When a Default is waived, it is cured and ceases.
SECTION 6.05 Control by Majority.
(a) The Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it. Subject to Section 7.01, however, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with any law or this Indenture, that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of another Holder, or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability; provided, however, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.
(b) In the event the Trustee takes any action or follows any direction pursuant to this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification against any loss or expense caused by taking such action or following such direction.
SECTION 6.06 Limitation on Suits.
(a) Subject to Section 6.07, no Holder will have any right to institute any proceeding with respect to this Indenture or the Notes or for any remedy thereunder, unless the Trustee:
(1) has failed to act for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days after receiving notice of a continuing Event of Default from such Holder and a request to act by Holders of at least twenty-five percent (25%) in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes;
(2) has been offered indemnity satisfactory to it in its reasonable judgment; and
-80-
(3) has not received from the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes a direction inconsistent with such request.
(b) A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders).
SECTION 6.07 Rights of Holders to Receive Payment.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of, and interest on, a Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Note (including, if applicable, in connection with an offer to purchase or redeem), or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.
SECTION 6.08 Collection Suit by Trustee.
If a Default in payment of principal or interest specified in Section 6.01(1) or Section 6.01(2) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Issuer or any other obligor on the Notes for the whole amount of principal and accrued interest and fees remaining unpaid, together with interest on overdue principal and, to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate per annum borne by the Notes and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
SECTION 6.09 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders allowed in any judicial proceedings relating to the Issuer, their creditors or their property and shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any Custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee 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 for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agent and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under this Indenture. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes 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. The Trustee shall be entitled to participate as a member of any official committee of creditors in the matters as it deems necessary or advisable.
-81-
SECTION 6.10 Priorities.
If the Trustee collects any money or property pursuant to this Article Six, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:
First: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07;
Second: to Holders for interest accrued on the Notes, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for interest;
Third: to Holders for principal amounts due and unpaid on the Notes, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for principal; and
Fourth: to the Issuer or, if applicable, the Guarantors, as their respective interests may appear, or to such other Person or Persons as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct.
The Trustee, upon prior notice to the Issuer, may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section 6.10.
SECTION 6.11 Undertaking for Costs.
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as the Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.07, or a suit by a Holder or Holders of more than ten percent (10%) in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes.
ARTICLE SEVEN
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01 Duties of Trustee.
(a) If a 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.
(b) Except during the continuance of a Default:
(1) the Trustee need perform only those duties as are specifically set forth herein or in the Trust Indenture Act and no duties, covenants, responsibilities or obligations shall be implied in 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,
-82-
upon certificates (including Officers’ Certificates) or opinions (including Opinions of Counsel) furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture, the Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of Section 7.01(b);
(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05.
(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 to take or omit to take any action under this Indenture or take any action at the request or direction of Holders if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds is not assured to it.
(e) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to this Section 7.01.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Issuer. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
(g) In the absence of bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee shall not be responsible for the application of any money by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee.
SECTION 7.02 Rights of Trustee.
Subject to Section 7.01:
(a) The Trustee may rely conclusively on any resolution, certificate (including any Officers’ Certificate), statement, instrument, opinion (including any Opinion of Counsel), notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in such document.
-83-
(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, which shall conform to the provisions of Section 12.05. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.
(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent (other than an agent who is an employee of the Trustee) appointed with due care.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it reasonably believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers under this Indenture.
(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice or opinion of such counsel as to matters of law shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.
(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred therein or thereby.
(g) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate (including any Officers’ Certificate), statement, instrument, opinion (including any Opinion of Counsel), notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled, upon reasonable notice to the Issuer, to examine the books, records, and premises of the Issuer, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Issuer.
(h) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder.
(i) The permissive rights of the Trustee to do things enumerated in this Indenture shall not be construed as duties.
(j) Except with respect to Section 4.01 and Section 4.04, the Trustee shall have no duty to inquire as to the performance of the Issuer with respect to the covenants contained in Article Four. In addition, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default except (i) any Default occurring pursuant to Section 4.01, Section 4.04, Section 6.01(1) or Section 6.01(2) or (ii) any Default of which the Trustee shall have received written notification.
(k) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and to each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act for it hereunder.
-84-
(l) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.
(m) The Trustee may request that the Issuer deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.
SECTION 7.03 Individual Rights of Trustee.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Issuer, its Subsidiaries or their respective Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. However, the Trustee must comply with Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
SECTION 7.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer.
The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes, it shall not be accountable for the Issuer’s use of the proceeds from the Notes, and it shall not be responsible for any statement of the Issuer in this Indenture or any document issued in connection with the sale of Notes or any statement in the Notes other than the Trustee’s certification of its authentication.
SECTION 7.05 Notice of Default.
If a Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder, notice of the uncured Default within thirty (30) days after it occurs or, if later, after the Trustee is deemed to have knowledge of such Default (pursuant to this Indenture). Except in the case of a Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Note, including an accelerated payment and the failure to make a payment on the Change of Control Payment Date pursuant to a Change of Control Offer or the Net Proceeds Payment Date pursuant to a Net Proceeds Offer, or a Default in complying with the provisions of Article Five, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the Board of Directors, the executive committee, or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers, of the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Holders.
SECTION 7.06 Reports by Trustee to Holders.
Within sixty (60) days after each June 1, beginning with June 1, 2016, the Trustee shall, to the extent that any of the events described in Trust Indenture Act § 313(a) occurred within the previous twelve months, but not otherwise, mail to each Holder a brief report dated as of such date that complies with Trust Indenture Act § 313(a). The Trustee also shall comply with Trust Indenture Act §§313(b), 313(c) and 313(d).
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Holders shall be filed with the SEC and each securities exchange, if any, on which the Notes are listed.
-85-
The Issuer shall promptly notify the Trustee if the Notes become listed on any securities exchange or of any delisting thereof and the Trustee shall comply with Trust Indenture Act § 313(d).
SECTION 7.07 Compensation and Indemnity.
The Issuer shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation as the Issuer and the Trustee shall from time to time agree in writing for its services hereunder. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Issuer shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable disbursements, expenses and advances (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) incurred or made by it in addition to the compensation for its services, except any such disbursements, expenses and advances as may be attributable to the Trustee’s negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. Such expenses shall include the reasonable fees and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
The Issuer shall indemnify each of the Trustee or any predecessor Trustee and its agents for, and hold them harmless against, any and all loss, damage, claims (including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee)), liability or expense incurred by them arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust (including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending themselves against or investigating any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of the Trustee’s rights, powers or duties hereunder), except in each of the foregoing cases to the extent caused by any negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on their part. The Trustee shall notify the Issuer promptly of any claim asserted against the Trustee or any of its agents for which it may seek indemnity. The Issuer may, subject to the approval of the Trustee (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld), defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee and its agents subject to the claim may have separate counsel and the Issuer shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel; provided, however, that the Issuer will not be required to pay such fees and expenses if, subject to the approval of the Trustee (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld), it assumes the Trustee’s defense and there is no conflict of interest between the Issuer and the Trustee and its agents subject to the claim in connection with such defense as reasonably determined by the Trustee. The Issuer need not pay for any settlement made without its written consent. The Issuer need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability to the extent incurred by the Trustee through its negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after a Default specified in Section 6.01(6) or Section 6.01(7) occurs, such expenses and the compensation for such services shall be paid to the extent allowed under any Bankruptcy Law.
The Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Notes as to all property and funds held by it hereunder for any amount owing it or any predecessor Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.07, except with respect to funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders.
-86-
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.07 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or the appointment of a successor Trustee.
SECTION 7.08 Replacement of Trustee.
The Trustee may resign by so notifying the Issuer at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Issuer and the Trustee and may appoint a successor Trustee. The Issuer may remove the Trustee if:
(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
(2) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent;
(3) a receiver or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(4) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee retires, whether by resignation or removal, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Issuer shall notify each Holder of such event and shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one (1) year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Issuer.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Issuer. Promptly after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer, and after payment of all sums then owing to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.07, all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to the Notes under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail notice of its succession to each Holder.
If a successor Trustee does not take office within sixty (60) days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Issuer or the Holders of at least ten percent (10%) in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee at the expense of the Issuer.
If the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Holder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
Notwithstanding the appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.08, the Issuer’s obligations under Section 7.07 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.
-87-
SECTION 7.09 Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.
If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation without any further act shall, if such resulting, surviving or transferee corporation is otherwise eligible hereunder, be the successor Trustee; provided, however, that such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article Seven.
SECTION 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification.
The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of Trust Indenture Act §§ 310(a)(1), 310(a)(2) and 310(a)(5). The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with Trust Indenture Act § 310(b); provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of Trust Indenture Act § 310(b)(1) any indenture or indentures under which other securities, or certificates of interest or participation in other securities, of the Issuer are outstanding, if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in Trust Indenture Act § 310(b)(1) are met. The provisions of Trust Indenture Act § 310 shall apply to the Issuer and any other obligor of the Notes.
SECTION 7.11 Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Issuer.
The Trustee, in its capacity as Trustee hereunder, shall comply with Trust Indenture Act § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in Trust Indenture Act § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Trust Indenture Act § 311(a) to the extent indicated.
ARTICLE EIGHT
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE
SECTION 8.01 Termination of the Issuer’s Obligations.
Except as otherwise provided in the penultimate paragraph of this Section 8.01, this Indenture and the Guarantees will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect (except as to rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Notes, which shall survive until all Notes have been canceled) as to all outstanding Notes, when either:
(a) all the Notes that have been authenticated and delivered (except lost, stolen or destroyed Notes that have been replaced or paid and Notes for whose payment money has been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Issuer and thereafter repaid to the Issuer or discharged from this trust) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(b) (1) all Notes that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation either (i) have become due and payable by reason of the mailing of a notice of redemption pursuant to Section 5 or Section 7 of the Notes, Section 4.06(i) or otherwise or (ii) will become due and payable within one year, and in each of the foregoing cases the Issuer has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust
-88-
solely for the benefit of the Holders funds in Dollars or U.S. Government Obligations in amounts sufficient (without reinvestment) to pay and discharge the entire Indebtedness (including all principal and accrued interest) on the Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation to the date of maturity or redemption,
(2) the Issuer or any Guarantor has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable by the Issuer under this Indenture,
(3) the Issuer has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Notes at maturity or on the date of redemption, as the case may be, and
(4) the Holders have a valid, perfected, exclusive security interest in such trust.
In addition, the Issuer must deliver an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been complied with.
In the case of clause (b) of this Section 8.01, and subject to the next sentence and notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, the Issuer’s obligations in Sections 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 4.01, 4.02, 4.03 (as to legal existence of the Issuer only), 7.07, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive until the Notes are no longer outstanding pursuant to the last paragraph of Section 2.08. In addition, nothing in this Section 8.01 shall be deemed to discharge the obligations in Sections 7.07, 8.04(a), 8.05 or 8.06, all of which shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
After such delivery or irrevocable deposit, the Trustee upon request by the Issuer shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of the Issuer’s obligations under the Notes and this Indenture except for the surviving obligations specified above.
SECTION 8.02 Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance.
(a) The Issuer may, at its option and at any time, elect to have either Section 8.02(b) or 8.02(c) applied to all outstanding Notes upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article Eight.
(b) Upon the Issuer’s exercise under Section 8.02(a) of the option applicable to this Section 8.02(b), the Issuer and the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.03, be deemed to have been discharged from its or their obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes and Guarantees on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Issuer and the Guarantors shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding Notes and the Guarantees, which shall thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 8.04 and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (1) and (2) below, and to have satisfied all its or their other obligations under such Notes, such Guarantees and this Indenture (and the Trustee, on demand of and at the
-89-
expense of the Issuer, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:
(1) the rights of Holders of outstanding Notes to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 8.04, and as more fully set forth in such Section 8.04, payments in respect of the principal of, and interest on, such Notes when such payments are due;
(2) the Issuer’s obligations with respect to such Notes under Article Two and Section 4.02;
(3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Issuer’s obligations in connection therewith; and
(4) the provisions of this Article Eight applicable to Legal Defeasance (including Sections 8.04, 8.05 and 8.06).
Subject to compliance with this Article Eight, the Issuer may exercise its option under this Section 8.02(b) notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 8.02(c).
(c) Upon the Issuer’s exercise under Section 8.02(a) of the option applicable to this Section 8.02(c), the Issuer and each of the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.03, be released from each of their respective obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.03 (other than with respect to the legal existence of the Issuer), 4.04, and 4.06 through 4.18, clause (iii) of Section 5.01(a) and Article Eleven with respect to the outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 8.03 are satisfied (hereinafter, “Covenant Defeasance”), and the Notes shall thereafter be deemed not “outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Notes shall not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes, the Issuer and the Guarantors may omit to comply with and shall have no obligation or liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default under Section 6.01, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Issuer’s exercise under Section 8.02(a) of the option applicable to this Section 8.02(c), subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.03 hereof, clauses (3), (4), (5) and (8), and, after the expiration of the period of ninety-one (91) days immediately following the deposit referred to in Section 8.03(1) (and so long as no Event of Default under clause (6) or (7) of Section 6.01 exists at the time of the expiration of such period), clauses (6) and (7) of Section 6.01 shall not constitute Events of Default.
-90-
SECTION 8.03 Conditions to Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance under Section 8.02(b) or Covenant Defeasance under Section 8.02(c) with respect to the outstanding Notes:
(1) the Issuer must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders, funds in Dollars or U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient (without reinvestment), in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants selected by the Issuer, to pay the principal of and interest on the outstanding Notes on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable Redemption Date, as the case may be, and the Issuer must specify to the Trustee whether such Notes are being defeased to such stated date for payment or to a particular Redemption Date, as the case may be and the Holders must have a valid, perfected, exclusive security interest in such trust;
(2) in the case of Legal Defeasance, the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that:
(i) the Issuer has received from, or there has been published by the Internal Revenue Service, a ruling, or
(ii) since the Issue Date, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law,
in either case to the effect that, and based thereon this Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(3) in the case of Covenant Defeasance, the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that the Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(4) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit and the grant of any Lien securing such borrowing);
(5) the Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under (other than any such default resulting solely from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit and the grant of any Lien on such deposit in favor of the Trustee or the Holders) any Credit Agreement or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;
-91-
(6) the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Issuer with the intent of preferring the Holders over any other creditors of the Issuer or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other of its creditors or others; and
(7) the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, stating, in the case of the Officers’ Certificate, that the conditions provided for in clauses (1) through (6) of this Section 8.03, as applicable, have been complied with and stating, in the case of the Opinion of Counsel, that clause (1) (with respect to the validity and perfection of the security interest) and the conditions provided for in clause (2) or (3), as applicable, and clause (5) of this Section 8.03 have been complied with.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the borrowing of funds to be applied to any deposit, and the grant of any Lien securing such borrowing, in order to effect any Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, shall not constitute a Default under this Indenture.
SECTION 8.04 Application of Trust Money.
(a) The Trustee or Paying Agent shall hold in trust all funds and U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with it pursuant to this Article Eight in respect of the outstanding Notes, and shall apply the deposited funds and U.S. Government Obligations (including any proceeds thereof) in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of the principal of and the interest on the Notes. The Trustee shall be under no obligation to invest said funds and U.S. Government Obligations (including any proceeds thereof), except as it may agree with the Issuer.
(b) The Issuer shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the funds or U.S. Government Obligations (including any proceeds thereof) deposited pursuant to Section 8.03, or the principal and interest received in respect thereof, other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes.
(c) Anything in this Article Eight to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall promptly deliver or pay to the Issuer from time to time upon the request of the Issuer any funds or and U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 8.03 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
SECTION 8.05 Repayment to the Issuer.
Any funds or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Issuer, in trust for the payment of the principal of or interest on the Notes and remaining unclaimed for two (2) years after such principal or interest has become due and payable shall be repaid to the Issuer on its request or (if then held by the Issuer) will be discharged from such trust; and the Holders will thereafter be permitted to look only to the Issuer (unless an applicable law designates another Person) for payment thereof, and all liability of the
-92-
Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust funds, and all liability of the Issuer as trustee thereof, will thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, shall at the expense of the Issuer cause to be published once, in the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (national edition), or mail to each Holder entitled to such funds, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which will not be less than thirty (30) days from the date of such publication or mailing, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Issuer.
SECTION 8.06 Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any funds and U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article Eight by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, or if the funds deposited with the Trustee to effect Covenant Defeasance are insufficient to pay the principal of, and interest on, the Notes when due, then the Issuer’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article Eight until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such funds and U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article Eight; provided, however, that if the Issuer has made any payment of interest on, or principal of, any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Issuer shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the funds and U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE NINE
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
SECTION 9.01 Without Consent of Holders.
Subject to Section 9.03, the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee, as applicable, together, may amend or supplement this Indenture (including the Guarantees) or the Notes without notice to or consent of any Holder:
(1) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency,
(2) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes,
(3) to provide for the assumption of the Issuer’s or any Guarantor’s obligations to the Holders in the case of a merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of the Issuer’s assets, in accordance with Article Five,
(4) to add Guarantees with respect to the Notes,
(5) to release any Guarantor from its Guarantee or any of its other obligations under this Indenture (to the extent permitted by this Indenture),
-93-
(6) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders or that adds covenants of the Issuer or any Guarantor for the benefit of the Holders, or to surrender any right or power conferred upon the Issuer or any Guarantor,
(7) to make any change that does not materially adversely affect the rights of any Holder hereunder or under the Notes,
(8) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under, or to otherwise comply with, the Trust Indenture Act,
(9) to conform the text of this Indenture or the Notes to any provision of the “Description of Notes” section of the Offering Memorandum to the extent that such provision in such “Description of Notes” section was intended to be a substantially verbatim recitation of a provision of this Indenture or the Notes, or
(10) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under this Indenture by a successor Trustee with respect to the Notes and to add 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,
provided that the Issuer has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel and an Officers’ Certificate, each stating that such amendment or supplement complies with the provisions of this Section 9.01.
SECTION 9.02 With Consent of Holders.
(a) Subject to Section 6.07 and Section 9.03, the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee, with the written consent (which may include consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for Notes) of the Holder or Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may amend or supplement this Indenture (including the Guarantees) or the Notes without notice to any other Holders. Subject to Section 6.07 and Section 9.03, the Holder or Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may waive (which may include waivers obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for Notes) compliance with any provision of this Indenture (including the Guarantees) or the Notes without notice to any other Holders.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 9.02(a), without the consent of each Holder affected, no amendment or waiver may (with respect to any Notes held by a non-consenting Holder):
(1) reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Note;
(2) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest on any Note;
(3) reduce any premium payable upon optional redemption of the Notes, change the date on which any Notes are subject to redemption or otherwise alter the provisions with respect to the redemption of the Notes (other than provisions relating to the purchase of Notes set forth in Section 4.06 (other than Section 4.06(i)) and Section 4.10,
-94-
except that if a Change of Control has occurred, no amendment or other modification of the obligation of the Issuer to make a Change of Control Offer relating to such Change of Control shall be made without the consent of each Holder affected);
(4) make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Note payable in money or currency other than that stated in the Notes;
(5) modify or change any provision of this Indenture or the related definitions affecting the subordination of the Notes or the Guarantees in a manner that adversely affects the Holders in any material respect;
(6) release any Guarantor which is a Significant Subsidiary from any of its obligations under its Guarantee or this Indenture other than as provided in this Indenture;
(7) waive a Default in the payment of principal of or interest on any Notes (except a rescission of acceleration of the Notes by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes as provided in this Indenture and a waiver of the payment Default that resulted from such acceleration);
(8) impair the rights of Holders to receive payments of principal of or interest on the Notes on or after the due date therefor;
(9) reduce the principal amount of outstanding Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver to or under this Indenture (including the Guarantees) or the Notes; or
(10) make any change in Section 6.07 or this Section 9.02.
(c) It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of the Notes under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.
(d) A consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver under this Indenture by any Holder given in connection with an exchange (in the case of an exchange offer) or a tender (in the case of a tender offer) of such Holder’s Notes will not be rendered invalid by such tender or exchange.
(e) After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02 becomes effective, the Issuer shall mail, or cause to be mailed, to the Holders affected thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure of the Issuer to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amendment, supplement or waiver.
SECTION 9.03 Effect on Senior Debt.
No amendment of, or supplement or waiver to, this Indenture shall adversely affect the rights of any holder of Senior Debt or Guarantor Senior Debt under Article Ten and Section 11.02 without the consent of such holder or its Representative.
-95-
SECTION 9.04 Compliance with the Trust Indenture Act.
Every amendment to this Indenture or the Notes shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
SECTION 9.05 Revocation and Effect of Consents.
Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Note, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Note. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Note or portion of his Note by notice to the Trustee or the Issuer received before the date on which the Trustee receives an Officers’ Certificate certifying that the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Notes have consented (and not theretofore revoked such consent) to the amendment, supplement or waiver.
The Issuer may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver, which record date shall be any date the Issuer shall select for such purpose. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the last sentence of the immediately preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those Persons, shall be entitled to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than ninety (90) days after such record date. The Issuer shall inform the Trustee in writing of the fixed record date if applicable.
After an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, it shall bind every Holder, unless it makes a change described in any of clauses (1) through (10) of Section 9.02(b), in which case, the amendment, supplement or waiver shall bind only each Holder of a Note who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Note; provided, however, that no such amendment, supplement or waiver shall impair or affect the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of, and interest on, a Note, on or after the respective due dates therefor, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates without the consent of such Holder.
SECTION 9.06 Notation on or Exchange of Notes.
If an amendment, supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Note, the Issuer may require the Holder of the Note to deliver it to the Trustee. The Issuer shall provide the Trustee with an appropriate notation on the Note about the changed terms and cause the Trustee to return it to the Holder at the Issuer’s expense. Alternatively, if the Issuer or the Trustee so determines, the Issuer in exchange for the Note shall issue, and the Trustee shall authenticate, a new Note that reflects the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.
-96-
SECTION 9.07 Trustee To Sign Amendments, Etc.
The Trustee shall execute any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article Nine; provided, however, that the Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, execute any such amendment, supplement or waiver which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture. The Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in conclusively relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel and an Officers’ Certificate each stating that the execution of any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article Nine is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. Such Opinion of Counsel shall be at the expense of the Issuer.
ARTICLE TEN
SUBORDINATION OF NOTES
SECTION 10.01 Notes Subordinated to Senior Debt.
Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, each of the Issuer, for itself and its successors, and each Holder, by his or her acceptance of Notes (whether upon original issue or upon transfer, assignment or exchange of Notes), agrees that the payment of all Obligations owing to the Holders in respect of the Notes is subordinated, to the extent and in the manner provided in this Article Ten, to the prior payment in full of all Senior Debt (including all Obligations under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) and all Obligations under the Senior Notes) in cash, whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter incurred. Notwithstanding anything in this Article Ten to the contrary, payments and distributions (a) of Permitted Junior Securities and (b) made relating to the Notes from the trust established pursuant to Article Eight shall not be so subordinated in right of payment, so long as, with respect to (b), (1) the conditions specified in Article Eight are satisfied on the date of any deposit pursuant to said trust and (2) such payments and distributions did not violate the provisions of this Article Ten when made.
The Notes shall in all respects rank pari passu in right of payment with (i) the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes and any Indebtedness of the Issuer that expressly provides that it ranks pari passu in right of payment with any of the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes and (ii) the 2007 Convertible Notes (as in effect on the date hereof) and any Indebtedness of the Issuer that expressly provides that it ranks pari passu in right of payment with the 2007 Convertible Notes (as in effect on the date hereof), and only Indebtedness of the Issuer which is Senior Debt shall rank senior to the Notes in accordance with the provisions set forth herein.
This Article Ten shall constitute a continuing offer to all Persons who become holders of, or continue to hold, Senior Debt, such provisions are made for the benefit of the holders of Senior Debt and such holders are made obligees hereunder and any one or more of them may enforce such provisions.
The holders of Senior Debt (including Designated Senior Debt) shall have the right to rely on this Article Ten.
-97-
SECTION 10.02 Suspension of Payment When Senior Debt Is in Default.
(a) If any default occurs and is continuing in the payment when due (beyond any applicable grace period), whether at maturity, upon any redemption, by declaration or otherwise, of any principal of, interest on, unpaid drawings for letters of credit issued in respect of, or fees with respect to, any Designated Senior Debt (a “Payment Default”), then the Issuer shall not (x) make any payment or distribution of any kind or character with respect to any Obligations on or relating to the Notes or (y) acquire any of the Notes for cash or assets or otherwise (other than, in either case, Permitted Junior Securities).
(b) If any other event of default (other than a Payment Default) occurs and is continuing with respect to any Designated Senior Debt (as such event of default is defined in the instrument creating or evidencing such Designated Senior Debt) permitting the holders of such Designated Senior Debt then outstanding to accelerate the maturity thereof (a “Non-Payment Default”) and if the Representative for the respective issue of Designated Senior Debt (including, as applicable, the administrative agent under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement)) gives written notice of the Non-Payment Default to the Trustee stating that such notice is a payment blockage notice (a “Payment Blockage Notice”), then during the period (the “Payment Blockage Period”) beginning upon the delivery of such Payment Blockage Notice and ending on the earliest of (1) the date on which all such Non-Payment Defaults are cured or waived, (2) one hundred seventy-nine (179) days after the date on which the applicable Payment Blockage Notice is received or (3) the date on which the Trustee receives notice from the Representative for such Designated Senior Debt rescinding the Payment Blockage Notice (unless in each case the maturity of any Designated Senior Debt has been accelerated), the Issuer shall not (x) make any payment of any kind or character with respect to any Obligations on or with respect to the Notes or (y) acquire any of the Notes for cash or assets or otherwise (other than, in either case, Permitted Junior Securities). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) in no event will a Payment Blockage Period extend beyond one hundred seventy-nine (179) days from the date the applicable Payment Blockage Notice is received by the Trustee and (y) no new Payment Blockage Notice may be delivered unless and until 360 days have elapsed since the effectiveness of the immediately prior Payment Blockage Notice. For all purposes of this Section 10.02(b), no Non-Payment Default which existed or was continuing on the date of the commencement of any Payment Blockage Period with respect to the Designated Senior Debt shall be, or be made, the basis for the commencement of a second Payment Blockage Period by the Representative of such Designated Senior Debt whether or not within a period of 360 consecutive days, unless such Non-Payment Default shall have been cured or waived for a period of not less than ninety (90) consecutive days. Any subsequent action, or any breach of any financial covenants for a period ending after the date of commencement of such Payment Blockage Period that, in either case, would give rise to a Non-Payment Default pursuant to any provisions under which a Non-Payment Default previously existed or was continuing shall constitute a new Non-Payment Default for this purpose.
(c) In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment shall be received by the Trustee or any Holder when such payment is prohibited by the foregoing provisions of this Section 10.02, such payment shall be held in trust for the benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered to, the holders of Senior Debt (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the respective amount of Senior Debt held by such holders) or their respective Representatives, as their respective interests may appear. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely on information regarding amounts outstanding on the Senior Debt, if any, received from the holders of the Senior Debt (or their Representatives).
-98-
(d) Nothing contained in this Article Ten shall limit the right of the Trustee or the Holders of the Notes to take any action to accelerate the maturity of the Notes pursuant to Section 6.02 or to pursue any rights or remedies hereunder; provided, however, that all Senior Debt thereafter due or declared to be due shall first be paid in full in cash or cash equivalents before the Holders are entitled to receive any payment of any kind or character with respect to Obligations on the Notes.
SECTION 10.03 Notes Subordinated to Prior Payment of All Senior Debt on Dissolution, Liquidation or Reorganization of the Issuer.
(a) Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Issuer of any kind or character, whether in cash, assets or securities, to creditors upon any total or partial liquidation, dissolution, winding-up, assignment for the benefit of creditors or marshaling of assets and liabilities of the Issuer or in a bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding relating to the Issuer or its assets, whether voluntary or involuntary, all Obligations due on all Senior Debt (including interest accruing after the commencement of any bankruptcy or other like proceeding at the rate specified in any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) or in the Senior Notes, as applicable, whether or not such interest is an allowed claim in any such proceeding) shall first be paid in full in cash, or such payment duly provided for to the satisfaction of the holders of Senior Debt, before any payment or distribution of any kind or character is made on account of any Obligations on or relating to the Notes. Upon any such dissolution, winding-up, liquidation, reorganization, receivership or similar proceeding, any payment or distribution of assets of the Issuer of any kind or character, whether in cash, assets or securities, to which the Holders of the Notes or the Trustee under this Indenture would be entitled, except for the provisions hereof, shall be paid by the Issuer or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, or by the Holders or by the Trustee under this Indenture if received by them, directly to the holders of Senior Debt (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the respective amounts of Senior Debt held by such holders) or their respective Representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any of such Senior Debt may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, for application to the payment of Senior Debt remaining unpaid until all such Senior Debt has been paid in full in cash after giving effect to any concurrent payment, distribution or provision therefor to or for the holders of Senior Debt.
(b) To the extent any payment of Senior Debt (whether by or on behalf of the Issuer, as proceeds of security or enforcement of any right of setoff or otherwise) is declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required to be paid to any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other similar Person under any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership, fraudulent conveyance or similar law, then, if such payment is recovered by, or paid over to, such receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other similar Person, the Senior Debt or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be for purpose of this Article Ten deemed to be reinstated and outstanding as if such payment had not occurred.
-99-
It is further agreed that any diminution (whether pursuant to court decree or otherwise, including without limitation for any of the reasons described in the preceding sentence) of the Issuer’s obligation to make any distribution or payment pursuant to any Senior Debt, except to the extent such diminution occurs by reason of the repayment (which has not been disgorged or returned) of such Senior Debt in cash or cash equivalents, shall have no force or effect for purposes of the subordination provisions contained in this Article Ten, with any turnover of payments as otherwise calculated pursuant to this Article Ten to be made as if no such diminution had occurred.
(c) In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or distribution of assets of the Issuer of any kind or character, whether in cash, assets or securities, shall be received by any Holder when such payment or distribution is prohibited by this Section 10.03, such payment or distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered to, the holders of Senior Debt (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the respective amount of Senior Debt held by such holders) or their respective Representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any of such Senior Debt may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, for application to the payment of Senior Debt remaining unpaid until all such Senior Debt has been paid in full in cash or cash equivalents, after giving effect to any concurrent payment, distribution or provision therefor to or for the holders of such Senior Debt.
(d) The consolidation of the Issuer with, or the merger of the Issuer with or into, another Person or the liquidation or dissolution of the Issuer following the conveyance or transfer of all or substantially all of its assets, to another Person upon the terms and conditions provided in Article Five hereof shall not be deemed a dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization for the purposes of this Section if such other Person shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer, assume the Issuer’s obligations hereunder in accordance with Article Five hereof.
SECTION 10.04 Payments May Be Made on Notes.
Nothing contained in this Article Ten or elsewhere in this Indenture shall prevent (a) the Issuer, except under the conditions described in Sections 10.02 and 10.03, from making payments at any time for the purpose of making payments of principal of, and interest on, the Notes, or from depositing with the Trustee any moneys for such payments, or (b) in the absence of actual knowledge by the Trustee that a given payment would be prohibited by Section 10.02 or 10.03, the application by the Trustee of any moneys deposited with it for the purpose of making such payments of principal of, and interest on, the Notes to the Holders entitled thereto unless at least two (2) Business Days prior to the date upon which such payment would otherwise become due and payable a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actually received the written notice provided for in the first sentence of Section 10.02(b) or in Section 10.07; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Holders receiving any payments made in contravention of Section 10.02 or 10.03 (and the respective such payments) shall otherwise be subject to the provisions of Section 10.02 and Section 10.03. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article Ten or elsewhere in this Indenture, payments and distributions from the funds deposited pursuant to Article Eight will be permitted to be made and will not be subject to the provisions of this Article Ten so long as such funds were deposited
-100-
in accordance with the provisions of Article Eight and did not violate the provisions of this Article Ten when such funds were so deposited. The Issuer shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization of the Issuer, although any delay or failure to give any such notice shall have no effect on the subordination provisions contained herein.
SECTION 10.05 Holders To Be Subrogated to Rights of Holders of Senior Debt.
Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Debt in cash or cash equivalents, the Holders of the Notes shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders of Senior Debt to receive payments or distributions of cash, assets or securities of the Issuer applicable to the Senior Debt until the Notes shall be paid in full; and, for the purposes of such subrogation, no such payments or distributions to the holders of the Senior Debt by or on behalf of the Issuer, or by or on behalf of the Holders by virtue of this Article Ten, which otherwise would have been made to the Holders shall, as between the Issuer and the Holders, be deemed to be a payment by the Issuer to or on account of the Senior Debt, it being understood that the provisions of this Article Ten are and are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of the Holders, on the one hand, and the holders of Senior Debt, on the other hand.
SECTION 10.06 Obligations of the Issuer Unconditional.
Nothing contained in this Article Ten or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Notes is intended to or shall impair, as between the Issuer, and the Holders, the obligation of the Issuer, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay to the Holders the principal of, and any interest on, the Notes as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms, or is intended to or shall affect the relative rights of the Holders and creditors of the Issuer other than the holders of the Senior Debt, nor shall anything herein or therein prevent the Holder of any Note or the Trustee on its behalf from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of Senior Debt in respect of cash, assets or securities of the Issuer received upon the exercise of any such remedy.
SECTION 10.07 Notice to Trustee.
The Issuer shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any fact known to the Issuer which would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the Notes pursuant to the provisions of this Article Ten, although any delay or failure to give any such notice shall have no effect on the subordination provisions contained herein. Regardless of anything to the contrary contained in this Article Ten or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any default or event of default with respect to any Senior Debt or of any other facts which would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee unless and until the Trustee shall have received notice in writing from the Issuer, or from a holder of Senior Debt or a Representative therefor and, prior to the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee shall be entitled to assume (in the absence of actual knowledge to the contrary) that no such facts exist. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of any notice pursuant to this Section 10.07 to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of Senior Debt (or a Representative thereof).
-101-
In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that any evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Debt to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article Ten, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amounts of Senior Debt 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 Ten, 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 10.08 Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Issuer referred to in this Article Ten, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article Seven hereof, and the Holders of the Notes shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree made by any court of competent jurisdiction in which any insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, dissolution, winding-up, liquidation, reorganization or similar case or proceeding is pending, or upon a certificate of the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or the Holders of the Notes, for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of the Senior Debt and other Indebtedness of the Issuer, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article Ten.
SECTION 10.09 Trustee’s Relation to Senior Debt.
The Trustee and any agent of the Issuer or the Trustee shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article Ten with respect to any Senior Debt which may at any time be held by it in its individual or any other capacity to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Debt and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee or any such agent of any of its rights as such holder.
With respect to the holders of Senior Debt, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article Ten, and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of Senior Debt shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Debt.
Whenever a distribution is to be made or a notice given to holders or owners of Senior Debt, the distribution may be made and the notice may be given to their Representative, if any.
SECTION 10.10 Subordination Rights Not Impaired by Acts or Omissions of the Issuer or Holders of Senior Debt.
No right of any present or future holders of any Senior Debt to enforce subordination as provided herein shall at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the Issuer or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any noncompliance by the Issuer with the terms of this Indenture, regardless of any knowledge thereof, which any such holder may have or otherwise be charged with.
-102-
Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph, the holders of Senior Debt may, at any time and from time to time, without the consent of or notice to the Trustee, without incurring responsibility to the Trustee or the Holders of the Notes and without impairing or releasing the subordination provided in this Article Ten or the obligations hereunder of the Holders of the Notes to the holders of the Senior Debt, do any one or more of the following: (a) change the manner, place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter, Senior Debt, or otherwise amend or supplement in any manner Senior Debt, or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which Senior Debt is outstanding; (b) sell, exchange, release or otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing Senior Debt; (c) release any Person liable in any manner for the payment or collection of Senior Debt; and (d) exercise or refrain from exercising any rights against the Issuer and any other Person.
SECTION 10.11 Holders Authorize Trustee To Effectuate Subordination of Notes.
Each Holder of the Notes by its acceptance of them (whether upon original issue or upon transfer, assignment or exchange of Notes) authorizes and expressly directs the Trustee on its behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate, as between the holders of Senior Debt and the Holders of the Notes, the subordination provided in this Article Ten, and appoints the Trustee its attorney-in-fact for such purposes, including, in the event of any dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization of the Issuer (whether in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership, reorganization or similar proceedings or upon an assignment for the benefit of credits or otherwise) tending towards liquidation of the business and assets of the Issuer, the filing of a claim for the unpaid balance of its Notes and accrued interest in the form required in those proceedings.
If the Trustee does not file a proper claim or proof of debt in the form required in such proceeding prior to thirty (30) days before the expiration of the time to file such claim or claims, then the holders of the Senior Debt or their Representative are or is hereby authorized to have the right to file and are or is hereby authorized to file an appropriate claim for and on behalf of the Holders of said Notes. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee or the holders of Senior Debt or their Representative to authorize, consent to, accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee or the holders of Senior Debt or their Representative to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
SECTION 10.12 This Article Ten Not To Prevent Events of Default.
The failure to make a payment on account of principal of, or interest on, the Notes by reason of any provision of this Article Ten will not be construed as preventing the occurrence of an Event of Default.
SECTION 10.13 Trustee’s Compensation Not Prejudiced.
Nothing in this Article Ten will apply to amounts due to the Trustee (other than payments of Obligations owing to Holders in respect of the Notes) pursuant to other Sections of this Indenture.
-103-
ARTICLE ELEVEN
GUARANTEE
SECTION 11.01 Unconditional Guarantee.
Subject to the provisions of this Article Eleven, each of the Guarantors, jointly and severally, hereby unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to each Holder of a Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this Indenture, the Notes or the obligations of the Issuer to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder: (a) (x) the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest on the Notes when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at maturity, upon redemption or repurchase, by acceleration or otherwise, (y) the due and punctual payment of interest on the overdue principal and (to the extent permitted by law) interest, if any, on the Notes and (z) the due and punctual payment and performance of all other obligations of the Issuer to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder (including amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof), all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof (collectively, the “Guarantee Obligations”); and (b) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, the due and punctual payment and performance of Guarantee Obligations in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at maturity, upon redemption or repurchase, by acceleration or otherwise. Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed, or failing performance of any other obligation of the Issuer to the Holders under this Indenture or under the Notes, for whatever reason, each Guarantor shall be obligated to pay, or to perform or cause the performance of, the same immediately. A Default under this Indenture or the Notes shall constitute an event of default under the Guarantees, and shall entitle the Holders to accelerate the obligations of the Guarantors under the Guarantees in the same manner and to the same extent as the obligations of the Issuer.
Each of the Guarantors hereby agrees that its obligations hereunder shall be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, any release of any other Guarantor, the recovery of any judgment against the Issuer, any action to enforce the same, or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a Guarantor. Each of the Guarantors hereby waives the benefit of diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Issuer, any right to require a proceeding first against the Issuer, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenants that its Guarantee shall not be discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Notes and this Indenture (including the Guarantees). Each Guarantee is a guarantee of payment and not of collection. If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Issuer or to any Guarantor, or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to the Issuer or such Guarantor, any amount paid by the Issuer or such Guarantor to the Trustee or such Holder, each Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in full force and effect. Each Guarantor further agrees that, as between it, on the one hand, and the Holders of Notes and the Trustee, on the other hand, (a) subject to this Article Eleven, the maturity of the obligations
-104-
guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article Six, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (b) in the event of any acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article Six, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for the purpose of the Guarantees.
SECTION 11.02 Subordination of Guarantee.
The obligations of each Guarantor under its Guarantee pursuant to this Article Eleven shall be junior and subordinated to the prior payment in full of the Guarantor Senior Debt of such Guarantor, whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter incurred, in cash on the same basis as the Notes are junior and subordinated to Senior Debt of the Issuer. For the purposes of the foregoing sentence, the Trustee and the Holders shall have the right to receive or retain payments by any of the Guarantors only at such times as they may receive or retain payments in respect of the Notes pursuant to this Indenture, including Article Ten. In addition to the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.02, all of the covenants, obligations and agreements contained in Article Ten (together with related definitions) shall be deemed incorporated in this Section 11.02, mutatis mutandis, as if references to the Issuer therein are references to each Guarantor herein and references to Senior Debt therein are references to the Guarantor Senior Debt of such Guarantor herein.
SECTION 11.03 Limitation on Guarantor Liability.
Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Guarantee of such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal, foreign or state law to the extent applicable to any Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and the Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Guarantor under this Article Eleven shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor (including any guarantee under any Credit Facility (including any Credit Agreement) permitted under Section 4.07(b)(1) and including such Guarantor’s guarantees of the Issuer’s obligations under the Senior Notes, the Senior Notes Indenture, the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes and the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes Indentures) that are relevant under such laws, and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under this Article Eleven, result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance under any such applicable federal, foreign or state law. Each Guarantor that makes a payment for distribution under its Guarantee is entitled to a contribution from each other Guarantor in a pro rata amount based on the adjusted net assets of each Guarantor.
-105-
SECTION 11.04 Release of a Guarantor.
A Guarantor shall be released from its obligations under its Guarantee and this Indenture:
(1) in the event of a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of such Guarantor, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise, or a sale or other disposition of all of the Equity Interests of such Guarantor then held by the Issuer and the Restricted Subsidiaries;
(2) if such Guarantor is designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary or otherwise ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary, in each case in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, upon effectiveness of such designation or when it first ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary, respectively; or
(3) if such Guarantor shall not guarantee any Indebtedness or other Obligation under any Credit Agreement (other than if such Guarantor no longer guarantees any Indebtedness or other Obligation under such Credit Agreement as a result of payment under any guarantee of any such Indebtedness or other Obligation by such Guarantor); provided, however, that a Guarantor shall not be permitted to be released from its Guarantee or the Indenture if it is an obligor with respect to any Indebtedness or other Obligation that would not, under Section 4.07, be permitted to be incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor.
The Trustee shall execute an appropriate instrument prepared by the Issuer evidencing the release of a Guarantor from its obligations under its Guarantee and this Indenture upon receipt of a request by the Issuer or such Guarantor accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel certifying as to the compliance with this Section 11.04.
Nothing contained in this Indenture or in any of the Notes shall prevent any consolidation or merger of a Guarantor with or into the Issuer (in which case such Guarantor shall no longer be a Guarantor) or another Guarantor or shall prevent any sale or conveyance of the property of a Guarantor as an entirety or substantially as an entirety to the Issuer or another Guarantor.
SECTION 11.05 Waiver of Subrogation.
Until this Indenture is discharged and all of the Notes are discharged and paid in full, each Guarantor hereby irrevocably waives and agrees not to exercise any claim or other rights which it may now or hereafter acquire against the Issuer that arise from the existence, payment, performance or enforcement of the Issuer’s obligations under the Notes or this Indenture and such Guarantor’s obligations under its Guarantee and this Indenture, in any such instance including any right of subrogation, reimbursement, exoneration, contribution, indemnification, and any right to participate in any claim or remedy of the Holders against the Issuer, whether or not such claim, remedy or right arises in equity, or under contract, statute or common law, including the right to take or receive from the Issuer, directly or indirectly, in cash or other assets or by set-off or in any other manner, payment or security on account of such claim or other rights. If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence and any amounts owing to the Trustee or the Holders of Notes under the Notes, this Indenture, or any other document or instrument delivered under or in connection with such agreements or instruments, shall not have been paid in full, such amount shall have been deemed to have been paid to such Guarantor for the benefit of, and held in trust for the benefit of, the Trustee or the Holders and shall forthwith be paid to the Trustee for the benefit of itself or such Holders to be
-106-
credited and applied to the obligations in favor of the Trustee or the Holders, as the case may be, whether matured or unmatured, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture. Each Guarantor acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the financing arrangements contemplated by this Indenture and that the waiver set forth in this Section 11.05 is knowingly made in contemplation of such benefits.
SECTION 11.06 Immediate Payment.
Each Guarantor agrees to make immediate payment to the Trustee on behalf of the Holders of all Guarantee Obligations owing or payable to the respective Holders upon receipt of a demand for payment therefor by the Trustee to such Guarantor in writing.
SECTION 11.07 No Set-Off.
Each payment to be made by a Guarantor hereunder in respect of the Guarantee Obligations shall be payable in the currency or currencies in which such Guarantee Obligations are denominated, and shall be made without set-off, counterclaim, reduction or diminution of any kind or nature.
SECTION 11.08 Guarantee Obligations Absolute.
The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder are and shall be absolute and unconditional and any monies or amounts expressed to be owing or payable by each Guarantor hereunder which may not be recoverable from such Guarantor on the basis of a Guarantee shall be recoverable from such Guarantor as a primary obligor and principal debtor in respect thereof.
SECTION 11.09 Guarantee Obligations Continuing.
The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall be continuing and shall remain in full force and effect until all such obligations have been paid and satisfied in full. Each Guarantor agrees with the Trustee that it will from time to time deliver to the Trustee suitable acknowledgments of this continued liability hereunder and under any other instrument or instruments in such form as counsel to the Trustee may advise and as will prevent any action brought against it in respect of any default hereunder being barred by any statute of limitations now or hereafter in force and, in the event of the failure of a Guarantor so to do, it hereby irrevocably appoints the Trustee the attorney and agent of such Guarantor to make, execute and deliver such written acknowledgment or acknowledgments or other instruments as may from time to time become necessary or advisable, in the reasonable judgment of the Trustee on the advice of counsel, to fully maintain and keep in force the liability of such Guarantor hereunder.
SECTION 11.10 Guarantee Obligations Not Reduced.
The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall not be satisfied, reduced or discharged solely by the payment of such principal, interest, fees and other monies or amounts as may at any time prior to discharge of this Indenture pursuant to Article Eight be or become owing or payable under or by virtue of or otherwise in connection with the Notes or this Indenture.
-107-
SECTION 11.11 Guarantee Obligations Reinstated.
The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall continue to be effective or shall be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any payment which would otherwise have reduced the obligations of any Guarantor hereunder (whether such payment shall have been made by or on behalf of the Issuer or by or on behalf of a Guarantor) is rescinded or reclaimed from any of the Holders upon the insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization of the Issuer or any Guarantor or otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made. If demand for, or acceleration of the time for, payment by the Issuer or any other Guarantor is stayed upon the insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization of the Issuer or such Guarantor, all such Indebtedness otherwise subject to demand for payment or acceleration shall nonetheless be payable by each Guarantor as provided herein.
SECTION 11.12 Guarantee Obligations Not Affected.
The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall not be affected, impaired or diminished in any way by any act, omission, matter or thing whatsoever, occurring before, upon or after any demand for payment hereunder (and whether or not known or consented to by any Guarantor or any of the Holders) which, but for this provision, might constitute a whole or partial defense to a claim against any Guarantor hereunder or might operate to release or otherwise exonerate any Guarantor from any of its obligations hereunder or otherwise affect such obligations, whether occasioned by default of any of the Holders or otherwise, including:
(a) any limitation of status or power, disability, incapacity or other circumstance relating to the Issuer or any other Person, including any insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization, readjustment, composition, dissolution, winding-up or other proceeding involving or affecting the Issuer or any other Person;
(b) any irregularity, defect, unenforceability or invalidity in respect of any indebtedness or other obligation of the Issuer or any other Person under this Indenture, the Notes or any other document or instrument;
(c) any failure of the Issuer or any other Guarantor, whether or not without fault on its part, to perform or comply with any of the provisions of this Indenture (including any Guarantee) or the Notes, or to give notice thereof to a Guarantor;
(d) the taking or enforcing or exercising or the refusal or neglect to take or enforce or exercise any right or remedy from or against the Issuer or any other Person or their respective assets or the release or discharge of any such right or remedy;
(e) the granting of time, renewals, extensions, compromises, concessions, waivers, releases, discharges and other indulgences to the Issuer or any other Person;
(f) any change in the time, manner or place of payment of, or in any other term of, any of the Notes, or any other amendment, variation, supplement, replacement or waiver of, or any consent to departure from, any of the Notes or this Indenture, including any increase or decrease in the principal amount of or interest on any of the Notes;
(g) any change in the ownership, control, name, objects, businesses, assets, capital structure or constitution of the Issuer or a Guarantor;
-108-
(h) any merger or amalgamation of the Issuer or a Guarantor with any Person or Persons;
(i) the occurrence of any change in the laws, rules, regulations or ordinances of any jurisdiction by any present or future action of any governmental authority or court amending, varying, reducing or otherwise affecting, or purporting to amend, vary, reduce or otherwise affect, any of the Guarantee Obligations or the obligations of a Guarantor under its Guarantee; and
(j) any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of the Issuer under this Indenture or the Notes or of a Guarantor in respect of its Guarantee.
SECTION 11.13 Waiver; Reliance.
(a) Without in any way limiting the provisions of Section 11.01, each Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance hereof, notice of any liability of any Guarantor hereunder, notice or proof of reliance by the Holders upon the obligations of any Guarantor hereunder, and diligence, presentment, demand for payment on the Issuer, protest, notice of dishonor or non-payment of any of the Guarantee Obligations, or other notice or formalities to the Issuer or any Guarantor of any kind whatsoever.
(b) Each Guarantor has independently, and without reliance on any information supplied by any Holder or the Trustee, taken whatever steps it has deemed necessary to inform itself of, and hereby assumes responsibility for taking such further steps as shall be necessary to keep itself informed of, the financial condition and affairs of the Issuer, each other Guarantor and any other guarantor, maker or endorser of any Guarantee Obligations or any part thereof, and of all other circumstances bearing upon the risk of nonpayment of any Guarantee Obligations or any part thereof that diligent inquiry would reveal, and each Guarantor hereby agrees that neither any Holder nor the Trustee shall have any duty to advise any Guarantor of information known to it regarding such condition or any such circumstances. In the event any Holder or the Trustee, in its sole discretion, undertakes at any time or from time to time to provide any such information to any Guarantor, such Person shall be under no obligation to (i) undertake any investigation not a part of its regular business routine, (ii) disclose any information that such Person, pursuant to accepted or reasonable commercial finance or banking practices, wishes to maintain confidential or (iii) make any future disclosures of such information or any other information to such or any other Guarantor.
SECTION 11.14 No Obligation To Take Action Against the Issuer.
Neither the Trustee nor any other Person shall have any obligation to enforce or exhaust any rights or remedies against the Issuer or any other Person or any property of the Issuer or any other Person before the Trustee is entitled to demand payment and performance by any or all Guarantors of their liabilities and obligations under the Guarantees or otherwise under this Indenture.
-109-
SECTION 11.15 Dealing with the Issuer and Others.
The Holders, without releasing, discharging, limiting or otherwise affecting in whole or in part the obligations and liabilities of any Guarantor hereunder and without the consent of or notice to any Guarantor, may:
(a) grant time, renewals, extensions, compromises, concessions, waivers, releases, discharges and other indulgences to the Issuer or any other Person;
(b) take or abstain from taking security or collateral from the Issuer or from perfecting security or collateral of the Issuer;
(c) release, discharge, compromise, realize, enforce or otherwise deal with or do any act or thing in respect of (with or without consideration) any and all collateral, mortgages or other security given by the Issuer or any third party with respect to the obligations or matters contemplated by this Indenture or the Notes;
(d) accept compromises or arrangements from the Issuer;
(e) apply all monies at any time received from the Issuer or from any security upon such part of the Guarantee Obligations as the Holders may see fit or change any such application in whole or in part from time to time as the Holders may see fit; and
(f) otherwise deal with, or waive or modify their right to deal with, the Issuer and all other Persons and any security as the Holders or the Trustee may see fit.
SECTION 11.16 Default and Enforcement.
If any Guarantor fails to pay in accordance with Section 11.06, the Trustee may proceed in its name as trustee hereunder in the enforcement of the Guarantee of any such Guarantor and such Guarantor’s other obligations thereunder by any remedy provided by law, whether by legal proceedings or otherwise, and to recover from such Guarantor the obligations.
SECTION 11.17 Amendment, Etc.
Subject to Section 9.03 hereof, no amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Indenture relating to any Guarantor or consent to any departure by any Guarantor or any other Person from any such provision will in any event be effective unless it is signed by such Guarantor and the Trustee.
SECTION 11.18 Acknowledgment.
Each Guarantor hereby acknowledges communication of the terms of this Indenture and the Notes and consents to and approves of the same.
-110-
SECTION 11.19 Costs and Expenses.
Each Guarantor shall pay on demand by the Trustee any and all costs, fees and expenses (including reasonable legal fees on a solicitor and client basis) incurred by the Trustee, its agents, advisors and counsel or any of the Holders in enforcing any of their rights under any Guarantee.
SECTION 11.20 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies.
No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising, on the part of the Trustee or the Holders, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under this Indenture or the Notes, shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under this Indenture or the Notes preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges in the Guarantee and under this Indenture, the Notes and any other document or instrument between a Guarantor or the Issuer and the Trustee are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privilege provided by law.
SECTION 11.21 Survival of Guarantee Obligations.
Without prejudice to the survival of any of the other obligations of each Guarantor hereunder, the obligations of each Guarantor under Section 11.01 shall survive the payment in full of the Guarantee Obligations and shall be enforceable against such Guarantor without regard to and without giving effect to any defense, right of offset or counterclaim available to or which may be asserted by the Issuer or any Guarantor.
SECTION 11.22 Guarantee in Addition to Other Guarantee Obligations.
The obligations of each Guarantor under its Guarantee and this Indenture are in addition to and not in substitution for any other obligations to the Trustee or to any of the Holders in relation to this Indenture or the Notes and any guarantees or security at any time held by or for the benefit of any of them.
ARTICLE TWELVE
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 12.01 Trust Indenture Act Controls.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the Trust Indenture Act, such required or deemed provision shall control.
SECTION 12.02 Notices.
Any notices or other communications to the Issuer, any Guarantor or the Trustee required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing, and shall be sufficiently given if made by hand delivery,
-111-
by nationally recognized overnight courier service, by facsimile transmission or registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, addressed as follows:
if to the Issuer or a Guarantor:
00 Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Telephone: (000)000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
With a copy to (which copy alone shall not constitute notice):
00 Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Esq., General Counsel
Telephone: (000)000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
And with a copy to (which copy alone shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxx Xxxx LLP
Seaport West
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx, Esq.
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
if to the Trustee:
U.S. Bank National Association
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Each of the Issuer (both for itself and any Guarantor) and the Trustee by written notice to each other such Person may designate additional or different addresses for notices to such Person. Any notice or communication to the Issuer, any Guarantor and the Trustee shall be deemed to have been given or made as of the date so delivered if personally delivered; when replied to; when receipt is acknowledged, if sent by facsimile transmission during normal business hours of the recipient, or, if not sent during normal business hours of the recipient, on the Business Day after the day receipt is acknowledged; five (5) calendar days after mailing if sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (except that a notice of change of address shall not be deemed to have been given until actually received by the addressee); one (1) Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier service guaranteeing overnight delivery of such notice or communication.
-112-
Any notice or communication to a Holder required or permitted hereunder shall be mailed to the Holder at the Holder’s address as it appears on the registration books of the Registrar.
Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders. If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.
If the Issuer mails a notice or communication to Holders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
SECTION 12.03 Communications by Holders with Other Holders.
Holders may communicate pursuant to Trust Indenture Act § 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture (including the Guarantees) or the Notes. The Issuer, the Trustee, the Registrar and any other Person shall have the protection of Trust Indenture Act § 312(c).
SECTION 12.04 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.
Upon any request or application by the Issuer to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Issuer shall furnish to the Trustee at the request of the Trustee:
(1) an Officers’ Certificate, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, stating that all conditions precedent, if any, to be performed or effected by the Issuer, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(2) an Opinion of Counsel, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with.
SECTION 12.05 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.
Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture, other than the Officers’ Certificate required by Section 4.04 or a certificate provided pursuant to Trust Indenture Act § 314(a)(4), shall comply with the provisions of Trust Indenture Act § 314(e) and shall include:
(1) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
-113-
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him 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 or not, in the opinion of each such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with or satisfied;
provided, however, that with respect to matters of fact, an Opinion of Counsel may rely on an Officers’ Certificate or certificates of public officials.
SECTION 12.06 Rules by Trustee and Agents.
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Holders of the Notes. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
SECTION 12.07 Legal Holidays.
If a payment date is not a Business Day, payment may be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day.
SECTION 12.08 Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial.
This Indenture (including the Guarantees) and the Notes will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, but without giving effect to applicable principles of conflicts of laws to the extent that the application of the laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.
Each of the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture, the Notes or the transaction contemplated hereby.
SECTION 12.09 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of any of the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
SECTION 12.10 No Recourse Against Others.
No director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder, organizer, member or manager of the Issuer or any Guarantor shall have any liability for any obligations of the Issuer under the Notes or this Indenture or of any Guarantor under its Guarantee or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. Such waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.
-114-
SECTION 12.11 Successors.
All agreements of the Issuer and the Guarantors in this Indenture (including the Guarantees) and the Notes shall bind their respective successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
SECTION 12.12 Duplicate Originals.
All parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy or counterpart shall be an original, but all of them together shall represent the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
SECTION 12.13 Severability.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, in case any one or more of the provisions in this Indenture (including the Guarantees) or in the Notes shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in any respect for any reason, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, it being intended that all of the provisions hereof shall be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.
SECTION 12.14 Force Majeure.
In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
SECTION 12.15 U.S.A. Patriot Act.
The parties hereto acknowledge that, in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.
-115-
SIGNATURES
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.
ISSUER: | ||
ALERE INC., a Delaware corporation as Issuer | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
Name: | Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | |
Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
Guarantors: | ||
ALERE CONNECT, LLC | ||
ALERE HOLDCO, INC. | ||
ALERE HOME MONITORING, INC. | ||
ALERE INFORMATICS, INC. | ||
ALERE INTERNATIONAL HOLDING CORP. | ||
ALERE NORTH AMERICA, LLC. | ||
ALERE SAN DIEGO, INC. | ||
ALERE SCARBOROUGH, INC. | ||
ALERE TOXICOLOGY, INC. | ||
ALERE TOXICOLOGY SERVICES, INC. | ||
ALERE US HOLDINGS, LLC | ||
AMEDITECH INC. | ||
ATS LABORATORIES, INC. | ||
AVEE LABORATORIES INC. | ||
BIOSITE INCORPORATED | ||
ESCREEN, INC. | ||
FIRST CHECK DIAGNOSTICS, LLC | ||
GLOBAL ANALYTICAL DEVELOPMENT LLC | ||
INNOVACON, INC. | ||
INSTANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | ||
INVERNESS MEDICAL, LLC | ||
IONIAN TECHNOLOGIES, LLC | ||
LABORATORY SPECIALISTS OF AMERICA, INC. | ||
PEMBROOKE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, INC. | ||
QUALITY ASSURED SERVICES, INC. | ||
REDWOOD TOXICOLOGY LABORATORY, INC. | ||
RTL HOLDINGS, INC. | ||
SELFCARE TECHNOLOGY, INC. | ||
STANDING STONE, LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxx XxXxxxxx | |
Name: | Xxx XxXxxxxx | |
Title: | Authorized Officer |
Alere – Supplemental Indenture
TRUSTEE: | ||
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |
Name: | Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |
Title: | Vice President |
Alere – Supplemental Indenture
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF NOTE
[Insert the Global Note Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]
[Insert the Private Placement Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]
[Insert the Regulation S Legend, if applicable pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture]
A-1
6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023
CUSIP No.
ISIN No.
No. | $ |
ALERE INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), for value received promises to pay to or its registered assigns, the principal sum of [ ] [or such other amount as is provided in a schedule attached hereto]1 on July 1, 2023.
Interest Payment Dates: January 1 and July 1.
Record Dates: December 15 and June 15.
Reference is made to the further provisions of this Note contained herein, which will for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Issuer has caused this Note to be signed manually or by facsimile by its duly authorized officer.
Dated:
ALERE INC., | ||
as Issuer | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
1 | This language should be included only if the Note is issued as a Global Note. |
A-2
[FORM OF TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION]
This is one of the 6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023 described in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated:
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||
By: |
| |
Authorized Signatory |
A-3
(Reverse of Note)
6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023
Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.
SECTION 1. Interest. Alere Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at 6.375% per annum from June 24, 20152 until maturity. The Issuer will pay interest semi-annually on January 1 and July 1 of each year, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day (each an “Interest Payment Date”), commencing January 1, 20163. Interest on the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from June 24, 20154. The Issuer shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium, if any, from time to time on demand to the extent lawful at the interest rate applicable to the Notes; it shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest (without regard to any applicable grace periods) from time to time on demand at the same rate to the extent lawful. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
SECTION 2. Method of Payment. The Issuer will pay interest on the Notes to the Persons who are registered Holders of Notes at the close of business on the December 15 or June 15 next preceding the Interest Payment Date, even if such Notes are canceled after such record date and on or before such Interest Payment Date, except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with respect to defaulted interest. The Notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000. The Issuer shall pay principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes 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. Principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes will be payable at the office or agency of the Issuer maintained for such purpose except that, at the option of the Issuer, the payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the Holders of the Notes at their respective addresses set forth in the register of Holders of Notes; provided, however, that for Holders that have given wire transfer instructions to the Issuer at least ten (10) Business Days prior to the applicable payment date, the Issuer will make all payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Holders thereof. Until otherwise designated by the Issuer, the Issuer’s office or agency in New York will be the office of the Trustee maintained for such purpose.
SECTION 3. Paying Agent and Registrar. Initially, U.S. Bank National Association, the Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Issuer may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. Except as provided in the Indenture, the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.
2 | Date to be used in the case of the Initial Notes; date to be revised as appropriate in the case of any Additional Notes. |
3 | Date to be used in the case of the Initial Notes; date to be revised as appropriate in the case of any Additional Notes. |
4 | Date to be used in the case of the Initial Notes; date to be revised as appropriate in the case of any Additional Notes. |
A-4
SECTION 4. Indenture and Subordination. The Issuer issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as of May 12, 2009, as amended, supplemented and modified by a Twenty-First Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 24, 2015 (as so amended, supplemented and modified, the “Indenture”), by and among the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S. Code §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) (the “Trust Indenture Act”). The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture and the Trust Indenture Act for a statement of such terms. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling. The payment of the Notes will, to the extent set forth in the Indenture, be subordinated in right of payment to the prior payment in full in cash or cash equivalents of all Senior Debt.
SECTION 5. Optional Redemption. Except as set forth in Section 6 and Section 7 hereof and Section 4.06(i) of the Indenture, the Notes will not be redeemable at the Issuer’s option prior to July 1, 2018. On or after July 1, 2018, the Notes will be subject to redemption at any time (which may be more than once) at the option of the Issuer, in whole or in part, upon not less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days’ notice (except that a notice issued in connection with a redemption referred to in Article Eight of the Indenture may be more than sixty (60) days before such Redemption Date), at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to but excluding the applicable Redemption Date, if redeemed during the corresponding period set forth below:
Applicable Period | Redemption Price | |||
July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019 |
104.781 | % | ||
July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 |
103.188 | % | ||
July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021 |
101.594 | % | ||
July 1, 2021 and thereafter |
100.000 | % |
SECTION 6. Optional Redemption with Proceeds from Equity Offerings. At any time (which may be more than once) prior to July 1, 2018, the Issuer may redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes, upon not less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days’ notice, with the net cash proceeds of one or more Qualified Equity Offerings at a redemption price equal to 106.375% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to but excluding the applicable Redemption Date; provided, however, that (i) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under the Indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption and (ii) such redemption shall occur within ninety (90) days of the date of the closing of any such Qualified Equity Offering.
SECTION 7. Make-whole Redemption. At any time (which may be more than once) prior to July 1, 2018, the Issuer may redeem all or a part of the Notes, upon not less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days’ notice (except that a notice issued in connection with a
A-5
redemption referred to in Article Eight of the Indenture may be more than sixty (60) days before such Redemption Date), at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount (or portion thereof) of the Notes to be redeemed plus the Applicable Premium as of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding, the applicable Redemption Date. “Applicable Premium” means, with respect to the principal amount of any Note to be redeemed pursuant to this Section 7 on any Redemption Date, the greater of: (1) 1.0% of the principal amount (or portion thereof) of such Note to be redeemed; and (2) the excess, if any, of (a) the present value at such Redemption Date of (i) the Redemption Price of such Note (or portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed) at July 1, 2018, as set forth in the table in Section 5 hereof, plus (ii) all required interest payments due on such Note (or portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed) through July 1, 2018 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest to such Redemption Date), computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate as of such Redemption Date plus 50 basis points; over (b) the then outstanding principal amount (or portion thereof) of such Note to be redeemed. “Treasury Rate” means, as of any Redemption Date, the yield to maturity as of such Redemption Date of United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) that has become publicly available at least two (2) Business Days prior to such Redemption Date (or, if such Statistical Release is no longer published, any publicly available source of similar market data)) most nearly equal to the period from such Redemption Date to July 1, 2018; provided, however, that if the period from such Redemption Date to July 1, 2018 is less than one year, the weekly average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year will be used.
SECTION 8. Notice of Redemption. Notice of redemption will be mailed by first class mail at least thirty (30) days but not more than sixty (60) days before the applicable Redemption Date (except that a notice issued in connection with a redemption referred to in Article Eight of the Indenture may be more than sixty (60) days before such Redemption Date) to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed at its registered address. Notes in denominations larger than $2,000 may be redeemed in part. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to such Note shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. A new Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Note. On and after such Redemption Date interest ceases to accrue on Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.
SECTION 9. Mandatory Redemption. The Issuer shall not be required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.
SECTION 10. Repurchase at Option of Holder. Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, and subject to certain conditions set forth in the Indenture, the Issuer will be required to offer to purchase all of the outstanding Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to the date of repurchase.
The Issuer is, subject to certain conditions and exceptions set forth in the Indenture, obligated to make an offer to purchase Notes at 100% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to the date of repurchase, with certain net cash proceeds of certain sales or other dispositions of assets in accordance with the Indenture.
A-6
SECTION 11. Denominations, Transfer, Exchange. The Notes are in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000. The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and the Issuer may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Issuer and the Registrar are not required to transfer or exchange any Note selected for redemption. Also, the Issuer and the Registrar are not required to transfer or exchange any Notes for a period of fifteen (15) days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed.
SECTION 12. Persons Deemed Owners. The registered Holder of a Note may be treated as its owner for all purposes.
SECTION 13. Amendment, Supplement and Waiver. Subject to certain exceptions, the Indenture and the Notes may be amended or supplemented with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, and compliance with any provision may be waived with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding. Without notice to or consent of any Holder, the parties thereto may amend or supplement the Indenture and the Notes to, among other things, cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the Indenture, provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes, comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of the Indenture under, and otherwise comply with, the Trust Indenture Act, or make any change that does not materially adversely affect the rights of any Holder under the Indenture or the Notes.
SECTION 14. Defaults and Remedies. If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least twenty-five percent (25%) in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes generally may by written notice to the Issuer and the Trustee declare all the Notes to be due and payable, whereupon the Notes shall become due and payable at the time provided in Section 6.02(a) of the Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency as set forth in the Indenture, with respect to the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary, all outstanding Notes will become due and payable without further action or notice. Holders of the Notes may not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power. The Trustee may withhold from Holders of the Notes notice of any continuing Default (except a Default relating to the payment of principal or interest, including an accelerated payment or the failure to make a payment on the Change of Control Payment Date or the Net Proceeds Payment Date pursuant to a Net Proceeds Offer, or a Default in complying with the provisions of Article Five of the Indenture) if it determines in good faith that withholding notice is in their interest. The Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default and its consequences under the Indenture except a continuing Default in the payment of interest on, or the principal of, or the premium, if any, on, the Notes.
A-7
SECTION 15. Restrictive Covenants. The Indenture contains certain covenants that, among other things, limit the ability of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries to make restricted payments, to incur indebtedness, to create liens, to sell assets, to permit restrictions on dividends and other payments by Restricted Subsidiaries of the Issuer, to consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of its assets or to engage in transactions with affiliates. The limitations are subject to a number of important qualifications and exceptions. The Issuer must annually report to the Trustee on compliance with such limitations and other provisions in the Indenture.
SECTION 16. No Recourse Against Others. No director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder, member or manager of the Issuer or any Guarantor shall have any liability for any obligations of the Issuer or any Guarantor under the Indenture (including the Guarantees) or the Notes for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes and the Guarantees.
SECTION 17. Guarantees. This Note will be entitled to the benefits of certain Guarantees made for the benefit of the Holders by the Guarantors pursuant to the Indenture. Reference is hereby made to the Indenture for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and obligations thereunder of the Guarantors, the Trustee and the Holders.
SECTION 18. Trustee Dealings with the Issuer. Subject to certain terms, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Issuer, its Subsidiaries or their respective Affiliates as if it were not the Trustee.
SECTION 19. Authentication. This Note shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.
SECTION 20. Abbreviations. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entirety), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).
SECTION 21. CUSIP and ISIN Numbers. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Issuer has caused CUSIP or ISIN numbers to be printed on the Notes and the Trustee may use CUSIP or ISIN numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.
SECTION 22. Governing Law. This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, but without giving effect to applicable principles of conflicts of laws to the extent that the application of the laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.
The Issuer will furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture.
A-8
ASSIGNMENT FORM
I or we assign and transfer this Note to:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Print or type name, address and zip code of assignee or transferee)
(Insert Social Security or other identifying number of assignee or transferee) and irrevocably appoint agent to transfer this Note on the books of the Issuer. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
Dated: | Signed: |
|
||||
(Sign exactly as name appears on the other side of this Note) |
Signature Guarantee: |
|
|||
Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor program reasonably acceptable to the Trustee) |
In connection with any transfer of this Note occurring prior to the date which is the date following the first anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note (or until an earlier transfer if (i) such Note is transferred following the six-month anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note in accordance with this Indenture and (ii) the Issuer has at the time of such transfer filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve-month period preceding the date of transfer), the undersigned confirms that it has not utilized any general solicitation or general advertising in connection with the transfer and is making the transfer pursuant to one of the following:
[Check One]
(1) | — | to the Issuer or a subsidiary thereof; or | ||
(2) | — | to a person who the transferor reasonably believes is a “qualified institutional buyer” pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act; or | ||
(3) | — | to an institutional “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act) that has furnished to the Trustee a signed letter containing certain representations and agreements (the form of which letter can be obtained from the Trustee); or | ||
(4) | — | outside the United States to a non-“U.S. person” as defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S under the Securities Act in compliance with Rule 904 of Regulation S under the Securities Act; or | ||
(5) | — | pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 under the Securities Act; or | ||
(6) | — | pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act |
A-1
and unless the box below is checked, the undersigned confirms that such Note is not being transferred to an “affiliate” of the Issuer as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (an “Affiliate”):
¨ | The transferee is an Affiliate of the Issuer. |
Unless one of the foregoing items (1) through (6) is checked, the Trustee and Registrar will refuse to register any of the Notes evidenced by this certificate in the name of any person other than the registered Holder thereof. If item (3), (4) or (5) is checked, the Issuer or the Trustee may require, prior to registering any such transfer of the Notes, in their sole discretion, such written legal opinions, certifications (including an investment letter in the case of item (3) or (4)) and other information as the Trustee or the Issuer has reasonably requested to confirm that such transfer is being made pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
If none of the foregoing items (1) through (6) is checked, the Trustee or Registrar shall not be obligated to register this Note in the name of any person other than the Holder hereof unless and until the conditions to any such transfer of registration set forth herein and in Section 2.16 of the Indenture shall have been satisfied.
Dated: | Signed: |
| ||||
(Sign exactly as name appears on the other side of this Note) | ||||||
Signature Guarantee: |
|
|||||
Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor program reasonably acceptable to the Trustee) |
TO BE COMPLETED BY PURCHASER IF (2) ABOVE IS CHECKED
The undersigned represents and warrants that it is purchasing this Note for its own account or an account with respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion and that it and any such account is a “qualified institutional buyer” within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act and is aware that the sale to it is being made in reliance on Rule 144A and acknowledges that it has received such information regarding the Issuer as the undersigned has requested pursuant to Rule 144A or has determined not to request such information and that it is aware that the transferor is relying upon the undersigned’s foregoing representations in order to claim the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A.
Dated: |
| |
NOTICE: To be executed by an executive officer |
OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Issuer pursuant to Section 4.06 or Section 4.10 of the Indenture, check the appropriate box below:
Section 4.06 [ ] |
Section 4.10 [ ] |
If you want to elect to have only part of this Note purchased by the Issuer pursuant to Section 4.06 or Section 4.10 of the Indenture, state the amount (in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000): $
Dated: | Signed: |
| ||||
(Sign exactly as name appears on the other side of this Note) | ||||||
Signature Guarantee: |
|
|||||
Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor program reasonably acceptable to the Trustee) |
SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE5
The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for an interest in another Global Note or for a Physical Note, or exchanges of a part of another Global Note or Physical Note for an interest in this Global Note, have been made:
Date of Exchange |
Amount of decrease in Principal Amount of this Global Note |
Amount of increase in Principal Amount of this Global Note |
Principal Amount of this Global Note following such decrease (or increase) |
Signature of authorized officer of Trustee or Note Custodian | ||||
5 | This schedule should be included only if the Note is issued as a Global Note. |
EXHIBIT B
FORMS OF LEGENDS
Each Global Note and Physical Note that constitutes a Restricted Security (other than a Regulation S Global Note or a Physical Note representing Notes sold to a Non-U.S. Person in reliance on Regulation S) shall bear the following legend (the “Private Placement Legend”) on the face thereof until the first anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note (or until an earlier transfer if (i) such Note is transferred following the six-month anniversary of the original date of issuance of such Note in accordance with the Indenture and (ii) the Issuer has at the time of such transfer filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve-month period preceding the date of transfer), unless otherwise agreed by the Issuer and the Holder thereof or if such legend is no longer required by Section 2.16(e) of the Indenture:
THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION. NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN MAY BE REOFFERED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, ENCUMBERED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR UNLESS SUCH TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM, OR NOT SUBJECT TO, SUCH REGISTRATION. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ANY INVESTOR ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT HAS PURCHASED SECURITIES, TO OFFER, SELL, ASSIGN, TRANSFER, PLEDGE, ENCUMBER OR OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF SUCH SECURITY, PRIOR TO THE DATE (THE “RESALE RESTRICTION TERMINATION DATE”) THAT IS SIX MONTHS AFTER THE LATEST OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF, THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE OF THE ISSUANCE OF ANY ADDITIONAL NOTES AND THE LAST DATE ON WHICH THE ISSUER OR ANY AFFILIATE OF THE ISSUER WAS THE OWNER OF THIS SECURITY (OR ANY PREDECESSOR OF SUCH SECURITY), ONLY (A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, (B) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN DECLARED EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (C) FOR SO LONG AS THE SECURITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (“RULE 144A”), TO A PERSON IT REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A THAT PURCHASES FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER TO WHOM NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A, (D) PURSUANT TO OFFERS AND SALES TO NON-U.S. PERSONS THAT OCCUR OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (E) TO AN INSTITUTIONAL “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 501(a)(1), (2), (3) OR (7) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT THAT IS NOT A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER AND THAT IS PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF
B-1
ANOTHER INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR OR (F) PURSUANT TO ANOTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT, SUBJECT TO THE COMPANY’S AND THE TRUSTEE’S RIGHT PRIOR TO ANY SUCH OFFER, SALE, ASSIGNMENT, TRANSFER, PLEDGE, ENCUMBRANCE OR OTHER DISPOSITION PURSUANT TO CLAUSES (D), (E) OR (F) TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION OF COUNSEL, CERTIFICATION AND/ OR OTHER INFORMATION SATISFACTORY TO EACH OF THEM.
Each Regulation S Global Note and each Physical Note representing Notes sold to a Non-U.S. Person in reliance on Regulation S shall bear the following legend on the face thereof (the “Regulation S Legend”), until receipt by the Issuer and the Trustee of a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto:
THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION. NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN MAY BE REOFFERED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, ENCUMBERED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR UNLESS SUCH TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM, OR NOT SUBJECT TO, SUCH REGISTRATION. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ANY INVESTOR ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT HAS PURCHASED SECURITIES, TO OFFER, SELL, ASSIGN, TRANSFER, PLEDGE, ENCUMBER OR OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF SUCH SECURITY, PRIOR TO THE DATE (THE “RESALE RESTRICTION TERMINATION DATE”) THAT IS 40 DAYS AFTER THE LATEST OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF, THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE OF ANY ADDITIONAL NOTES AND THE DATE ON WHICH THIS SECURITY (OR ANY PREDECESSOR OF SUCH SECURITY) WAS FIRST OFFERED TO PERSONS OTHER THAN DISTRIBUTORS (AS DEFINED IN RULE 902 OF REGULATION S) IN RELIANCE ON REGULATION S, ONLY (A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, (B) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN DECLARED EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (C) FOR SO LONG AS THE SECURITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (“RULE 144A”), TO A PERSON IT REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A THAT PURCHASES FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER TO WHOM NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A, (D) PURSUANT TO OFFERS AND SALES TO NON-U.S. PERSONS THAT OCCUR OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (E) TO AN INSTITUTIONAL “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 501(a)(1), (2), (3) OR (7) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT THAT IS NOT A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER AND THAT IS PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF ANOTHER INSTITUTIONAL
B-2
ACCREDITED INVESTOR OR (F) PURSUANT TO ANOTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT, SUBJECT TO THE COMPANY’S AND THE TRUSTEE’S RIGHT PRIOR TO ANY SUCH OFFER, SALE, ASSIGNMENT, TRANSFER, PLEDGE, ENCUMBRANCE OR OTHER DISPOSITION PURSUANT TO CLAUSES (D), (E) OR (F) TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION OF COUNSEL, CERTIFICATION AND/ OR OTHER INFORMATION SATISFACTORY TO EACH OF THEM.
BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF, THE HOLDER HEREOF REPRESENTS THAT IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON NOR IS IT PURCHASING FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A U.S. PERSON AND IS ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.
Each Note shall bear the following legend on the face thereof:
BY ITS ACQUISITION OF THIS SECURITY, THE HOLDER HEREOF WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE REPRESENTED AND WARRANTED TO THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE THAT EITHER (1) NO PORTION OF THE ASSETS USED BY SUCH HOLDER TO ACQUIRE OR HOLD THIS SECURITY CONSTITUTES ASSETS OF AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN THAT IS SUBJECT TO TITLE I OF THE U.S. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED (“ERISA”), OF A PLAN, INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT OR OTHER ARRANGEMENT THAT IS SUBJECT TO SECTION 4975 OF THE U.S. INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED (THE “CODE”) OR PROVISIONS UNDER ANY OTHER FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, NON-U.S. OR OTHER LAWS OR REGULATIONS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO SUCH PROVISIONS OF ERISA OR THE CODE (“SIMILAR LAWS”), OR OF AN ENTITY WHOSE UNDERLYING ASSETS ARE CONSIDERED TO INCLUDE “PLAN ASSETS” OF ANY SUCH PLAN, ACCOUNT OR ARRANGEMENT, OR (2) THE ACQUISITION AND HOLDING OF THIS SECURITY WILL NOT CONSTITUTE A NON-EXEMPT PROHIBITED TRANSACTION UNDER SECTION 406 OF ERISA OR SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE OR A SIMILAR VIOLATION UNDER ANY APPLICABLE SIMILAR LAWS.
Each Global Note authenticated and delivered hereunder shall also bear the following legend (the “Global Note Legend”):
THIS NOTE IS A GLOBAL NOTE WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITORY OR A NOMINEE OF A DEPOSITORY OR A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITORY. THIS NOTE IS NOT EXCHANGEABLE FOR NOTES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITORY OR ITS NOMINEE EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITORY TO A NOMINEE OF THE
B-3
DEPOSITORY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY TO THE DEPOSITORY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL NOTE SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF CEDE & CO. OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL NOTE SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 2.16 OF THE INDENTURE.
B-4
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF CERTIFICATE TO BE
DELIVERED IN CONNECTION WITH
TRANSFERS TO NON-QIB INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTORS
U.S. Bank National Association
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
Re: | Alere Inc. (the “Issuer”) |
6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023 (the “Notes”)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In connection with our proposed purchase of Notes, we confirm that:
1. We understand that any subsequent offer, sale, assignment, transfer, pledge, encumbrance, or other disposition of the Notes is subject to certain restrictions and conditions set forth in the Indenture relating to the Notes (the “Indenture”) and the undersigned agrees to be bound by, and not to offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, encumber or otherwise dispose of the Notes except in compliance with, such restrictions and conditions and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and all applicable state securities laws.
2. We understand that the offer and sale of the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act, and that the Notes may not be offered, sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, encumbered or otherwise disposed of except as permitted in the following sentence. We agree, on our own behalf and on behalf of any accounts for which we are acting as hereinafter stated, that if we should offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, encumber or otherwise dispose of any Notes, we will do so only (A) to the Issuer or any subsidiary thereof, (B) pursuant to a registration statement that has been declared effective under the Securities Act, (C) for so long as the Notes are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Rule 144A”), to a person we reasonably believe is a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A that purchases for its own account or for the account of a qualified institutional buyer to whom notice is given that the transfer is being made in reliance on Rule 144A, (D) pursuant to offers and sales to non-U.S. persons that occur outside the United States within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act, (D) to an institutional “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act that is not a qualified institutional buyer and that is purchasing for its own account or for the account of another institutional accredited investor or (F) pursuant to another available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, subject to the Issuer’s and the Trustee’s (as defined in the Indenture) right prior to any such offer, sale, assignment, transfer, pledge, encumbrance or other disposition pursuant
C-1
to clauses (D), (E) or (F) to require the delivery of an opinion of counsel, certification and/ or other information satisfactory to each of them, and we further agree to provide to any person purchasing any of the Notes from us a notice advising such purchaser of the restrictions stated herein.
3. Either (A) no portion of the assets we are using to acquire or hold the Notes constitutes assets of an employee benefit plan that is subject to Title I of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), of any plan, account or other arrangement that is subject to Section 4975 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or provisions under any other federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code (“Similar Laws”), or of an entity whose underlying assets are considered to include “plan assets” of any such plan, account or arrangement, or (B) the acquisition and holding of the Notes by us will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code or a similar violation under any applicable Similar Law.
4. We understand that, on any proposed offer, sale, assignment, transfer, pledge, encumbrance, or other disposition of any Notes, we will be required to furnish to the Trustee and the Issuer such certification, legal opinions and other information as the Trustee and the Issuer may reasonably require to confirm that the proposed offer, sale, assignment, transfer, pledge, encumbrance, or other disposition complies with the foregoing restrictions. We further understand that the Notes purchased by us will bear a legend to the foregoing effect.
5. We are an institutional “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Regulation D under the Securities Act) and have such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of our investment in the Notes, and we and any accounts for which we are acting are each able to bear the economic risk of our or their investment, as the case may be.
6. We are acquiring the Notes purchased by us for our account or for one or more accounts (each of which is an institutional “accredited investor”) as to each of which we exercise sole investment discretion.
You, as Trustee, the Issuer, counsel for the Issuer and others are entitled to rely upon this letter and are irrevocably authorized to produce this letter or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.
Very truly yours, | ||
[Name of Transferee] | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
C-2
EXHIBIT D
FORM OF CERTIFICATE TO BE DELIVERED
IN CONNECTION WITH TRANSFERS
PURSUANT TO REGULATION S
U.S. Bank National Association
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
Re: | Alere Inc. (the “Issuer”) |
6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023 (the “Notes”)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In connection with our proposed sale of $[ ] aggregate principal amount of the Notes, we confirm that such sale has been effected pursuant to and in accordance with Regulation S (“Regulation S”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and, accordingly, we represent that:
(1) the offer of the Notes was not made to a person in the United States;
(2) either (a) at the time the buy offer was originated, the transferee was outside the United States or we and any person acting on our behalf reasonably believed that the transferee was outside the United States, or (b) the transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated offshore securities market and neither we nor any person acting on our behalf knows that the transaction has been prearranged with a buyer in the United States;
(3) no directed selling efforts have been made in the United States in contravention of the requirements of Rule 903 or Rule 904 of Regulation S, as applicable;
(4) the transaction is not part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration requirements of the Securities Act; and
(5) we have advised the transferee of the transfer restrictions applicable to the Notes.
You, as Trustee, the Issuer, counsel for the Issuer and others are entitled to rely upon this letter and are irrevocably authorized to produce this letter or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceedings or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby. Terms used in this certificate have the meanings set forth in Regulation S.
D-1
Very truly yours, | ||
[Name of Transferor] | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
D-2
EXHIBIT E
FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of , 20 , among [SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR] (the “New Guarantor”), a Subsidiary of Alere Inc. (or its successor) (the “Issuer”), ALERE INC., a Delaware corporation, on behalf of itself and the Guarantors (the “Existing Guarantors”) under the Indenture referred to below, and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee under the Indenture referred to below (the “Trustee”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS the Issuer has heretofore executed and delivered an Indenture dated as of May 12, 2009, as amended, supplemented and modified by a Twenty-First Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 24, 2015 (as so amended, supplemented or modified, and as further amended, supplemented or modified to date, the “Indenture”), by and among the Issuer, the Existing Guarantors and the Trustee, providing for the issuance of 6.375% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2023 (the “Notes”);
WHEREAS Section 4.13 of the Indenture provides that under certain circumstances the Issuer is required to cause the New Guarantor to execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which the New Guarantor shall unconditionally and irrevocably guarantee all of the Issuer’s obligations under the Notes pursuant to a guarantee on the terms and conditions set forth herein; and
WHEREAS pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee, the Issuer and the Existing Guarantors are authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the New Guarantor, the Trustee and, on behalf of itself and the Existing Guarantors, the Issuer mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders as follows:
SECTION 1. Definitions. For all purposes of this Supplemental Indenture, except as otherwise herein expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires: (i) the terms and expressions used herein shall have the same meanings as corresponding terms and expressions used in the Indenture; and (ii) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereby” and other words of similar import used in this Supplemental Indenture refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.
SECTION 2. Agreement to Guarantee. The New Guarantor hereby unconditionally and irrevocably agrees, jointly and severally with all other Guarantors, to guarantee the Issuer’s obligations under the Notes and the Indenture on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Article Eleven of the Indenture and to be bound by all other applicable provisions of the Indenture.
E-1
SECTION 3. Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indenture Part of Indenture. Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes, and every Holder heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby.
SECTION 4. Governing Law. This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, but without giving effect to applicable principles of conflicts of laws to the extent that the application of the laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.
SECTION 5. Trustee Makes No Representation. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture or as to the recitals contained herein.
SECTION 6. Counterparts. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.
SECTION 7. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
[NEW SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR], as the New Guarantor | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
ALERE INC., on behalf of itself and the Existing Guarantors | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
E-2