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NOTE REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of February 7, 1997
by and between
RENAISSANCE COSMETICS, INC.,
and
CIBC WOOD GUNDY SECURITIES CORP.,
as Initial Purchaser
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1. Definitions.......................................................
2. Exchange Offer....................................................
3. Shelf Registration................................................
4. Additional Interest...............................................
5. Registration Procedures...........................................
6. Registration Expenses.............................................
7. Indemnification...................................................
8. Rules 144 and 144A................................................
9. Underwritten Registrations........................................
10. Miscellaneous.....................................................
a. Remedies....................................................
b. Enforcement.................................................
c. No Inconsistent Agreements..................................
d. Adjustments Affecting Registrable Notes.....................
e. Amendments and Waivers......................................
f. Notices.....................................................
g. Successors and Assigns......................................
h. Counterparts................................................
i. Headings....................................................
j. Governing Law...............................................
k. Severability................................................
l. Entire Agreement............................................
m. Notes Held by the Company or Its Affiliates.................
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NOTE REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") dated as of
February 7, 1997, by and between RENAISSANCE COSMETICS, INC., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and CIBC WOOD GUNDY SECURITIES CORP., as initial
purchaser (the "Initial Purchaser").
This Agreement is entered into in connection with the Securities
Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 3, 1997, between the Company and the
Initial Purchaser (the "Purchase Agreement") relating to the sale by the Company
to the Initial Purchaser of $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of %
Senior Notes due 2004 (the "Notes"). In order to induce the Initial Purchaser to
enter into the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide the
registration rights set forth in this Agreement for the benefit of the Initial
Purchaser and subsequent Holders of the Registrable Notes. The execution and
delivery of this Agreement is a condition to the Initial Purchaser's obligation
to purchase the Notes under the Purchase Agreement.
The parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Definitions
As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
Additional Interest: See Section 4(a).
Advice: See Section 5.
Agreement: See the first introductory paragraph of this Agreement.
Applicable Period: See Section 2(b).
Business Day: Any day except a Saturday or Sunday or a day on which
banking institutions in New York, New York are required or authorized by law or
other governmental action to be closed.
Closing: See the Purchase Agreement.
Company: See the first introductory paragraph to
this Agreement.
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Effectiveness Date: The 135th day after the Issue Date.
Effectiveness Period: See Section 3(a).
Event Date: See Section 4(b).
Exchange Act: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.
Exchange Notes: See Section 2(a).
Exchange Offer: See Section 2(a).
Exchange Registration Statement: See Section 2(a).
Filing Date: The 45th day after the Issue Date.
Holder: Any holder of a Registrable Note or Registrable Notes.
Indemnified Person: See Section 7(c).
Indemnifying Person: See Section 7(c).
Indenture: The Indenture, dated as of , 1997, between the
Company and , as trustee, pursuant to which the Notes are being
issued, as amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the
terms thereof.
Initial Purchaser: See the first introductory paragraph to this
Agreement.
Initial Shelf Registration: See Section 3(a).
Inspectors: See Section 5(o).
Issue Date: The date on which the original Notes are sold to the
Initial Purchaser pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
Lien: See the Indenture.
NASD: See Section 5(t).
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Notes: See the second introductory paragraph to this
Agreement.
Participant: See Section 7(a).
Participating Broker-Dealer: See Section 2(b).
Person: An individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture,
association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or
government (including any agency or political subdivision thereof).
Private Exchange: See Section 2(b).
Private Exchange Notes: See Section 2(b).
Prospectus: The prospectus included in any Registration Statement
(including, without limitation, any prospectus subject to completion and a
prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus
filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A
promulgated under the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any
prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion
of the Registrable Notes covered by such Registration Statement, and all other
amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective
amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
Purchase Agreement: See the second introductory paragraph to this
Agreement.
Records: See Section 5(o).
Registrable Notes: The Notes upon original issuance of the Notes and
at all times subsequent thereto and, if issued, the Private Exchange Notes,
until in the case of any such Notes or any such Private Exchange Notes, as the
case may be, (i) a Registration Statement covering such Notes or such Private
Exchange Notes has been declared effective by the SEC and such Notes or such
Private Exchange Notes, as the case may be, have been disposed of in accordance
with such effective Registration Statement, (ii) such Notes or such Private
Exchange Notes, as the case may be, are sold in compliance with Rule 144, (iii)
in the case of any Note, such Note has been exchanged for an Exchange Note or
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Exchange Notes pursuant to an Exchange Offer or (iv) such Notes or such Private
Exchange Notes, as the case may be, cease to be outstanding.
Registration Default: See Section 4(a).
Registration Statement: Any registration statement
of the Company, including, but not limited to, the Exchange
Registration Statement, which covers any of the Registrable Notes pursuant to
the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus, amendments and
supplements to such registration statement, including post-effective amendments,
all exhibits, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
Rule 144: Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, as such
Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule (other than Rule
144A) or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC providing for offers and sales
of securities made in compliance therewith resulting in offers and sales by
subsequent holders that are not affiliates of an issuer of such securities being
free of the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities
Act.
Rule 144A: Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act, as such
Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule (other than Rule 144)
or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC providing for offers and sales of
securities made in compliance therewith resulting in offers and sales by
subsequent holders that are not affiliates of an issuer of such securities being
free of the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities
Act.
Rule 415: Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act, as such
Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation
hereafter adopted by the SEC.
SEC: The Securities and Exchange Commission.
Securities Act: The Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the
rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.
Shelf Notice: See Section 2(c).
Shelf Registration: See Section 3(b).
Subsequent Shelf Registration: See Section 3(b).
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TIA: The Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
Trustee: The trustee under the Indenture and, if
existent, the trustee under any indenture governing the
Exchange Notes and Private Exchange Notes (if any).
Underwritten registration or underwritten offering: A registration
in which securities of the Company are sold to an underwriter(s) for reoffering
to the public.
2. Exchange Offer
(a) The Company agrees to file with the SEC as soon as practicable
after the Closing, but in no event later than the Filing Date, an offer to
exchange (the "Exchange Offer") any and all of the Registrable Notes for a like
aggregate principal amount of debt securities of the Company which are identical
to the Notes (the "Exchange Notes") (and which are entitled to the benefits of
the Indenture or a trust indenture which is substantially identical to the
Indenture (other than such changes to the Indenture or any such identical trust
indenture as are necessary to comply with any requirements of the SEC to effect
or maintain the qualification thereof under the TIA) and which, in either case,
has been qualified under the TIA), except that the Exchange Notes shall have
been registered pursuant to an effective Registration Statement under the
Securities Act. The Exchange Offer will be registered under the Securities Act
on the appropriate form (the "Exchange Registration Statement") and will comply
with all applicable tender offer rules and regulations under the Exchange Act.
The Company agrees to use its best efforts to (x) cause the Exchange
Registration Statement to become effective under the Securities Act on or before
the Effectiveness Date; (y) keep the Exchange Offer open for at least 30 days
(or longer if required by applicable law) after the date that notice of the
Exchange Offer is first mailed to Holders; and (z) consummate the Exchange Offer
on or prior to the 60th day following the date on which the Exchange
Registration Statement is declared effective (or, if such day is not a Business
Day, the next succeeding Business Day). If after such Exchange Registration
Statement is initially declared effective by the SEC, the Exchange Offer or the
issuance of the Exchange Notes thereunder is interfered with by any stop order,
injunction or other order or requirement of the SEC or any other governmental
agency or court, such Exchange Registration Statement shall be deemed not to
have become effective for purposes of this agreement. Each Holder who
participates in the Exchange Offer will be required to represent that any
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Exchange Notes received by it will be acquired in the ordinary course of its
business, that at the time of the consummation of the Exchange Offer such Holder
will have no arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in the
distribution of the Exchange Notes, and that such Holder is not an affiliate of
the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act
or if it is such an affiliate, that it will comply with the registration and
prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act, to the extent
applicable. Upon consummation of the Exchange Offer in accordance with this
Section 2, the provisions of this Agreement shall continue to apply, mutatis
mutandis, solely with respect to Registrable Notes that are Private Exchange
Notes and Exchange Notes held by Participating Broker-Dealers (as defined
below), and the Company shall have no further obligation to register Registrable
Notes (other than Private Exchange Notes) pursuant to Section 3 of this
Agreement.
(b) The Company shall include within the Prospectus contained in the
Exchange Registration Statement a section entitled "Plan of Distribution,"
reasonably acceptable to the Initial Purchaser, which shall contain a summary
statement of the positions taken or policies made by the staff of the SEC with
respect to the potential "underwriter" status of any broker-dealer that is the
beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act)
of Exchange Notes received by such broker-dealer in the Exchange Offer (a
"Participating Broker-Dealer"), whether such positions or policies have been
publicly disseminated by the staff of the SEC or such positions or policies, in
the reasonable judgment of the Initial Purchaser, represent the prevailing views
of the staff of the SEC. Such "Plan of Distribution" section shall also allow
the use of the Prospectus by all persons subject to the prospectus delivery
requirements of the Securities Act, including all Participating Broker-Dealers,
and include a statement describing the means by which Participating
Broker-Dealers may resell the Exchange Notes.
The Company shall use its best efforts to keep the Exchange
Registration Statement effective and to amend and supplement the Prospectus
contained therein, in order to permit such Prospectus to be lawfully delivered
by all persons subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities
Act for such period of time as such persons must comply with such requirements
in order to resell the Exchange Notes, provided, that such period shall not
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exceed 180 days (or such longer period if extended pursuant to the last
paragraph of Section 5) (the "Applicable Period").
If, prior to consummation of the Exchange Offer, the Initial
Purchaser holds any Notes acquired by them and having, or which are reasonably
likely to be determined to have, the status as an unsold allotment in the
initial distribution, the Company upon the request of the Initial Purchaser
shall, simultaneously with the delivery of the Exchange Notes in the Exchange
Offer, issue and deliver to the Initial Purchaser, in exchange (the "Private
Exchange") for the Notes held by the Initial Purchaser, a like principal amount
of debt securities of the Company that are identical in all material respects to
the Exchange Notes (the "Private Exchange Notes") (and which are issued pursuant
to the same indenture as the Exchange Notes). The Private Exchange Notes shall
bear the same CUSIP number as the Exchange Notes. Interest on the Exchange Notes
and Private Exchange Notes will accrue from the last interest payment date on
which interest was paid on the Notes surrendered in exchange therefor or, if no
interest has been paid on the Notes, from the Issue Date.
In connection with the Exchange Offer, the Company shall:
(i) mail to each Holder a copy of the Prospectus forming part of
the Exchange Registration Statement, together with an appropriate letter
of transmittal and related documents;
(ii) utilize the services of a depositary for the Exchange Offer
with an address in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York; and
(iii) permit Holders to withdraw tendered Notes at any time prior to
5:00 p.m., New York time, on the last business day on which the Exchange
Offer shall remain open.
As soon as practicable after the close of the Exchange Offer or the
Private Exchange, as the case may be, the Company shall:
(i) accept for exchange all Notes tendered and not
validly withdrawn pursuant to the Exchange Offer or the
Private Exchange;
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(ii) deliver to the Trustee for cancellation all
Notes so accepted for exchange; and
(iii) cause the Trustee to authenticate and deliver promptly to each
Holder of Notes, Exchange Notes or Private Exchange Notes, as the case may
be, equal in principal amount to the Notes of such Holder so accepted for
exchange.
The Exchange Notes and the Private Exchange Notes may be issued
under (i) the Indenture or (ii) an indenture substantially identical to the
Indenture, which in either event will provide that the Exchange Notes will not
be subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in the Indenture and that the
Exchange Notes, the Private Exchange Notes and the Notes will vote and consent
together on all matters as one class and that neither the Exchange Notes, the
Private Exchange Notes nor the Notes will have the right to vote or consent as a
separate class on any matter.
(c) If (1) prior to the consummation of the Exchange Offer, the
Company or Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Registrable Notes reasonably determine in good faith that (i) the Exchange Notes
would not, upon receipt, be tradeable by such Holders which are not affiliates
(within the meaning of the Securities Act) of the Company without restriction
under the Securities Act and without restrictions under applicable state
securities laws, or (ii) after conferring with counsel, the SEC is unlikely to
permit the consummation of the Exchange Offer prior to the Effectiveness Date,
(2) subsequent to the consummation of the Private Exchange, any holder of the
Private Exchange Notes so requests or (3) the Exchange Offer is commenced and
not consummated within 180 days of the date of this Agreement, then the Company
shall promptly deliver to the Holders and the Trustee written notice thereof
(the "Shelf Notice") and shall file an Initial Shelf Registration pursuant to
Section 3. Following the delivery of a Shelf Notice to the Holders of
Registrable Notes (in the circumstances contemplated by clauses (1) and (3) of
the preceding sentence), the Company shall not have any further obligation to
conduct the Exchange Offer or the Private Exchange under this Section 2.
(d) As a condition to its participation in the Exchange Offer
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, each Holder represents and warrants to
the Company that, (A) it is not an affiliate of the Company within the meaning
of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, (B) it is not engaged in, and does not
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intend to engage in, and has no arrangement or understanding with any Person to
participate in, a distribution of the Exchange Notes to be issued in the
Exchange Offer, and (C) it is acquiring the Exchange Notes in its ordinary
course of business. Each Holder hereby acknowledges and agrees that any
Participating Broker-Dealer and any Holder using the Exchange Offer to
participate in a distribution of Exchange Notes (1) could not under Commission
policy as in effect on the date of this Agreement rely on the position of the
Commission enunciated in Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx and Co., Inc. (available June 5, 1991)
and Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation (available May 13, 1988), as interpreted
in the Commission's letter to Shearman & Sterling dated July 2, 1993, and
similar no-action letters, and (2) must comply with the registration and
prospectus delivery requirements of the Act in connection with a secondary
resale transaction and that such a secondary resale transaction must be covered
by an effective registration statement containing the selling security holder
information required by Item 507 or 508, as applicable, of Regulation S-K if the
resales are of Notes obtained by such Holder in exchange for Notes acquired by
such Holder directly from the Company or an affiliate thereof.
3. Shelf Registration
If a Shelf Notice is delivered as contemplated by Section 2(c),
then:
(a) Initial Shelf Registration. The Company shall prepare and file
with the SEC a Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous
basis pursuant to Rule 415 covering all of the Registrable Notes (the "Initial
Shelf Registration"). If the Company shall have not yet filed an Exchange
Registration Statement, the Company shall use its best efforts to file with the
SEC the Initial Shelf Registration on or prior to the Filing Date. In any other
instance, the Company shall use its best efforts to file with the SEC the
Initial Shelf Registration within 30 days of the delivery of the Shelf Notice.
The Initial Shelf Registration shall be on Form S-1 or another appropriate form
permitting registration of such Registrable Notes for resale by such Holders in
the manner or manners designated by them (including, without limitation, one or
more underwritten offerings). The Company shall not permit any securities other
than the Registrable Notes to be included in the Initial Shelf Registration or
any Subsequent Shelf Registration (as defined below). The Company shall use its
best efforts to cause the Initial Shelf Registration to be declared effective
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under the Securities Act on or prior to the Effectiveness Date and to keep the
Initial Shelf Registration continuously effective under the Securities Act until
the date which is 36 months from the date on which such Initial Shelf
Registration is declared effective (subject to extension pursuant to the last
paragraph of Section 5 hereof) (the "Effectiveness Period"), or such shorter
period ending when (i) all Registrable Notes covered by the Initial Shelf
Registration have been sold in the manner set forth and as contemplated in the
Initial Shelf Registration, (ii) a Subsequent Shelf Registration covering all of
the Registrable Notes has been declared effective under the Securities Act or
(iii) no Registrable Notes remain outstanding.
(b) Subsequent Shelf Registrations. If the Initial Shelf
Registration or any Subsequent Shelf Registration ceases to be effective for any
reason at any time during the Effectiveness Period (other than because of the
sale of all of the securities registered thereunder), the Company shall use its
best efforts to obtain the prompt withdrawal of any order suspending the
effectiveness thereof, and in any event shall within 45 days of such cessation
of effectiveness amend the Shelf Registration in a manner to obtain the
withdrawal of the order suspending the effectiveness thereof, or file an
additional "shelf" Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 415 covering all of
the Registrable Notes (a "Subsequent Shelf Registration"). If a Subsequent Shelf
Registration is filed, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause the
Subsequent Shelf Registration to be declared effective as soon as practicable
after such filing and to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective
for a period equal to the number of days in the Effectiveness Period less the
aggregate number of days during which the Initial Shelf Registration or any
Subsequent Shelf Registration was previously continuously effective. As used
herein the term "Shelf Registration" means the Initial Shelf Registration and
any Subsequent Shelf Registration.
(c) Supplements and Amendments. The Company shall promptly
supplement and amend the Shelf Registration if required by the rules,
regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used for such
Shelf Registration, if required by the Securities Act, or if requested by the
Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Notes
covered by such Registration Statement or by the managing underwriter(s) of such
Registrable Notes in an underwritten offering.
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4. Additional Interest
(a) The Company and the Initial Purchaser agree that the Holders of
Registrable Notes will suffer damages if the Company fails to fulfill its
obligations under Section 2 or Section 3 hereof and that it would not be
feasible to ascertain the extent of such damages with precision. Accordingly,
the Company agrees to pay additional interest on the Notes ("Additional
Interest") under the circumstances set forth below:
(i) if the Exchange Registration Statement or the
Initial Shelf Registration has not been filed on or prior
to the Filing Date;
(ii) if the Exchange Registration Statement or the
Initial Shelf Registration has not been declared effective
on or prior to the Effectiveness Date; or
(iii) if either (A) the Company has not exchanged the Exchange Notes
for all Notes validly tendered in accordance with the terms of the
Exchange Offer on or prior to 60 days after the date on which the Exchange
Registration Statement was declared effective or (B) the Exchange
Registration Statement has been declared effective and then ceases to be
effective at any time prior to the time that the Exchange Offer is
consummated or (C) if applicable, the Shelf Registration has been declared
effective and such Shelf Registration ceases to be effective at any time
during the Effectiveness Period;
(each such event referred to in clauses (i) through (iii) above is a
"Registration Default"), then the sole remedy available to holders of the Notes
will be the immediate accrual of Additional Interest as follows: the per annum
interest rate on the Notes will increase by 50 basis points; and the per annum
interest rate will increase by an additional 25 basis points for each subsequent
90-day period (on the day following such period) during which the Registration
Default remains uncured, up to a maximum additional interest rate of 200 basis
points per annum, provided, however, that (1) upon the filing of the Exchange
Registration Statement or the Initial Shelf Registration (in the case of (i)
above), (2) upon the effectiveness of the Exchange Registration Statement or a
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Shelf Registration (in the case of (ii) above) or (3) upon the exchange of
Exchange Notes for all Notes validly tendered (in the case of (iii)(A) above),
or upon the effectiveness of the Exchange Registration Statement which had
ceased to remain effective (in the case of (iii)(B) above), or upon the
effectiveness of the Shelf Registration which had ceased to remain effective (in
the case of (iii)(C) above), Additional Interest on the Notes as a result of
such clause (i), (ii) or (iii) (or the relevant subclause thereof), as the case
may be, shall cease to accrue and the interest rate on the Notes will revert to
the interest rate originally borne by the Notes.
(b) The Company shall notify the Trustee within one business day
after each and every date on which an event occurs in respect of which
Additional Interest is required to be paid (an "Event Date"). Any amounts of
Additional Interest due pursuant to (a)(i), (a)(ii) or (a)(iii) of this Section
4 will be payable in cash semi-annually on each February 15 and August 15 (to
the Holders of record on the February 1 and August 1 immediately preceding such
dates), commencing with the first such date occurring after any such Additional
Interest commences to accrue, by depositing with the Trustee, in trust for the
benefit of such Holders, immediately available funds in sums sufficient to pay
such Additional Interest. The amount of Additional Interest will be determined
by multiplying the applicable Additional Interest rate by the principal amount
of the Registrable Notes, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is
the number of days such Additional Interest rate was applicable during such
period (determined on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day
months), and the denominator of which is 360.
5. Registration Procedures
In connection with the registration of any Registrable Notes or
Private Exchange Notes pursuant to Section 2 or 3 hereof, the Company shall
effect such registrations to permit the sale of such Registrable Notes or
Private Exchange Notes in accordance with the intended method or methods of
disposition thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall:
(a) Prepare and file with the SEC, prior to the Filing Date, a
Registration Statement or Registration Statements as prescribed by Section
2 or 3, and use its best efforts to cause each such Registration Statement
to become effective and remain effective as provided herein, provided,
that, if (1) such filing is pursuant to Section 3, or (2) a Prospectus
contained in an Exchange Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section
2 is required to be delivered under the Securities Act by any
Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Notes during the
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Applicable Period, before filing any Registration Statement or Prospectus
or any amendments or supplements thereto, the Company shall, if requested,
furnish to and afford the Holders of the Registrable Notes and each such
Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, covered by such
Registration Statement, their counsel and the managing underwriter(s), if
any, a reasonable opportunity to review copies of all such documents
(including copies of any documents to be incorporated by reference therein
and all exhibits thereto) proposed to be filed (at least 5 business days
prior to such filing). The Company shall not file any Registration
Statement or Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto in
respect of which the Holders must be afforded an opportunity to review
prior to the filing of such document, if the Holders of a majority
in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Notes covered by such
Registration Statement, or such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case
may be, their counsel, or the managing underwriter(s), if any, shall
reasonably object.
(b) Prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and post-effective
amendments to each Shelf Registration or Exchange Registration Statement,
as the case may be, as may be necessary to keep such Registration
Statement continuously effective for the Effectiveness Period or the
Applicable Period, as the case may be; cause the related Prospectus to be
supplemented by any prospectus supplement required by applicable law, and
as so supplemented to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (or any similar
provisions then in force) under the Securities Act; and comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to them with
respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such Registration
Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented and with
respect to the subsequent resale of any securities being sold by a
Participating Broker-Dealer covered by any such Prospectus; the Company
shall be deemed not to have used its best efforts to keep a Registration
Statement effective during the Applicable Period if it voluntarily takes
any action that would result in selling Holders of the Registrable Notes
covered thereby or Participating Broker-Dealers seeking to sell Exchange
Notes not being able to sell such Registrable Notes or such Exchange Notes
during that period unless such action is required by applicable law or
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unless the Company complies with this Agreement, including without
limitation, the provisions of Section 5(c)(v) below.
(c) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3, or
(2) a Prospectus contained in an Exchange Registration Statement filed
pursuant to Section 2 is required to be delivered under the Securities Act
by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Notes during
the Applicable Period, notify the selling Holders of Registrable Notes, or
each such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, their counsel
and the managing underwriter(s), if any, promptly (but in any
event within two business days), and confirm such notice in writing, (i)
when a Prospectus or any prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment
thereto has been filed, and, with respect to a Registration Statement or
any post-effective amendment thereto, when the same has become effective
(including in such notice a written statement that any Holder may, upon
request, obtain, without charge, one conformed copy of such Registration
Statement or post-effective amendment thereto including financial
statements and schedules, documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference and exhibits), (ii) of the issuance by the SEC
of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement
or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary
Prospectus or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, (iii) if
at any time when a Prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be
delivered in connection with sales of the Registrable Notes the
representations and warranties of the Company contained in any agreement
(including any underwriting agreement) contemplated by Section 5(n) below
cease to be true and correct, (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any
notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or
exemption from qualification of a Registration Statement or any of the
Registrable Notes or the Exchange Notes to be sold by any Participating
Broker-Dealer for offer or sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or
threatening of any proceeding for such purpose, (v) of the happening of
any event or any information becoming known that makes any statement made
in such Registration Statement or related Prospectus or any document
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in
any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in, or
amendments or supplements to, such Registration Statement, Prospectus or
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documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, and that in the case of the Prospectus,
it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading, and (vi) of the Company's reasonable
determination that a post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement
would be appropriate.
(d) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3, or
(2) a Prospectus contained in an Exchange Registration Statement filed
pursuant to Section 2 is required to be delivered under the Securities Act
by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Notes during
the Applicable Period, use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any
order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or of any
order preventing or suspending the use of a Prospectus or suspending the
qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable
Notes or the Exchange Notes to be sold by any Participating Broker-Dealer,
for sale in any jurisdiction, and, if any such order is issued, to use its
best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any such order at the earliest
possible moment.
(e) If a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3 and if
requested by the managing underwriter(s), if any, or the Holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Notes being sold
in connection with an underwritten offering, (i) promptly incorporate in a
Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment thereto such information
as the managing underwriter(s), if any, or such Holders reasonably request
to be included therein, (ii) make all required filings of such Prospectus
supplement or such post-effective amendment thereto as soon as practicable
after the Company has received notification of the matters to be
incorporated in such Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment
thereto and (iii) supplement or make amendments to such Registration
Statement.
(f) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3, or
(2) a Prospectus contained in an Exchange Registration Statement filed
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pursuant to Section 2 is required to be delivered under the Securities Act
by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Notes during
the Applicable Period, furnish to each selling Holder of Registrable Notes
and to each such Participating Broker-Dealer who so requests and to
counsel and the managing underwriter(s), if any, who so request, without
charge, one conformed copy of the Registration Statement or Registration
Statements and each post-effective amendment thereto, including financial
statements and schedules, and, if requested, all documents incorporated or
deemed to be incorporated therein by reference and all exhibits.
(g) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3, or
(2) a Prospectus contained in an Exchange Registration Statement filed
pursuant to Section 2 is required to be delivered under the Securities Act
by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Notes during
the Applicable Period, deliver to each selling Holder of Registrable
Notes, or each such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, their
counsel, and the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, without
charge, as many copies of the Prospectus or Prospectuses (including each
form of preliminary Prospectus) and each amendment or supplement thereto
and any documents incorporated by reference therein as such Persons may
reasonably request; and, subject to the last paragraph of this Section 5,
the Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each
amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders of
Registrable Notes or each such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case
may be, and the managing underwriter or underwriters or agents, if any,
and dealers, if any, in connection with the offering and sale of the
Registrable Notes covered by or the sale by Participating Broker-Dealers
of the Exchange Notes pursuant to such Prospectus and any amendment or
supplement thereto.
(h) Prior to any public offering of Registrable Notes or any
delivery of a Prospectus contained in the Exchange Registration Statement
by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Notes during
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the Applicable Period, to use its best efforts to register or qualify (to
the extent required by applicable law), and to cooperate with the selling
Holders of Registrable Notes or each such Participating Broker-Dealer, as
the case may be, the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, and
their respective counsel in connection with the registration or
qualification (or exemption from such registration or qualification) of
such Registrable Notes for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky
laws of such jurisdictions within the United States as any selling Holder,
Participating Broker-Dealer, or the managing underwriter or underwriters,
if any, reasonably request in writing, provided, that where Exchange Notes
held by Participating Broker-Dealers or Registrable Notes are offered
other than through an underwritten offering, the Company agrees to cause
its counsel to perform Blue Sky investigations and file registrations and
qualifications required to be filed pursuant to this Section 5(h); keep
each such registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective
during the period such Registration Statement is required to be kept
effective and do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary or
advisable to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Exchange
Notes held by Participating Broker-Dealers or the Registrable Notes
covered by the applicable Registration Statement; provided, that the
Company shall not be required to (A) qualify generally to do business in
any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, (B) take any action
that would subject it to general service of process in any such
jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or (C) subject itself to
taxation in excess of a nominal dollar amount in any such jurisdiction.
(i) If a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3,
cooperate with the selling Holders of Registrable Notes and the managing
underwriter or underwriters, if any, to facilitate the timely preparation
and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Notes to be sold,
which certificates shall not bear any restrictive legends and shall be in
a form eligible for deposit with The Depository Trust Company; and enable
such Registrable Notes to be in such denominations and registered in such
names as the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, or Holders may
reasonably request.
(j) Use its best efforts to cause the Registrable Notes covered by
the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other
governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary to enable the
seller or sellers thereof or the managing underwriter or underwriters, if
any, to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Notes, except as
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may be required solely as a consequence of the nature of such selling
Holder's business, in which case the Company will cooperate in all
reasonable respects with the filing of such Registration Statement and the
granting of such approvals.
(k) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3, or
(2) a Prospectus contained in an Exchange Registration Statement filed
pursuant to Section 2 is required to be delivered under the Securities Act
by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Notes during
the Applicable Period, upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by
paragraph 5(c)(v) or 5(c)(vi)
above, as promptly as practicable prepare and (subject to Section 5(a)
above) file with the SEC, at the expense of the Company, a supplement or
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a supplement to
the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated therein by reference, or file any other required document so
that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the Registrable Notes
being sold thereunder or to the purchasers of the Exchange Notes to whom
such Prospectus will be delivered by a Participating Broker-Dealer, any
such Prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading.
(l) Use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registrable Notes
covered by a Registration Statement or the Exchange Notes, as the case may
be, to be rated with at least one nationally recognized statistical rating
agency, if so requested by the Holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount of Registrable Notes covered by such Registration
Statement or the Exchange Notes, as the case may be, or the managing
underwriter or underwriters, if any.
(m) Prior to the effective date of the first Registration Statement
relating to the Registrable Notes, (i) provide the Trustee with printed
certificates for the Registrable Notes in a form eligible for deposit with
The Depository Trust Company and (ii) provide a CUSIP number for the
Registrable Notes.
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(n) In connection with an underwritten offering of Registrable Notes
pursuant to a Shelf Registration, enter into an underwriting agreement as
is customary in similar underwritten offerings of debt securities similar
to the Notes and take all such other actions as are reasonably requested
by the managing underwriter(s), if any, in order to expedite or facilitate
the registration or the disposition of such Registrable Notes, and in such
connection, (i) make such representations and warranties to the managing
underwriter or underwriters on behalf of any underwriters, with respect to
the business of the Company and its respective subsidiaries and the
Registration Statement, Prospectus and documents, if any, incorporated or
deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, in each case, as are
customarily made by issuers to underwriters in similar underwritten
offerings of debt securities similar to the Notes, and confirm the same if
and when requested; (ii) obtain opinions of counsel to the Company and
updates thereof in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
managing underwriter or underwriters, addressed to the managing
underwriter or underwriters covering the matters customarily covered in
opinions requested in underwritten offerings of debt securities and such
other matters as may be reasonably requested by underwriters; (iii) obtain
"cold comfort" letters and updates thereof in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the managing underwriter or underwriters from
the independent certified public accountants of the Company (and, if
necessary, any other independent certified public accountants of any
subsidiary of any of the Company or of any business acquired by the
Company for which financial statements and financial data are, or are
required to be, included in the Registration Statement), addressed to the
managing underwriter or underwriters on behalf of any underwriters, such
letters to be in customary form and covering matters of the type
customarily covered in "cold comfort" letters in connection with
underwritten offerings of debt securities and such other matters as
reasonably requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters; and (iv)
if an underwriting agreement is entered into, the same shall contain
indemnification provisions and procedures no less favorable than those set
forth in Section 7 hereof (or such other provisions and procedures
acceptable to Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of
Registrable Notes covered by such Registration Statement and the managing
underwriter or underwriters or agents) with respect to all parties to be
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indemnified pursuant to said Section. The above shall be done at each
closing under such underwriting agreement, or as and to the extent
required thereunder.
(o) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3, or
(2) a Prospectus contained in an Exchange Registration Statement filed
pursuant to Section 2 is required to be delivered under the Securities Act
by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Notes during
the Applicable Period, make available for inspection by any selling Holder
of such Registrable Notes being sold, or each such Participating
Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, the managing underwriter or
underwriters participating in any such disposition of Registrable Notes,
if any, and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by any such
selling Holder or each such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may
be (collectively, the "Inspectors"), at the offices where normally kept,
during reasonable business hours, all financial and other records,
pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company and its
respective subsidiaries (collectively, the "Records") as shall be
reasonably necessary to enable them to exercise any applicable due
diligence responsibilities, and cause the officers, directors and
employees of the Company and its respective subsidiaries to supply all
information in each case reasonably requested by any such Inspector in
connection with such Registration Statement. Records which the Company
determines, in good faith, to be confidential and any Records which it
notifies the Inspectors are confidential shall not be disclosed by the
Inspectors unless (i) the disclosure of such Records is necessary to avoid
or correct a material misstatement or material omission in such
Registration Statement, (ii) the release of such Records is ordered
pursuant to a subpoena or other order from a court of competent
jurisdiction or (iii) the information in such Records has been made
generally available to the public. Each selling Holder of such Registrable
Notes and each such Participating Broker-Dealer or underwriter will be
required to agree that information obtained by it as a result of such
inspections shall be deemed confidential and shall not be used by it as
the basis for any market transactions in the securities of the Company
unless and until such is made generally available to the public. Each
selling Holder of such Registrable Notes and each such Participating
Broker-Dealer will be required to further agree that it will, upon
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learning that disclosure of such Records is sought by a governmental
agency or in a court of competent jurisdiction, give notice to the Company
and allow the Company to undertake appropriate action to prevent
disclosure of the Records deemed confidential at its expense.
(p) Provide an indenture trustee for the Registrable Notes or the
Exchange Notes, as the case may be, and cause the Indenture or the trust
indenture provided for in Section 2(a), as the case may be, to be
qualified under the TIA not later than the effective date of the Exchange
Offer or the first Registration Statement relating to the Registrable
Notes; and in connection therewith, cooperate with the trustee under any
such indenture and the Holders of the Registrable Notes, to effect such
changes to such indenture as may be required for such indenture to be so
qualified in accordance with the terms of the TIA; and execute, and use
its best efforts to cause such trustee to execute, all documents as may be
required to effect such changes, and all other forms and documents
required to be filed with the SEC to enable such indenture to be so
qualified in a timely manner.
(q) Comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and
make generally available to its securityholders earnings statements
satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule
158 thereunder (or any similar rule promulgated under the Securities Act)
no later than 45 days after the end of any 12-month period (or 90 days
after the end of any 12-month period if such period is a fiscal year) (i)
commencing at the end of any fiscal quarter in which Registrable Notes are
sold to underwriters in a firm commitment or best efforts underwritten
offering and (ii) if not sold to underwriters in such an offering,
commencing on the first day of the first fiscal quarter of the Company
after the effective date of a Registration Statement, which statements
shall cover said 12-month periods.
(r) Upon consummation of an Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange,
obtain an opinion of counsel to the Company, in a form customary for
similar underwritten offerings of debt securities similar to the Notes,
addressed to the Trustee for the benefit of all Holders of Registrable
Notes participating in the Exchange Offer or the Private Exchange, as the
case may be, and which includes an opinion that (i) the Company has duly
authorized, executed and delivered the Exchange Notes and Private Exchange
Notes and the related indenture and (ii) the Exchange Notes or the Private
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Exchange Notes, as the case may be, and related indenture constitute a
legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against
the Company in accordance with its respective terms (with customary
exceptions).
(s) If an Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange is to be consummated,
upon delivery of the Registrable Notes by Holders to the Company (or to
such other Person as directed by the Company) in exchange for the Exchange
Notes or the Private Exchange Notes, as the case may be, the Company shall
xxxx, or cause to be marked, on such Registrable Notes that such
Registrable Notes are being cancelled in exchange for the Exchange Notes
or the Private Exchange Notes, as the case may be; and, in no event shall
such Registrable Notes be marked as paid or otherwise satisfied.
(t) Cooperate with each seller of Registrable Notes covered by any
Registration Statement and the managing underwriter(s), if any,
participating in the disposition of such Registrable Notes and their
respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be made in
connection with such disposition with the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD").
(u) Use its reasonable best efforts to take all other steps
necessary to effect the registration of the Registrable Notes covered by a
Registration Statement
contemplated hereby.
The Company may require each seller of Registrable Notes or
Participating Broker-Dealer as to which any registration is being effected to
furnish to the Company such information regarding such seller or Participating
Broker-Dealer and the distribution of such Registrable Notes or Exchange Notes
to be sold by such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, as the
Company may, from time to time, reasonably request. The Company may exclude from
such registration the Registrable Notes of any seller or Participating
Broker-Dealer who unreasonably fails to furnish such information within a
reasonable time after receiving such request.
Each Holder of Registrable Notes and each Participating
Broker-Dealer agrees by acquisition of such Registrable Notes or Exchange Notes
to be sold by such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, that, upon
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receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event
of the kind described in Section 5(c)(ii), 5(c)(iv), 5(c)(v), or 5(c)(vi), such
Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Notes covered
by such Registration Statement or Prospectus or Exchange Notes to be sold by
such Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, until such
Holder's receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus
contemplated by Section 5(k), or until it is advised in writing (the "Advice")
by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus may be resumed, and has
received copies of any amendments or supplements thereto. In the event the
Company shall give any such notice, each of the Effectiveness Period and the
Applicable Period shall be extended by the number of days during such periods
from and including the date of the giving of such notice to and including the
date when each seller of Registrable Notes covered by such Registration
Statement or Exchange Notes to be sold by such Holder or Participating
Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, shall have received (x) the copies of the
supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by Section 5(k) or (y) the
Advice.
6. Registration Expenses
All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance
with this Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company whether or not
the Exchange Offer or a Shelf Registration is filed or becomes effective,
including, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including,
without limitation, (A) fees with respect to filings required to be made with
the NASD in connection with an underwritten offering and (B) fees and expenses
of compliance with state securities or Blue Sky laws (including, without
limitation, reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel (which may be counsel
to the Company) in connection with Blue Sky qualifications of the Registrable
Notes or Exchange Notes and, if requested, determination of the eligibility of
the Registrable Notes or Exchange Notes for investment under the laws of such
jurisdictions (x) where the Holders of Registrable Notes are located, in the
case of the Exchange Notes, or (y) as provided in Section 5(h), in the case of
Registrable Notes or Exchange Notes to be sold by a Participating Broker-Dealer
during the Applicable Period)), (ii) printing expenses (including, without
limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Notes or Exchange
Notes in a form eligible for deposit with The Depository Trust Company and of
printing Prospectuses if and only if the printing of Prospectuses is reasonably
-24-
requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, or, in respect of
Registrable Notes or Exchange Notes to be sold by any Participating
Broker-Dealer during the Applicable Period, by the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Notes included in any Registration
Statement or of such Exchange Notes, as the case may be), (iii) messenger,
telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Company and fees and disbursements of special counsel (which will be limited to
a single firm for each related transaction) for the sellers of Registrable
Notes, (v) fees and disbursements of all independent certified public
accountants referred to in Section 5(n)(iii) (including, without limitation, the
expenses of any special audit and "cold comfort" letters required by or incident
to such performance), (vi) rating agency fees, (vii) Securities Act liability
insurance, if the Company desires such insurance, (viii) fees and expenses of
the Trustee, (ix) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the
Company, (x) internal expenses of the Company (including, without limitation,
all salaries and expenses of officers and employees of the Company performing
legal or accounting duties), (xi) the expense of any annual audit, (xii) the
fees and expenses incurred in connection with any listing of the securities to
be registered on any securities exchange, (xiii) the fees and disbursements of
underwriters, if any, customarily paid by issuers or sellers of securities (but
not including any underwriting discounts or commissions or transfer taxes, if
any, attributable to the sale of the Registrable Notes which discounts,
commissions or taxes shall be paid by Holders of such Registrable Notes), and
(xiv) the expenses relating to printing, word processing and distributing all
Registration Statements, underwriting agreements, securities sales agreements,
indentures and any other documents necessary in order to comply with this
Agreement.
7. Indemnification
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Holder of
Registrable Notes and each Participating Broker-Dealer selling Exchange Notes
during the Applicable Period, the officers and directors of each such person,
and each person, if any, who controls any such person within the meaning of
either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each,
a "Participant"), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and
liabilities (including, without limitation, the reasonable legal fees and other
expenses actually incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or
any claim asserted) caused by, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement
-25-
or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration
Statement or Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have
furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) or any preliminary Prospectus,
or caused by, arising out of or based upon any omission or alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities are caused by any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue
statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
relating to any Participant furnished to the Company in writing by such
Participant expressly for use therein; provided, that the foregoing indemnity
with respect to any preliminary Prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any
Participant (or to the benefit of any person controlling such Participant) from
whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities
purchased Registrable Notes or Exchange Notes if such untrue statement or
omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in such preliminary
Prospectus is eliminated or remedied in the related Prospectus (as amended or
supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements
thereto) and a copy of the related Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented)
shall have been furnished to such Participant at or prior to the sale of such
Registrable or Exchange Notes, as the case may be, to such person.
(b) Each Participant will be required to agree, severally and not
jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers
and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the
foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Participant, but only with
reference to information relating to such Participant furnished to the Company
in writing by such Participant expressly for use in any Registration Statement
or Prospectus, any amendment or supplement thereto, or any preliminary
Prospectus. The liability of any Participant under this paragraph (b) shall in
no event exceed the proceeds received by such Participant from sales of
Registrable Notes giving rise to such obligations.
(c) If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or
regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against
any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to either
paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 7, such person (the "Indemnified Person")
shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the
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"Indemnifying Person") in writing, and the Indemnifying Person, upon request of
the Indemnified Person, shall retain one counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
Indemnified Person to represent the Indemnified Person and any others the
Indemnifying Person may reasonably designate in such proceeding and shall pay
the reasonable fees and expenses incurred by such counsel related to such
proceeding. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right
to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at
the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and
the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed in writing to the contrary,
(ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain
counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person or (iii) the named
parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both
the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representations of both
parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential
differing interests between them. It is understood that the Indemnifying Person
shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same
jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate law
firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that
all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such
separate firm for the Participants and such control persons of Participants
shall be designated in writing by Participants who sold a majority in interest
of Registrable Notes sold by all such Participants and any such separate firm
for the Company, its directors, officers and such control persons of the Company
shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not
be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written
consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for
the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify any Indemnified
Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or
judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified
Person shall have requested an Indemnifying Person to reimburse the Indemnified
Person for reasonable fees and expenses incurred by counsel as contemplated by
the third sentence of this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person agrees that it
shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its
written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after
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receipt by such Indemnifying Person of the aforesaid request and (ii) such
Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in
accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement; provided,
however, that the Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement
effected without its consent pursuant to this sentence if the Indemnifying
Person is contesting, in good faith, the request for reimbursement. No
Indemnifying Person shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified
Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect
of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and of which
indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless
such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person
from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) of
this Section 7 is unavailable to an Indemnified Person in respect of any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying
Person under such paragraphs, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person
thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified
Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Company on the
one hand and the Participants on the other in connection with the statements or
omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well
as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the
Company on the one hand and the Participants on the other shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Participants and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The parties shall agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation
(even if the Participants were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any
other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. The amount
paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims,
damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall
be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any reasonable
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legal or other expenses actually incurred by such Indemnified Person in
connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no event shall a
Participant be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by
which proceeds received by such Participant from sales of Registrable Notes or
Exchange Notes exceeds the amount of any damages that such Participant has
otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act)
shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such
fraudulent misrepresentation.
The indemnity and contribution agreements contained
in this Section 7 will be in addition to any liability which the Indemnifying
Persons may otherwise have to the Indemnified Persons referred to above.
8. Rules 144 and 144A
The Company covenants that it will file the reports required to be
filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations adopted by the SEC thereunder in a timely manner and, if at any time
the Company is not required to file such reports, it will, upon the request of
any Holder of Registrable Notes, make publicly available other information of a
like nature so long as necessary to permit sales pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule
144A. The Company further covenants that so long as any Registrable Notes remain
outstanding to make available to any Holder of Registrable Notes in connection
with any sale thereof, the information required by Rule 144A(d)(4) under the
Securities Act in order to permit resales of such Registrable Notes pursuant to
(a) such Rule 144A, or (b) any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by
the SEC.
9. Underwritten Registrations
If any of the Registrable Notes covered by any Shelf Registration
are to be sold in an underwritten offering, the investment banker or investment
bankers and manager or managers that will manage the offering will be selected
by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such Registrable
Notes included in such offering and shall be reasonably acceptable to the
-29-
Company. No underwritten offering shall include less than $10,000,000 principal
amount of the Notes covered by such Shelf Registration.
No Holder of Registrable Notes may participate in any underwritten
registration hereunder unless such Holder (a) agrees to sell such Holder's
Registrable Notes on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements
approved by the Persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements and (b)
completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities,
underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms
of such underwriting arrangements.
10. Miscellaneous
(a) Remedies. In the event of a breach by the
Company of any of its obligations under this Agreement, other
than the occurrence of an event which requires payment of Additional Interest,
each Holder of Registrable Notes, in addition to being entitled to exercise all
rights provided herein, in the Indenture or, in the case of the Initial
Purchaser, in the Purchase Agreement or granted by law, including recovery of
damages, under this Agreement.
(b) Enforcement. The Trustee shall be authorized to
enforce the provisions of this Agreement for the ratable
benefit of the Holders.
(c) No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company has not, as of the date
hereof, and shall not, after the date of this Agreement, enter into any
agreement with respect to any of its securities that is inconsistent with the
rights granted to the Holders of Registrable Notes in this Agreement or
otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. The Company has not entered nor
will it enter into any agreement with respect to any of its securities which
will grant to any Person piggy-back rights with respect to a Registration
Statement.
(d) Adjustments Affecting Registrable Notes. The Company shall not,
directly or indirectly, take any action with respect to the Registrable Notes as
a class that would adversely affect the ability of the Holders of Registrable
Notes to include such Registrable Notes in a registration undertaken pursuant to
this Agreement.
(e) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement,
including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or
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supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof
may not be given, unless the Company has obtained the written consent of Holders
of at least a majority of the then outstanding aggregate principal amount of
Registrable Notes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart
from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to
the rights of Holders of Registrable Notes whose securities are being sold
pursuant to a Registration Statement and that does not directly or indirectly
affect, impair, limit or compromise the rights of other Holders of Registrable
Notes may be given by Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the Registrable Notes being sold by such Holders pursuant to such
Registration Statement, provided, that the provisions of this sentence may not
be amended, modified or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of
the immediately preceding sentence.
(f) Notices. All notices and other communications (including without
limitation any notices or other communications to the Trustee) provided for or
permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by hand-delivery, registered
first-class mail, next-day air courier or telecopier:
(i) if to a Holder of Registrable Notes, at the most current address
given by the Trustee to the Company; and
(ii) if to the Company, Renaissance Cosmetics, Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Chief Financial
Officer, with a copy to Xxxx, Weiss, Rifkind, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx, 0000
Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000, Attention: Xxxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx, Esq.
All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been
duly given: (i) when delivered by hand, if personally delivered; (ii) five
business days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed;
(iii) one business day after being timely delivered to a next-day air courier;
and (iv) when receipt of a complete copy thereof is acknowledged by the
addressee, if telecopied.
Copies of all such notices, demands or other communications shall be
concurrently delivered by the Person giving the same to the Trustee under the
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Indenture at the address specified in such Indenture.
(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the
benefit of and be binding upon the successors and assigns of each of the
parties, including without limitation and without the need for an express
assignment, subsequent Holders of Registrable Notes.
(h) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which
when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
(i) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are
for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or
otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
(j) GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AS APPLIED TO CONTRACTS
MADE AND PERFORMED WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF
CONFLICTS OF LAW. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES TO SUBMIT TO THE
JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF NEW
YORK IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT.
(k) Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of
this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid,
illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions,
covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and
effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties
hereto shall use their best efforts to find and employ an alternative means to
achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such
term, provision, covenant or restriction.
(l) Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Purchase
Agreement and the Indenture, is intended by the parties as a final expression of
their agreement, and is intended to be a complete and exclusive statement of the
agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject
matter contained herein and therein.
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(m) Notes Held by the Company or Its Affiliates. Whenever the
consent or approval of Holders of a specified percentage of Registrable Notes is
required hereunder, Registrable Notes held by the Company or its affiliates (as
such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) shall not be counted
in determining whether such consent or approval was given by the Holders of such
required percentage.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of
the date first written above.
RENAISSANCE COSMETICS, INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X.X. Kaung
------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X.X. Kaung
Title: Group Vice President
CIBC WOOD GUNDY SECURITIES CORP.
By: /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx
---------------------------------
Name: Xxxx Xxxxxx
Title: Managing Director
