Exhibit 4.5
EXECUTION COPY
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ECONOPHONE, INC.,
Issuer
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
Trustee
______________________
Indenture
Dated as of July 1, 1997
______________________
131/2% Senior Notes Due 2007
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
TIA SECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INDENTURE SECTIONS
Section 310(a)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . 7.10
(a)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . 7.10
(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.08
Section 312(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.03
Section 313(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.06; 11.02
Section 314(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.17; 11.02
(a)(4) . . . . . . . . . . . 4.17; 11.02
(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.01
(c)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . 11.03
(c)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . 11.03
(d). . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.01
(e). . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.04
Section 315(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.05; 11.02
(e). . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.11
Section 316(a)(1)(A). . . . . . . . . . 6.05
(a)(1)(B). . . . . . . . . . 6.04
(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.07
(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.03
Section 317(a)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . 6.08
(a)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . 6.09
(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.05
Section 318(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.01
(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.01
Note: The Cross-Reference Table shall not for any purpose be deemed to be
a part of the Indenture.
TABLE OF CONTENTS*
PAGE
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01. Definitions................................................... 2
SECTION 1.02. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act............. 23
SECTION 1.03. Rules of Construction......................................... 24
ARTICLE TWO
THE NOTES
SECTION 2.01. Form and Dating............................................... 24
SECTION 2.02. Restrictive Legends........................................... 25
SECTION 2.03. Execution, Authentication and Denominations................... 28
SECTION 2.04. Registrar and Paying Agent.................................... 29
SECTION 2.05. Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust........................... 29
SECTION 2.06. Transfer and Exchange......................................... 30
SECTION 2.07. Book-Entry Provisions for Global Notes........................ 31
SECTION 2.08. Special Transfer Provisions................................... 33
SECTION 2.09. Replacement Notes............................................. 36
SECTION 2.10. Outstanding Notes............................................. 37
SECTION 2.11. Temporary Notes............................................... 38
SECTION 2.12. Cancellation.................................................. 38
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP Numbers................................................. 38
SECTION 2.14. Defaulted Interest............................................ 39
SECTION 2.15. Issuance of Additional Notes.................................. 39
ARTICLE THREE
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01. Right of Redemption........................................... 39
SECTION 3.02. Notices to Trustee............................................ 40
SECTION 3.03. Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed............................. 40
SECTION 3.04. Notice of Redemption.......................................... 40
SECTION 3.05. Effect of Notice of Redemption................................ 41
SECTION 3.06. Deposit of Redemption Price................................... 42
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SECTION 3.07. Payment of Notes Called for Redemption........................ 42
SECTION 3.08. Notes Redeemed in Part........................................ 42
ARTICLE FOUR
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01. Payment of Notes.............................................. 42
SECTION 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency............................... 43
SECTION 4.03. Limitation on Indebtedness.................................... 43
SECTION 4.04. Limitation on Restricted Payments............................. 46
SECTION 4.05. Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions
Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries............................. 49
SECTION 4.06. Limitation on the Issuance and Sale of Capital Stock of
Restricted Subsidiaries....................................... 51
SECTION 4.07. Limitation on Issuances of Guarantees by Restricted
Subsidiaries...................................................52
SECTION 4.08. Limitation on Transactions with Shareholders and Affiliates... 52
SECTION 4.09. Limitation on Liens........................................... 53
SECTION 4.10. Limitation on Sale-Leaseback Transactions..................... 54
SECTION 4.11. Limitation on Asset Sales..................................... 55
SECTION 4.12. Repurchase of Notes upon a Change of Control.................. 56
SECTION 4.13. Existence..................................................... 56
SECTION 4.14. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims............................. 56
SECTION 4.15. Maintenance of Properties and Insurance....................... 57
SECTION 4.16. Compliance Certificates....................................... 57
SECTION 4.17. Commission Reports and Reports to Holders..................... 58
SECTION 4.18. Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws....................... 58
ARTICLE FIVE
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 5.01. When Company May Merge, Etc................................... 58
SECTION 5.02. Successor Substituted......................................... 60
ARTICLE SIX
DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. Events of Default............................................. 60
SECTION 6.02. Acceleration.................................................. 61
SECTION 6.03. Other Remedies................................................ 62
SECTION 6.04. Waiver of Past Defaults....................................... 62
SECTION 6.05. Control by Majority........................................... 63
SECTION 6.06. Limitation on Suits........................................... 63
SECTION 6.07. Rights of Holders to Receive Payment.......................... 64
SECTION 6.08. Collection Suit by Trustee.................................... 64
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SECTION 6.09. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.............................. 64
SECTION 6.10. Priorities.................................................... 64
SECTION 6.11. Undertaking for Costs......................................... 65
SECTION 6.12. Restoration of Rights and Remedies............................ 65
SECTION 6.13. Rights and Remedies Cumulative................................ 65
SECTION 6.14. Delay or Omission Not Waiver.................................. 66
ARTICLE SEVEN
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. General....................................................... 66
SECTION 7.02. Certain Rights of Trustee..................................... 66
SECTION 7.03. Individual Rights of Trustee.................................. 67
SECTION 7.04. Trustee's Disclaimer.......................................... 68
SECTION 7.05. Notice of Default............................................. 68
SECTION 7.06. Reports by Trustee to Holders................................. 68
SECTION 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity.................................... 68
SECTION 7.08. Replacement of Trustee........................................ 69
SECTION 7.09. Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.............................. 70
SECTION 7.10. Eligibility................................................... 70
SECTION 7.11. Money Held in Trust........................................... 70
SECTION 7.12. Withholding Taxes............................................. 70
ARTICLE EIGHT
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 8.01. Termination of Company's Obligations.......................... 71
SECTION 8.02. Defeasance and Discharge of Indenture......................... 72
SECTION 8.03. Defeasance of Certain Obligations............................. 74
SECTION 8.04. Application of Trust Money.................................... 75
SECTION 8.05. Repayment to Company.......................................... 76
SECTION 8.06. Reinstatement................................................. 76
ARTICLE NINE
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
SECTION 9.01. Without Consent of Holders.................................... 77
SECTION 9.02. With Consent of Holders....................................... 77
SECTION 9.03. Revocation and Effect of Consent.............................. 78
SECTION 9.04. Notation on or Exchange of Notes.............................. 79
SECTION 9.05. Trustee to Sign Amendments, Etc............................... 79
SECTION 9.06. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act........................... 80
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ARTICLE TEN
SECURITY
SECTION 10.01. Security..................................................... 80
ARTICLE ELEVEN
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 11.01. Trust Indenture Act of 1939.................................. 82
SECTION 11.02. Notices...................................................... 82
SECTION 11.03. Certificate and Opinion As to Conditions Precedent........... 83
SECTION 11.04. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion................ 84
SECTION 11.05. Acts of Holders.............................................. 84
SECTION 11.06. Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent or Registrar.................. 85
SECTION 11.07. Payment Date Other Than a Business Day....................... 85
SECTION 11.08. Governing Law................................................ 85
SECTION 11.09. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements................ 86
SECTION 11.10. No Recourse Against Others................................... 86
SECTION 11.11. Successors................................................... 86
SECTION 11.12. Duplicate Originals.......................................... 86
SECTION 11.13. Separability................................................. 86
SECTION 11.14. Table of Contents, Headings, Etc............................. 86
SIGNATURES................................................................... 87
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EXHIBIT A Form of Note
EXHIBIT B Form of Certificate
EXHIBIT C Form of Certificate to Be Delivered in Connection with Transfers to
Non-QIB Accredited Investors
EXHIBIT D Form of Certificate to Be Delivered in Connection with Transfers
Pursuant to Regulation S
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INDENTURE, dated as of July 1, 1997, between ECONOPHONE, INC., a New
York corporation (the "Company"), and The Bank of New York, a New York banking
corporation, as trustee (the "Trustee").
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this
Indenture to provide for the issuance initially of up to $155,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of the Company's 131/2% Senior Notes Due 2007 (the "Notes")
issuable as provided in this Indenture. Pursuant to the terms of a Placement
Agreement, dated June 26, 1997, between the Company and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
Incorporated, as placement agent (the "Placement Agreement"), the Company has
agreed to issue and sell 155,000 units (the "Units"), each Unit consisting of
one Note and one warrant ("Warrant") to purchase 8.167 shares of Voting Common
Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (the "Econophone Common
Stock"). The Notes and the Warrants included in each Unit will become
separately transferable at the close of business upon the earliest to occur of
(i) the date that is 180 days following the Closing Date, (ii) the commencement
of an exchange offer with respect to the Notes undertaken pursuant to the Notes
Registration Rights Agreement and (iii) the effectiveness of a shelf
registration statement with respect to the Notes (the "Separation Date"). The
Notes will be partially secured pursuant to the terms of a Pledge Agreement (as
defined herein) by Pledged Securities as provided by Article Ten of this
Indenture. All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the
Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done, and the Company has done
all things necessary to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and
authenticated and delivered by the Trustee hereunder and duly issued by the
Company, the valid obligations of the Company as hereinafter provided.
This Indenture is subject to, and shall be governed by, the provisions
of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, that are required to be a part
of and to govern indentures qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended.
AND THIS INDENTURE FURTHER WITNESSETH
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Notes
by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and
proportionate benefit of all Holders, as follows:
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ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01. DEFINITIONS.
"Acquired Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of a Person existing at the
time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is merged into or
consolidated with a Restricted Subsidiary or assumed in connection with an Asset
Acquisition by a Restricted Subsidiary, whether or not Incurred in connection
with, or in anticipation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary or
such Asset Acquisition; PROVIDED that Indebtedness of such Person which is
redeemed, defeased, retired or otherwise repaid at the time of or immediately
upon consummation of the transactions by which such Person becomes a Restricted
Subsidiary or such Asset Acquisition shall not be Acquired Indebtedness.
"Adjusted Consolidated Net Income" means, for any period, the
aggregate net income (or loss) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
for such period determined in conformity with GAAP; PROVIDED that the following
items shall be excluded in computing Adjusted Consolidated Net Income (without
duplication): (i) the net income (or loss) of any Person (other than net income
or loss attributable to a Restricted Subsidiary) in which any Person (other than
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) has an equity interest and
the net income (or loss) of any Unrestricted Subsidiary, except that Adjusted
Consolidated Net Income for any period shall include the amount of dividends or
other distributions actually paid to the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries by such other Person or such Unrestricted Subsidiary during such
period; (ii) solely for the purposes of calculating the amount of Restricted
Payments that may be made pursuant to clause (C) of the first paragraph of
Section 4.04 (and in such case, except to the extent includable pursuant to
clause (i) above), the net income (or loss) of any Person accrued prior to the
date it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is merged into or consolidated with
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or all or substantially all of
the property and assets of such Person are acquired by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries; (iii) the net income of any Restricted Subsidiary to
the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions
by such Restricted Subsidiary of such net income is not at the time permitted by
the operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument,
judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to
such Restricted Subsidiary; (iv) any gains or losses attributable to Asset
Sales; (v) except for purposes of calculating the amount of Restricted Payments
that may be made pursuant to clause (C) of the first paragraph of Section 4.04,
any amount paid or accrued as dividends on Preferred Stock of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary owned by Persons other than the Company and any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries; and (vi) all extraordinary gains and extraordinary
losses.
"Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means the total amount of
assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (less applicable
depreciation, amortization and other
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valuation reserves), except to the extent resulting from write-ups of capital
assets (excluding write-ups in connection with accounting for acquisitions in
conformity with GAAP), after deducting therefrom (i) all current liabilities of
the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (excluding intercompany items) and
(ii) all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount
and expense and other like intangibles, all as set forth on the most recent
quarterly or annual consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries, prepared in conformity with GAAP and filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 4.17.
"Affiliate" means, as applied to any Person, any other Person directly
or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under direct or indirect common
control with, such Person. For purposes of this definition, "control"
(including, with correlative meanings, the terms "controlling," "controlled by"
and "under common control with"), as applied to any Person, means the
possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the
direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the
ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
"Agent" means any Registrar, Paying Agent, authenticating agent or
co-Registrar.
"Agent Members" has the meaning provided in Section 2.07(a).
"Asset Acquisition" means (i) an investment by the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries in any other Person pursuant to which such Person
shall become a Restricted Subsidiary or shall be merged into or consolidated
with the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; PROVIDED that such
Person's primary business is related, ancillary or complementary to the
businesses of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of such
investment or (ii) an acquisition by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of the property and assets of any Person other than the Company or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that constitute substantially all of a
division or line of business of such Person; PROVIDED that the property and
assets acquired are related, ancillary or complementary to the businesses of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of such acquisition.
"Asset Disposition" means the sale or other disposition by the Company
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than to the Company or another
Restricted Subsidiary) of (i) all or substantially all of the Capital Stock of
any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or (ii) all or substantially all of the
assets that constitute a division or line of business of the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries.
"Asset Sale" means any sale, transfer or other disposition (including
by way of merger, consolidation or sale-leaseback transaction but excluding any
Lien granted in compliance with Section 4.09) in one transaction or a series of
related transactions by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to any
Person other than the Company or any of its Restricted
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Subsidiaries of (i) all or any of the Capital Stock of any Restricted
Subsidiary, (ii) all or substantially all of the property and assets of an
operating unit or business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
or (iii) any other property and assets of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries outside the ordinary course of business of the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary and, in each case, that is not (A) a Restricted Payment
permitted under Section 4.04 or (B) governed by the provisions of this Indenture
applicable to mergers, consolidations and sales of all or substantially all of
the assets of the Company; PROVIDED that "Asset Sale" shall not include (a)
sales or other dispositions of inventory, receivables and other current assets,
(b) sales or other dispositions of assets or the issuance of any Capital Stock
of any Restricted Subsidiary or Permitted Joint Venture for consideration at
least equal to the fair market value of the assets sold or disposed of; PROVIDED
that the consideration received would satisfy clause (B) of Section 4.11,
including consideration that consists of technology, licenses or expertise
useful in the business of Econophone and its Restricted Subsidiaries, (c) sales
or other dispositions of obsolete or outdated equipment; PROVIDED that each such
sale or other disposition or series of such sales or such other dispositions
shall not involve assets that are material to the business of the Company and
its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and (d) sales or other
dispositions during any 12-month period of assets with an aggregate fair market
value not in excess of $1.0 million.
"Attributable Indebtedness" means, when used in connection with a
sale-leaseback transaction referred to in Section 4.10, at any date of
determination, the product of (i) the net proceeds from such sale-leaseback
transaction and (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full
years of the term of the lease relating to the property involved in such
sale-leaseback transaction (without regard to any options to renew or extend
such term) remaining at the date of the making of such computation and the
denominator of which is the number of full years of the term of such lease
(without regard to any options to renew or extend such term) measured from the
first day of such term.
"Average Life" means, at any date of determination with respect to any
debt security, the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of the products of
(a) the number of years from such date of determination to the dates of each
successive scheduled principal payment of such debt security and (b) the amount
of such principal payment by (ii) the sum of all such principal payments.
"Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the Company or
any committee of such Board of Directors duly authorized to act under this
Indenture.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution, certified by the
Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and
to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered
to the Trustee.
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"Business Day" means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day on
which commercial banks in The City of New York, or in the city of the Corporate
Trust Office of the Trustee, are authorized by law to close.
"Capital Stock" means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares,
interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated, whether
voting or non-voting) in equity of such Person, whether now outstanding or
issued after the Closing Date, including, without limitation, all Common Stock
and Preferred Stock.
"Capitalized Lease" means, as applied to any Person, any lease of any
property (whether real, personal or mixed) of which the discounted present value
of the rental obligations of such Person as lessee, in conformity with GAAP, is
required to be capitalized on the balance sheet of such Person; and "Capitalized
Lease Obligations" means the discounted present value of the rental obligations
under such lease.
"Change of Control" means such time as (i) (a) prior to the occurrence
of a Public Market, a "person" or "group" (within the meaning of Section
13(d) or 14(d)(2) under the Exchange Act) becomes the ultimate "beneficial
owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of Voting Stock
representing a greater percentage of the total voting power of the Voting Stock
of the Company, on a fully diluted basis, than is held by the Existing
Stockholders and their Affiliates on such date and (b) after the occurrence of a
Public Market, a "person" or "group" (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or
14(d)(2) under the Exchange Act) becomes the ultimate "beneficial owner" (as
defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of more than 35% of the total
voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company on a fully diluted basis and
such ownership represents a greater percentage of the total voting power of the
Voting Stock of the Company, on a fully diluted basis, than is held by the
Existing Stockholders and their Affiliates on such date; or (ii) individuals who
on the Closing Date constitute the Board of Directors (together with any new
directors whose election by the Board of Directors or whose nomination for
election by the Company's stockholders was approved by a vote of at least
two-thirds of the members of the Board of Directors then in office who either
were members of the Board of Directors on the Closing Date or whose election or
nomination for election was previously so approved) cease for any reason to
constitute a majority of the members of the Board of Directors then in office.
"Closing Date" means the date on which the Notes are originally issued
under this Indenture.
"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from
time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act or, if at any time
after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and
performing the duties now assigned to it under the TIA, then the body performing
such duties at such time.
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"Common Stock" means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares,
interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated, whether
voting or non-voting) of such Person's equity, other than Preferred Stock of
such Person, whether now outstanding or issued after the Closing Date,
including, without limitation, all series and classes of such common stock.
"Company" means the party named as such in this Indenture until a
successor replaces it pursuant to Article Five of this Indenture and,
thereafter, means the successor.
"Company Order" means a written request or order signed in the name of
the Company (i) by its Chairman, a Vice Chairman, its President or a Vice
President and (ii) by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary and delivered to the Trustee; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that such
written request or order may be signed by any two of the Persons listed in
clause (i) above in lieu of being signed by one of such Persons listed in such
clause (i) and one of the officers listed in clause (ii) above.
"Consolidated EBITDA" means, for any period, the sum of the amounts
for such period of (i) Adjusted Consolidated Net Income, (ii) Consolidated
Interest Expense, to the extent such amount was deducted in calculating Adjusted
Consolidated Net Income, (iii) income taxes, to the extent such amount was
deducted in calculating Adjusted Consolidated Net Income (other than income
taxes (either positive or negative) attributable to extraordinary and
non-recurring gains or losses or sales of assets), (iv) depreciation expense, to
the extent such amount was deducted in calculating Adjusted Consolidated Net
Income, (v) amortization expense, to the extent such amount was deducted in
calculating Adjusted Consolidated Net Income, and (vi) all other non-cash items
reducing Adjusted Consolidated Net Income (other than items that will require
cash payments and for which an accrual or reserve is, or is required by GAAP to
be, made), less all non-cash items increasing Adjusted Consolidated Net Income,
all as determined on a consolidated basis for the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries in conformity with GAAP; PROVIDED that, if any Restricted
Subsidiary is not a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary, Consolidated EBITDA
shall be reduced (to the extent not otherwise reduced in accordance with GAAP)
by an amount equal to (A) the amount of the Adjusted Consolidated Net Income
attributable to such Restricted Subsidiary multiplied by (B) the quotient of
(1) the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock of such Restricted
Subsidiary not owned on the last day of such period by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries divided by (2) the total number of shares of outstanding
Common Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary on the last day of such period.
"Consolidated Interest Expense" means, for any period, the aggregate
amount of interest in respect of Indebtedness (including, without limitation,
amortization of original issue discount on any Indebtedness and the interest
portion of any deferred payment obligation, calculated in accordance with the
effective interest method of accounting; all commissions, discounts and other
fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers'
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acceptance financing; the net costs associated with Interest Rate Agreements;
and Indebtedness that is Guaranteed or secured by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries) and the interest component of Capitalized Lease
Obligations paid, accrued or scheduled to be paid or to be accrued by the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries during such period; excluding, however,
(i) any amount of such interest of any Restricted Subsidiary, if the net income
of such Restricted Subsidiary is excluded in the calculation of Adjusted
Consolidated Net Income pursuant to clause (iii) of the definition thereof (but
only in the same proportion as the net income of such Restricted Subsidiary is
excluded from the calculation of Adjusted Consolidated Net Income pursuant to
clause (iii) of the definition thereof) and (ii) any premiums, fees and expenses
(and any amortization thereof) payable in connection with the offering of the
Notes, all as determined on a consolidated basis (without taking into account
Unrestricted Subsidiaries) in conformity with GAAP.
"Consolidated Leverage Ratio" means, on any Transaction Date, the
ratio of (i) the aggregate amount of Indebtedness of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis outstanding on such Transaction
Date to (ii) the aggregate amount of Consolidated EBITDA for the then most
recent four fiscal quarters for which financial statements of the Company have
been filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 4.17, or, with respect to
quarters for which no reports are required to be filed, for which such financial
statements are then available, as determined by the Company (such four fiscal
quarter period being the "Four Quarter Period"); PROVIDED that (A) (x) pro forma
effect shall be given to any Indebtedness (including, if applicable, the Notes)
Incurred during such Four Quarter Period or subsequent to the end of such Four
Quarter Period and on or prior to the Transaction Date, in each case as if such
Indebtedness had been Incurred, and the proceeds thereof had been applied, on
the first day of such Four Quarter Period and (y) pro forma effect shall be
given to any Indebtedness that was outstanding during such Four Quarter Period
or thereafter but that is not outstanding or is to be repaid, defeased or
satisfied on the Transaction Date, as if such Indebtedness had been repaid,
defeased or satisfied on the first day of the Four Quarter Period; (B) pro forma
effect shall be given to Asset Dispositions and Asset Acquisitions (including
giving pro forma effect to the application of proceeds of any Asset Disposition)
that occur during the period beginning on the first day of such Four Quarter
Period and ending on the Transaction Date (the "Reference Period"), as if they
had occurred and such proceeds had been applied on the first day of such
Reference Period; and (C) pro forma effect shall be given to asset dispositions
and asset acquisitions (including giving pro forma effect to the application of
proceeds of any asset disposition) that have been made by any Person that has
become a Restricted Subsidiary or has been merged with or into, or consolidated
with, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary during such Reference Period and
that would have constituted Asset Dispositions or Asset Acquisitions had such
transactions occurred when such Person was a Restricted Subsidiary as if such
asset dispositions or asset acquisitions were Asset Dispositions or Asset
Acquisitions that occurred on the first day of such Reference Period; PROVIDED
that to the extent that clause (B) or (C) of this sentence requires that pro
forma effect be given to an Asset Acquisition or Asset Disposition, such pro
forma calculation shall be based upon the four full fiscal quarters
8
immediately preceding the Transaction Date of the Person, or division or line of
business of the Person, that is acquired or disposed of, for which financial
information is available.
"Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means the total book value of the
assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (less applicable
depreciation, amortization and other valuation reserves) after deducting
therefrom (i) all current liabilities of the Company and its consolidated
Restricted Subsidiaries (excluding intercompany items) and (ii) all goodwill,
trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and expense and
other like intangibles, all as set forth on the most recently available
consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated Restricted
Subsidiaries, prepared in conformity with GAAP.
"Consolidated Net Worth" means, at any date of determination,
stockholders' equity as set forth on the most recently available quarterly or
annual consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
(which shall be as of a date not more than 90 days prior to the date of such
computation, and which shall not take into account Unrestricted Subsidiaries),
less any amounts attributable to Disqualified Stock or any equity security
convertible into or exchangeable for Indebtedness, the cost of treasury stock
and the principal amount of any promissory notes receivable from the sale of the
Capital Stock of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, each item to
be determined in conformity with GAAP (excluding the effects of foreign currency
exchange adjustments under Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 52).
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Trustee at which the
corporate trust business of the Trustee shall, at any particular time, be
principally administered, which office is, at the date of this Indenture,
located at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 21 West, New York, New York 10286,
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration.
"Currency Agreement" means any foreign exchange contract, currency
swap agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement.
"Default" means any event that is, or after notice or passage of time
or both would be, an Event of Default.
"Depositary" means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees, and
their respective successors, until a successor Depositary shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Depositary" shall mean or include each Person who is then a Depositary
hereunder.
"Disqualified Stock" means any class or series of Capital Stock of any
Person that by its terms or otherwise is (i) required to be redeemed prior to
the Stated Maturity of the Notes, (ii) redeemable at the option of the holder of
such class or series of Capital Stock at any time prior to the Stated Maturity
of the Notes or (iii) convertible into or exchangeable for
9
Capital Stock referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above or Indebtedness having a
scheduled maturity prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes; PROVIDED that any
Capital Stock that would not constitute Disqualified Stock but for provisions
thereof giving holders thereof the right to require such Person to repurchase or
redeem such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of an "asset sale" or "change of
control" occurring prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes shall not
constitute Disqualified Stock if the "asset sale" or "change of control"
provisions applicable to such Capital Stock are no more favorable to the holders
of such Capital Stock than the provisions contained in Sections 4.11 and 4.12
and such Capital Stock specifically provides that such Person will not
repurchase or redeem any such stock pursuant to such provision prior to the
Company's repurchase of such Notes as are required to be repurchased pursuant to
Sections 4.11 and 4.12.
"Econophone Common Stock" has the meaning specified in the recitals to
this Indenture.
"Event of Default" has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.
"Excess Proceeds" has the meaning provided in Section 4.11.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
"Exchange Notes" means any securities of the Company containing terms
identical to the Notes (except that such Exchange Notes shall be registered
under the Securities Act) that are issued and exchanged for the Notes pursuant
to the Notes Registration Rights Agreement and this Indenture.
"Existing Stockholders" means Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxx and any spouse
or lineal descendant thereof or any estate thereof or any trust of which any of
the foregoing are the exclusive beneficiaries, and Princes Gate.
"fair market value" means the price that would be paid in an
arm's-length transaction between an informed and willing seller under no
compulsion to sell and an informed and willing buyer under no compulsion to buy,
as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall
be conclusive if evidenced by a Board Resolution.
"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United
States of America as in effect as of the Closing Date, including, without
limitation, those 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 approved by a significant segment
of the accounting profession; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that all reports and other
financial information provided by the Company to the Holders of the Notes or the
Trustee shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP as in effect on the date of
such report or other financial
10
information. All ratios and computations contained or referred to in this
Indenture shall be computed in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent
basis, except that calculations made for purposes of determining compliance with
the terms of the covenants and with other provisions of this Indenture shall be
made without giving effect to (i) the amortization or write off of any expenses
incurred in connection with the offering of the Notes, the Bridge Notes and the
Series A Preferred Stock and (ii) except as otherwise provided, the amortization
of any amounts required or permitted by Accounting Principles Board Opinion Nos.
16 and 17.
"Global Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Government Securities" means direct obligations of, obligations fully
guaranteed by, or participations in pools consisting solely of obligations of or
obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which
guarantee or obligations the full faith and credit of the United States of
America is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the
issuer thereof.
"Guarantee" means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of any
Person directly or indirectly guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation
of any other Person and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any
obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of such Person (i) to
purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such
Indebtedness or other obligation of such other Person (whether arising by virtue
of partnership arrangements, or by agreements to keep-well, to purchase assets,
goods, securities or services, to take-or-pay, or to maintain financial
statement conditions or otherwise) or (ii) entered into for purposes of assuring
in any other manner the obligee of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the
payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in
whole or in part); PROVIDED that the term "Guarantee" shall not include
endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. The
term "Guarantee" used as a verb has a corresponding meaning.
"Holder" or "Noteholder" means the registered holder of any Note.
"Incur" means, with respect to any Indebtedness, to incur, create,
issue, assume, Guarantee or otherwise become liable for or with respect to, or
become responsible for, the payment of, contingently or otherwise, such
Indebtedness, including an "Incurrence" of Indebtedness by reason of a Person
becoming a Restricted Subsidiary; PROVIDED that neither the accrual of interest
nor the accretion of original issue discount shall be considered an Incurrence
of Indebtedness.
"Indebtedness" means, with respect to any Person at any date of
determination (without duplication), (i) all indebtedness of such Person for
borrowed money, (ii) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds,
debentures, notes or other similar instruments, (iii) all obligations of such
Person in respect of letters of credit or other similar instruments (including
11
reimbursement obligations with respect thereto, but excluding obligations with
respect to letters of credit (including trade letters of credit) securing
obligations (other than obligations described in (i) or (ii) above or (v),
(vi) or (vii) below) entered into in the ordinary course of business of such
Person to the extent such letters of credit are not drawn upon or, if drawn
upon, to the extent such drawing is reimbursed no later than the third Business
Day following receipt by such Person of a demand for reimbursement), (iv) all
obligations of such Person to pay the deferred and unpaid purchase price of
property or services, which purchase price is due more than six months after the
date of placing such property in service or taking delivery and title thereto or
the completion of such services, except Trade Payables, (v) all obligations of
such Person as lessee under Capitalized Leases, (vi) all Indebtedness of other
Persons secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person, whether or not such
Indebtedness is assumed by such Person; PROVIDED that the amount of such
Indebtedness shall be the lesser of (A) the fair market value of such asset at
such date of determination and (B) the amount of such Indebtedness, (vii) all
Indebtedness of other Persons Guaranteed by such Person to the extent such
Indebtedness is Guaranteed by such Person and (viii) to the extent not otherwise
included in this definition, obligations under Currency Agreements and Interest
Rate Agreements. 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 and, with respect to contingent obligations, the maximum
liability upon the occurrence of the contingency giving rise to the obligation,
PROVIDED (A) that the amount outstanding at any time of any Indebtedness issued
with original issue discount is the original issue price of such Indebtedness,
(B) that "Indebtedness" shall not include any money borrowed and set aside, at
the time of the incurrence of related Indebtedness, to fund cash interest
payments on such related Indebtedness, and shall also not include reasonable
deferred compensation for directors, officers or employees of the Company or its
Restricted Subsidiaries and (C) that "Indebtedness" shall not include any
liability for federal, state, local or other taxes.
"Indenture" means this Indenture as originally executed or as it may
be amended or supplemented from time to time by one or more indentures
supplemental to this Indenture entered into pursuant to the applicable
provisions of this Indenture.
"Institutional Accredited Investor" means an institution that is an
"accredited investor" as that term is defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7)
under the Securities Act.
"Interest Payment Date" means each semiannual interest payment date on
January 15 and July 15 of each year, commencing January 15, 1998.
"Interest Rate Agreement" means any interest rate protection
agreement, interest rate future agreement, interest rate option agreement,
interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar
agreement, interest rate hedge agreement, option or future contract or other
similar agreement or arrangement.
12
"Investment" in any Person means any direct or indirect advance, loan
or other extension of credit (including, without limitation, by way of Guarantee
or similar arrangement; but excluding advances to customers in the ordinary
course of business that are, in conformity with GAAP, recorded as accounts
receivable on the balance sheet of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries
and Trade Payables for which the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries receive
fair market value) or capital contribution to (by means of any transfer of cash
or other property), or any payment for property or services for the account or
use of, or any purchase or acquisition of Capital Stock, bonds, notes,
debentures or other similar instruments issued by, such Person and shall include
(i) the designation of a Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary and
(ii) the fair market value of the Capital Stock (or any other Investment), held
by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, of (or in) any Person that
has ceased to be a Restricted Subsidiary, including, without limitation, by
reason of any transaction permitted by clause (iii) of Section 4.06. For
purposes of the definition of "Unrestricted Subsidiary" and Section 4.04, (i)
"Investment" shall include the fair market value of the assets (net of
liabilities (other than liabilities to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries))
of any Restricted Subsidiary at the time that such Restricted Subsidiary is
designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary, (ii) the fair market value of the assets
(net of liabilities (other than liabilities to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries)) of any Unrestricted Subsidiary at the time that such Unrestricted
Subsidiary is designated a Restricted Subsidiary shall be considered a reduction
in outstanding Investments and (iii) any property transferred to or from an
Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be valued at its fair market value at the time of
such transfer.
"Lien" means any mortgage, pledge, security interest, encumbrance,
lien or charge of any kind (including, without limitation, any conditional sale
or other title retention agreement or lease in the nature thereof or any
agreement to give any security interest).
"Moody's" means Xxxxx'x Investors Service, Inc. and its successors.
"Net Cash Proceeds" means, (a) with respect to any Asset Sale, the
proceeds of such Asset Sale in the form of cash or cash equivalents, including
payments in respect of deferred payment obligations (to the extent corresponding
to the principal, but not interest, component thereof) when received in the form
of cash or cash equivalents (except to the extent such obligations are financed
or sold with recourse to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary) and proceeds
from the conversion of other property received when converted to cash or cash
equivalents, net of (i) brokerage commissions and other fees and expenses
(including fees and expenses of counsel and investment bankers) related to such
Asset Sale, (ii) provisions for all taxes (whether or not such taxes will
actually be paid or are payable) as a result of such Asset Sale without regard
to the consolidated results of operations of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (iii) any relocation expenses and severance or
shut-down costs incurred as a result of such Asset Sale, (iv) payments made to
repay Indebtedness or any other obligation outstanding at the time of such Asset
Sale that either (A) is secured by a Lien on the property or assets sold or
(B) is required to be paid as a result of such sale and (v) reserves
13
against adjustments in the sale price of the asset or assets subject to such
Asset Sale and reserves against any liabilities associated with such Asset Sale,
including, without limitation, pension and other post-employment benefit
liabilities, liabilities related to environmental matters and liabilities under
any indemnification obligations associated with such Asset Sale, all as
determined in conformity with GAAP and (b) with respect to any issuance or sale
of Capital Stock, the proceeds of such issuance or sale in the form of cash or
cash equivalents, including payments in respect of deferred payment obligations
(to the extent corresponding to the principal, but not interest, component
thereof) when received in the form of cash or cash equivalents (except to the
extent such obligations are financed or sold with recourse to the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company) and proceeds from the conversion of other
property received when converted to cash or cash equivalents, net of attorney's
fees, accountants' fees, underwriters' or placement agents' fees, discounts or
commissions and brokerage, consultant and other fees incurred in connection with
such issuance or sale and net of taxes paid or payable as a result thereof.
"Non-U.S. Person" means a person who is not a "U.S. person" (as
defined in Regulation S).
"Note Register" has the meaning provided in Section 2.04.
"Notes" means any of the securities, as defined in the first paragraph
of the recitals hereof, that are authenticated and delivered under this
Indenture. For all purposes of this Indenture, the term "Notes" shall include
the Notes initially issued on the Closing Date, any Exchange Notes to be issued
and exchanged for any Notes pursuant to the Notes Registration Rights Agreement
and this Indenture and any other Notes issued after the Closing Date under this
Indenture. For purposes of this Indenture, all Notes shall vote together as one
series of Notes under this Indenture.
"Notes Registration Rights Agreement" means the Notes Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, between the Company and Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated, and certain permitted assigns specified therein.
"Offer to Purchase" means an offer to purchase Notes by the Company
from the Holders commenced by mailing a notice to the Trustee and each Holder
stating: (i) the covenant pursuant to which the offer is being made and that
all Notes validly tendered will be accepted for payment on a pro rata basis;
(ii) the purchase price and the date of purchase (which shall be a Business Day
no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is
mailed) (the "Payment Date"); (iii) that any Note not tendered will continue to
accrue interest (or original issue discount) pursuant to its terms; (iv) that,
unless the Company defaults in the payment of the purchase price, any Note
accepted for payment pursuant to the Offer to Purchase shall cease to accrue
interest (or original issue discount) on and after the Payment Date; (v) that
Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to the Offer to Purchase will
be required to
14
surrender the Note, together with the form entitled "Option of the Holder to
Elect Purchase" on the reverse side of the Note completed, to the Paying Agent
at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the
Business Day immediately preceding the Payment Date; (vi) that Holders will be
entitled to withdraw their election if the Paying Agent receives, not later than
the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the
Payment Date, a telegram, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the
name of such Holder, the principal amount of Notes delivered for purchase and a
statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Notes
purchased; and (vii) that Holders whose Notes are being purchased only in part
will be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of
the Notes surrendered; PROVIDED that each Note purchased and each new Note
issued shall be in a principal amount at maturity of $1,000 or integral
multiples thereof. On the Payment Date, the Company shall (i) accept for
payment on a pro rata basis Notes or portions thereof tendered pursuant to an
Offer to Purchase; (ii) deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay
the purchase price of all Notes or portions thereof so accepted; and
(iii) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee all Notes or portions
thereof so accepted together with an Officers' Certificate specifying the Notes
or portions thereof accepted for payment by the Company. The Paying Agent shall
promptly mail to the Holders of Notes so accepted payment in an amount equal to
the purchase price, and the Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail to such
Holders a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the
Note surrendered; PROVIDED that each Note purchased and each new Note issued
shall be in a principal amount at maturity of $1,000 or integral multiples
thereof. The Company will publicly announce the results of an Offer to Purchase
as soon as practicable after the Payment Date. The Trustee shall act as the
Paying Agent for an Offer to Purchase. The Company will comply with 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 the event that the
Company is required to repurchase Notes pursuant to an Offer to Purchase.
"Officer" means with respect to the Company, (i) the Chairman of the
Board, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, and
(ii) the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary.
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by one Officer
listed in clause (i) of the definition thereof and one Officer listed in
clause (ii) of the definition thereof. Each Officers' Certificate (other than
certificates provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall include the
statements provided for in TIA Section 314(e).
"Offshore Global Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Offshore Notes Exchange Date" has the meaning provided in Section
2.01.
"Offshore Physical Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
15
"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion signed by legal counsel.
Such counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or the Trustee.
Each such Opinion of Counsel shall include the statements provided for in TIA
Section 314(e). Opinions of Counsel required to be delivered may have
qualifications customary for opinions of the type required.
"Paying Agent" has the meaning provided in Section 2.04, except that,
for the purposes of Article Eight, the Paying Agent shall not be the Company or
a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of any of them. The term "Paying
Agent" includes any additional Paying Agent.
"Permanent Offshore Global Note" has the meaning provided in Section
2.01.
"Permitted Investment" means (i) an Investment in the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary or a Person which will, upon the making of such
Investment, become a Restricted Subsidiary or be merged or consolidated with or
into, or transfer or convey all or substantially all its assets to, the Company
or a Restricted Subsidiary; PROVIDED that such Person's primary business is
related, ancillary or complementary to the businesses of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of such Investment; (ii) Temporary Cash
Investments; (iii) payroll, travel and similar advances to cover matters that
are expected at the time of such advances ultimately to be treated as expenses
in accordance with GAAP and reasonable advances to sales representatives;
(iv) Investments received in satisfaction of judgments, bankruptcy, insolvency,
workouts or similar arrangements; (v) loans to employees of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary (A) evidenced by unsubordinated promissory notes, to the
extent the proceeds thereof are used to purchase Capital Stock of the Company,
that do not in the aggregate exceed at any one time outstanding $3.0 million and
(B) to pay relocation or similar expenses that do not in the aggregate exceed at
any one time outstanding $500,000; (vi) Investments in debt securities or other
evidences of Indebtedness (A) that are issued by companies engaged in the
telecommunications business and (B) for which no public market exists; PROVIDED
that when each Investment pursuant to this clause (vi) is made, the aggregate
amount of Investments outstanding under this clause (vi) does not exceed the
greater of (I) $2.0 million and (II) 1% of Consolidated EBITDA for the Four
Quarter Period; (vii) Investments existing on the Closing Date; (viii) Strategic
Investments not to exceed $10 million at any one time outstanding; and (ix)
Investments in Permitted Joint Ventures not to exceed $10 million at any one
time outstanding.
"Permitted Joint Venture" means any Unrestricted Subsidiary or any
other Person in which the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary owns, directly or
indirectly, an ownership interest (other than a Restricted Subsidiary) and whose
primary business is related, ancillary or complementary to the businesses of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries at the time of determination.
"Permitted Liens" means (i) Liens for taxes, assessments, governmental
charges or claims that are being contested in good faith by appropriate legal
proceedings promptly
16
instituted and diligently conducted and for which a reserve or other appropriate
provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with GAAP shall have been
made; (ii) statutory and common law Liens of landlords and carriers,
warehousemen, mechanics, suppliers, materialmen, repairmen or other similar
Liens arising in the ordinary course of business and with respect to amounts not
yet delinquent or being contested in good faith by appropriate legal proceedings
promptly instituted and diligently conducted and for which a reserve or other
appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with GAAP
shall have been made; (iii) Liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary
course of business in connection with workers' compensation, unemployment
insurance and other types of social security; (iv) Liens incurred or deposits
made to secure the performance of tenders, bids, leases, statutory or regulatory
obligations, bankers' acceptances, surety and appeal bonds, government
contracts, performance and return-of-money bonds and other obligations of a
similar nature incurred in the ordinary course of business (exclusive of
obligations for the payment of borrowed money); (v) easements, rights-of-way,
municipal and zoning ordinances and similar charges, encumbrances, title defects
or other irregularities that do not materially interfere with the ordinary
course of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(vi) Liens (including extensions and renewals thereof) upon real or personal
property acquired after the Closing Date; PROVIDED that (a) such Lien is created
solely for the purpose of securing Indebtedness Incurred, in accordance with
Section 4.03, (1) to finance the cost (including the cost of design,
development, improvement, construction, installation or integration) of the item
of property or assets subject thereto and such Lien is created prior to, at the
time of or within six months after the later of the acquisition, the completion
of construction or the commencement of full operation of such property or (2) to
refinance any Indebtedness previously so secured, (b) the principal amount of
the Indebtedness secured by such Lien does not exceed 100% of such cost and
(c) any such Lien shall not extend to or cover any property or assets other than
such item of property or assets and any improvements on such item; (vii) leases
or subleases granted to others that do not materially interfere with the
ordinary course of business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole; (viii) Liens encumbering property or assets under construction
arising from progress or partial payments by a customer of the Company or its
Restricted Subsidiaries relating to such property or assets; (ix) any interest
or title of a lessor in the property subject to any Capitalized Lease or
operating lease; (x) Liens arising from filing Uniform Commercial Code financing
statements regarding leases; (xi) Liens on property of, or on shares of Capital
Stock or Indebtedness of, any Person existing at the time such Person becomes,
or becomes a part of, any Restricted Subsidiary; PROVIDED that such Liens do not
extend to or cover any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary other than the property, assets, Capital Stock or Indebtedness of the
Person so acquired; (xii) Liens in favor of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary; (xiii) Liens arising from the rendering of a final judgment or order
against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that does not
give rise to an Event of Default; (xiv) Liens securing reimbursement obligations
with respect to letters of credit that encumber documents and other property
relating to such letters of credit and the products and proceeds thereof; (xv)
Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to
secure payment of customs duties in
17
connection with the importation of goods; (xvi) Liens encumbering customary
initial deposits and margin deposits, and other Liens that are within the
general parameters customary in the industry and incurred in the ordinary course
of business, in each case, securing Indebtedness under Interest Rate Agreements
and Currency Agreements and forward contracts, options, future contracts,
futures options or similar agreements or arrangements designed solely to protect
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from fluctuations in interest
rates, currencies or the price of commodities; (xvii) Liens arising out of
conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for the
sale of goods entered into by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
in the ordinary course of business in accordance with the past practices of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries prior to the Closing Date; (xviii) Liens
on or sales of receivables and (xix) Liens existing on the Closing Date.
"Person" means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a limited
liability company, an association, a trust or any other entity or organization,
including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality
thereof.
"Physical Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Pledge Account" means an account established with the Trustee
pursuant to the terms of the Pledge Agreement for the deposit of the Pledged
Securities purchased by the Company with a portion of the proceeds from the sale
of the Notes.
"Pledge Agreement" means the Collateral Pledge and Security Agreement,
dated as of the Closing Date, made by the Company in favor of the Trustee,
governing the disbursement of funds from the Pledge Account, as such Agreement
may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
"Pledged Securities" means the securities originally purchased by the
Company with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes, which shall
consist of Government Securities, to be deposited in the Pledge Account, all in
accordance with the terms of the Pledge Agreement.
"Preferred Stock" means, with respect to any Person, any and all
shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated,
whether voting or non-voting) of such Person's preferred or preference equity,
whether now outstanding or issued after the Closing Date, including, without
limitation, all series and classes of such preferred stock or preference stock.
"Principal" of a debt security, including the Notes, means the
principal amount due on the Stated Maturity as shown on such debt security.
18
"Private Placement Legend" means the legend initially set forth on the
Notes in the form set forth in Section 2.02.
"Public Equity Offering" means an underwritten primary public offering
of Common Stock of the Company pursuant to an effective registration statement
under the Securities Act.
A "Public Market" shall be deemed to exist if (i) a Public Equity
Offering has been consummated and (ii) at least 15% of the total issued and
outstanding Common Stock of the Company has been distributed by means of an
effective registration statement under the Securities Act or sales pursuant to
Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
"QIB" means a "qualified institutional buyer" as defined in Rule 144A.
"Redeemable Stock" means any class or series of Capital Stock of any
Person that by its terms or otherwise is (i) required to be redeemed prior to
the Stated Maturity of the Notes, (ii) redeemable at the option of the holder of
such class or series of Capital Stock at any time prior to the Stated Maturity
of the Notes or (iii) convertible into or exchangeable for Capital Stock
referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above or Indebtedness having a scheduled
maturity prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes; PROVIDED that any Capital
Stock that would not constitute Redeemable Stock but for provisions thereof
giving holders thereof the right to require such Person to repurchase or redeem
such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of an "asset sale" or "change of control"
occurring prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes shall not constitute
Redeemable Stock if the "asset sale" or "change of control" provisions
applicable to such Capital Stock are no more favorable to the holders of such
Capital Stock than the provisions contained in Section 4.11 and Section 4.12 and
such Capital Stock specifically provides that such Person will not repurchase or
redeem any such stock pursuant to such provision prior to the Company's
repurchase of such Notes as are required to be repurchased pursuant to Section
4.11 and Section 4.12.
"Redemption Date," when used with respect to any Note to be redeemed,
means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
"Redemption Price," when used with respect to any Note to be redeemed,
means the price at which such Note is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
"Registrar" has the meaning provided in Section 2.04.
"Registration Statement" means the Registration Statement as defined
and described in the Notes Registration Rights Agreement.
19
"Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest Payment
Date means the January 1 or July 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case
may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date.
"Regulation S" means Regulation S under the Securities Act.
"Released Indebtedness" means, with respect to any Asset Sale,
Indebtedness (i) which is owed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (the
"Obligors") prior to such Asset Sale, (ii) which is assumed by the purchaser or
any affiliate thereof in connection with such Asset Sale and (iii) with respect
to which the Obligors receive written, unconditional, valid and enforceable
releases from each creditor, no later than the closing date of such Asset Sale.
"Repurchase Offer" has the meaning provided in the Warrant Agreement.
"Responsible Officer," when used with respect to the Trustee, means
the chairman or any vice chairman of the board of directors, the chairman or any
vice chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors, the chairman
of the trust committee, the president, any vice president, any assistant vice
president, the secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant
treasurer, the cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant
trust officer, the controller or any assistant controller or any other officer
of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by
any of the above designated officers (including any officer within the Corporate
Trust Administration (or any successor group) of the Trustee) and also means,
with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom
such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with
the particular subject.
"Restricted Payments" has the meaning provided in Section 4.04.
"Restricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company 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 McGraw
Hill, Inc., and its successors.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
"Separation Date" has the meaning specified in the recitals to this
Indenture.
"Shelf Registration Statement" has the meaning provided in the Notes
Registration Rights Agreement.
20
"Significant Subsidiary" means, at any date of determination, any
Restricted Subsidiary that, together with its Subsidiaries, (i) for the most
recent fiscal year of the Company, accounted for more than 10% of the
consolidated revenues of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries or (ii) as
of the end of such fiscal year, was the owner of more than 10% of the
consolidated assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, all as set
forth on the most recently available consolidated financial statements of the
Company for such fiscal year.
"Specified Date" means any Redemption Date, any Payment Date for an
Offer to Purchase pursuant to Section 4.11 or Section 4.12 or any date on which
the Notes first become due and payable after an Event of Default.
"Stated Maturity" means, (i) with respect to any debt security, the
date specified in such debt security as the fixed date on which the final
installment of principal of such debt security is due and payable and (ii) with
respect to any scheduled installment of principal of or interest on any debt
security, the date specified in such debt security as the fixed date on which
such installment is due and payable.
"Strategic Investments" means (A) Investments that the Board of
Directors has determined in good faith will enable the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to obtain additional business that it might not be able
to obtain without making such Investment and (B) Investments in entities the
principal function of which is to perform research and development with respect
to products and services that may be used or useful in the telecommunications
business; PROVIDED that the Company or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries is
entitled or otherwise reasonably expected to obtain rights to such products or
services as a result of such Investment.
"Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, any corporation,
association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the voting power
of the outstanding Voting Stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person
and one or more other Subsidiaries of such Person.
"Temporary Cash Investment" means any of the following: (i) direct
obligations of the United States of America or any agency thereof or obligations
fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America or any
agency thereof, (ii) bankers' acceptances, time deposit accounts, certificates
of deposit and money market deposits maturing within 270 days of the date of
acquisition thereof issued by a bank or trust company which is organized under
the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or any foreign
country recognized by the United States, and which bank or trust company has
capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating in excess of $50 million (or
the foreign currency equivalent thereof) and has outstanding debt which is rated
"A" (or such similar equivalent rating) or higher by at least one nationally
recognized statistical rating organization (as defined in Rule 436 under the
Securities Act) or any money-market fund sponsored by a registered broker dealer
or mutual fund distributor, (iii) repurchase obligations with a term of not more
than 30 days for underlying
21
securities of the types described in clause (i) above entered into with a bank
meeting the qualifications described in clause (ii) above, (iv) commercial
paper, maturing not more than 270 days after the date of acquisition, issued by
a corporation (other than an Affiliate of the Company) organized and in
existence under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or
any foreign country recognized by the United States of America with a rating at
the time as of which any investment therein is made of "P-1" (or higher)
according to Xxxxx'x or "A-1" (or higher) according to S&P, (v) securities with
maturities of nine months or less from the date of acquisition issued or fully
and unconditionally guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the
United States of America, or by any political subdivision or taxing authority
thereof, and rated at least "A" by S&P or Xxxxx'x, (vi) direct obligations of
the British, Belgian, Dutch, French, German or Swiss governments or obligations
fully and unconditionally guaranteed by any of such governments and
(vii) certificates of deposit, bank promissory notes and bankers' acceptances
denominated in the currency of any country of the European Union maturing not
more than 365 days after the acquisition thereof and issued or guaranteed by any
one of the 20 largest banks (based on assets as of the immediately preceding
December 31) organized under the laws of any country in the European Union;
PROVIDED such bank is not under intervention, receivership or any similar
arrangement at the time of acquisition of such certificates of deposit, bank
promissory notes or bankers' acceptances; PROVIDED that the aggregate principal
amount of all obligations and Indebtedness included in clauses (vi) and
(vii) above shall not exceed at any one time outstanding $10 million.
"Temporary Offshore Global Note" has the meaning provided in Section
2.01.
"TIA" or "Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939,
as amended (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbb), as in effect on the date this
Indenture was executed, except as provided in Section 9.06.
"Trade Payables" means, with respect to any Person, any accounts
payable or any other indebtedness or monetary obligation to trade creditors
created, assumed or Guaranteed by such Person or any of its Subsidiaries arising
in the ordinary course of business in connection with the acquisition of goods
or services.
"Transaction Date" means, with respect to the Incurrence of any
Indebtedness by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, the date such
Indebtedness is to be Incurred and, with respect to any Restricted Payment, the
date such Restricted Payment is to be made.
"Trustee" means the party named as such in the first paragraph of this
Indenture until a successor replaces it in accordance with the provisions of
Article Seven of this Indenture and thereafter means such successor.
22
"United States Bankruptcy Code" means the Bankruptcy Reform Act of
1978, as amended and as codified in Title 11 of the United States Code, as
amended from time to time hereafter, or any successor federal bankruptcy law.
"Units" has the meaning provided in the recitals to this Indenture.
"Unrestricted Subsidiary" means (i) any Subsidiary of the Company that
at the time of determination shall be designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary by
the Board of Directors in the manner provided below and (ii) any Subsidiary of
an Unrestricted Subsidiary. The Board of Directors may designate any Restricted
Subsidiary (including any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary of the
Company) to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary unless such Subsidiary owns any
Capital Stock of, or owns or holds any Lien on any property of, the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary; PROVIDED that (A) any Guarantee by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of any Indebtedness of the Subsidiary being so designated
shall be deemed an "Incurrence" of such Indebtedness and an "Investment" by the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary (or both, if applicable) at the time of
such designation; (B) either (I) the Subsidiary to be so designated has total
assets of $1,000 or less or (II) if such Subsidiary has assets greater than
$1,000, such designation would be permitted under Section 4.04 and (C) if
applicable, the Incurrence of Indebtedness and the Investment referred to in
clause (A) of this proviso would be permitted under Sections 4.03 and 4.04. The
Board of Directors may designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted
Subsidiary; PROVIDED that immediately after giving effect to such designation
(x) all Liens and Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary outstanding
immediately after such designation would, if Incurred at such time, have been
permitted to be incurred for all purposes of the Indenture and (y) no Default or
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. Any such designation by
the Board of Directors shall be evidenced to the Trustee by promptly filing with
the Trustee a copy of the Board Resolution giving effect to such designation and
an Officers' Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the
foregoing provisions.
"U.S. Global Note" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"U.S. Government Obligations" means securities that are (i) direct
obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full
faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or
supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of
America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and
credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case, are
not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof at any time prior
to the Stated Maturity of the Notes, and shall also include a depository receipt
issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S.
Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any
such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the
holder of a depository receipt; PROVIDED that (except as required by law) such
custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the
holder of such
23
depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the
U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal
of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
"U.S. Physical Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Voting Stock" means with respect to any Person, Capital Stock of any
class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the election of directors,
managers or other voting members of the governing body of such Person.
"Warrant Agreement" means the Warrant Agreement dated as of the date
hereof between the Company and The Bank of New York, as warrant agent.
"Warrants" means the warrants issued under the Warrant Agreement, each
of which initially entitles the holder thereof to purchase 8.167 shares of
Econophone Common Stock at $.01 per share, subject to adjustment.
"Wholly Owned" means, with respect to any Subsidiary of any Person,
the ownership of all of the outstanding Capital Stock of such Subsidiary (other
than any director's qualifying shares or Investments by foreign nationals
mandated by applicable law) by such Person or one or more Wholly Owned
Subsidiaries of such Person.
SECTION 1.02. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is
incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following
TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
"indenture securities" means the Notes;
"indenture security holder" means a Holder or a Noteholder;
"indenture to be qualified" means this Indenture;
"indenture trustee" or "institutional trustee" means the Trustee; and
"obligor" on the indenture securities means the Company or any other
obligor on the Notes.
All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the
TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by a rule of the
Commission and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them
therein.
24
SECTION 1.03. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. Unless the context otherwise
requires:
(i) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(ii) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning
assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(iii) "or" is not exclusive;
(iv) words in the singular include the plural, and words in the
plural include the singular;
(v) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;
(vi) "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;
(vii) all ratios and computations based on GAAP contained in this
Indenture shall be computed in accordance with the definition of GAAP set
forth in Section 1.01; and
(viii) all references to Sections or Articles refer to Sections or
Articles of this Indenture unless otherwise indicated.
ARTICLE TWO
THE NOTES
SECTION 2.01. FORM AND DATING. The Notes and the Trustee's
certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form annexed hereto
as Exhibit A with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and
other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture. The Notes may
have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange
agreements to which the Company is subject or usage. The Company shall approve
the form of the Notes and any notation, legend or endorsement on the Notes.
Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication.
The terms and provisions contained in the form of the Notes annexed
hereto as Exhibit A shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of
this Indenture. To the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their
execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and
provisions and to be bound thereby.
25
Notes offered and sold in reliance on Rule 144A shall be issued
initially in the form of one or more permanent global Notes in registered form,
substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A (collectively, the "U.S. Global
Notes"), deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary, duly
executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter
provided. The aggregate principal amount of the U.S. Global Notes may from time
to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the
Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary or its nominee, as hereinafter
provided.
Notes offered and sold in offshore transactions in reliance on
Regulation S shall be issued initially in the form of one or more temporary
global Notes in registered form substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A
(collectively, the "Temporary Offshore Global Notes") deposited with the
Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary, duly executed by the Company and
authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided. At any time following the
later of the Separation Date and August 10, 1997 (the "Offshore Notes Exchange
Date"), upon receipt by the Trustee and the Company of a certificate
substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, one or more permanent global
Notes in registered form substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A (the
"Permanent Offshore Global Notes"; and together with the Temporary Offshore
Global Notes, the "Offshore Global Notes") duly executed by the Company and
authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided shall be deposited with the
Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary, and the Registrar shall reflect on its
books and records the date and a decrease in the principal amount of the
Temporary Offshore Global Notes in an amount equal to the principal amount of
the beneficial interest in the Temporary Offshore Global Notes transferred.
Notes offered and sold in reliance on Regulation D under the
Securities Act shall be issued in the form of permanent certificated Notes in
registered form in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit A (the "U.S.
Physical Notes"). Notes issued pursuant to Section 2.07 in exchange for
interests in the Offshore Global Note shall be in the form of permanent
certificated Notes in registered form substantially in the form set forth in
Exhibit A (the "Offshore Physical Notes").
The Offshore Physical Notes and U.S. Physical Notes are sometimes
collectively herein referred to as the "Physical Notes." The U.S. Global Notes
and the Offshore Global Notes are sometimes referred to herein as the "Global
Notes."
The definitive Notes shall be typed, printed, lithographed or engraved
or produced by any combination of these methods or may be produced in any other
manner permitted by the rules of any securities exchange on which the Notes may
be listed, all as determined by the Officers executing such Notes, as evidenced
by their execution of such Notes.
SECTION 2.02. RESTRICTIVE LEGENDS. Unless and until a Note is
exchanged for an Exchange Note in connection with an effective Registration
Statement pursuant to the Notes
26
Registration Rights Agreement, each U.S. Global Notes, Temporary Offshore
Global Notes and U.S. Physical Note shall bear the legend, set forth below on
the face thereof:
THIS NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), AND ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, U.S.
PERSONS EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION
HEREOF, THE HOLDER (1) REPRESENTS THAT (A) IT IS A "QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL
BUYER" (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OR (B) IT IS AN
INSTITUTIONAL "ACCREDITED INVESTOR" (AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a)(1), (2), (3)
OR (7) OF REGULATION D UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) (AN "INSTITUTIONAL
ACCREDITED INVESTOR") OR (C) IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON AND IS ACQUIRING THIS
NOTE IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT, (2) AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT, WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD
REFERRED TO IN RULE 144(k) (TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PROVISIONS OF RULE
144(d), IF APPLICABLE) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF
TRANSFER OF SUCH NOTE RESELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS NOTE EXCEPT (A) TO
ECONOPHONE, INC. (THE "COMPANY") OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, (B) INSIDE THE
UNITED STATES TO A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE
144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (C) INSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO AN
INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR THAT, PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER, FURNISHES
TO THE TRUSTEE A SIGNED LETTER CONTAINING CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS AND
AGREEMENTS RELATING TO THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE (THE FORM
OF WHICH LETTER CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE TRUSTEE) AND IF SUCH TRANSFER IS
IN RESPECT OF AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF NOTES OF LESS THAN $250,000,
AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH TRANSFER IS IN
COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT, (D) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN AN
OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 904 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT,
(E) PURSUANT TO THE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE) OR (F) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND (3) AGREES THAT IT WILL
DELIVER TO EACH PERSON TO WHOM THIS NOTE IS TRANSFERRED A NOTICE
SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE EFFECT OF THIS LEGEND. IN CONNECTION WITH ANY
TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO ABOVE, THE HOLDER
MUST CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF RELATING TO
THE MANNER OF SUCH TRANSFER AND SUBMIT THIS CERTIFICATE TO THE
27
TRUSTEE. IF THE PROPOSED TRANSFEREE IS AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED
INVESTOR, THE HOLDER MUST, PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER, FURNISH TO THE TRUSTEE
AND THE COMPANY SUCH CERTIFICATIONS, LEGAL OPINIONS OR OTHER INFORMATION AS
EITHER OF THEM MAY REASONABLY REQUIRE 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. AS USED HEREIN,
THE TERMS "OFFSHORE TRANSACTION," "UNITED STATES" AND "U.S. PERSON" HAVE
THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM BY REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT. THE
INDENTURE CONTAINS A PROVISION REQUIRING THE TRUSTEE TO REFUSE TO REGISTER
ANY TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE IN VIOLATION OF THE FOREGOING RESTRICTIONS.
Each Global Note, whether or not an Exchange Note, shall also bear the
following legend on the face thereof:
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF
TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN
THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY OR SUCH OTHER
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY
(AND ANY PAYMENT HEREON IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY),
ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO
ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL SINCE 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 2.08 OF THE INDENTURE.
28
Prior to the Separation Date, each Note shall bear the following
legend on the face thereof:
THIS NOTE IS INITIALLY ISSUED AS PART OF AN ISSUANCE OF UNITS, EACH OF
WHICH CONSISTS OF ONE NOTE AND ONE WARRANT INITIALLY ENTITLING THE HOLDER
THEREOF TO PURCHASE 8.167 SHARES OF VOTING COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.0001
PER SHARE, OF ECONOPHONE, INC. (A "WARRANT"). PRIOR TO THE CLOSE OF
BUSINESS UPON THE EARLIEST TO OCCUR OF (i) DECEMBER 28, 1997, (ii) THE
COMMENCEMENT OF AN EXCHANGE OFFER WITH RESPECT TO THE NOTES, AND (iii) THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF A SHELF REGISTRATION STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE NOTES,
THE NOTES EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR EXCHANGED
SEPARATELY FROM, BUT MAY BE TRANSFERRED OR EXCHANGED ONLY TOGETHER WITH,
THE WARRANTS.
SECTION 2.03. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION AND DENOMINATIONS. Subject
to Article Four, the aggregate principal amount of Notes which may be
authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Notes shall
be executed by two Officers of the Company, by facsimile or manual signature, in
the name and on behalf of the Company.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office
at the time the Trustee or authenticating agent authenticates the Note, the Note
shall be valid nevertheless.
A Note shall not be valid until the Trustee or authenticating agent
manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Note. The signature
shall be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this
Indenture.
At any time and from time to time after the execution of this
Indenture, the Trustee or an authenticating agent shall upon receipt of a
Company Order authenticate for original issue Notes in the aggregate principal
amount specified in such Company Order; PROVIDED that the Trustee shall be
entitled to receive an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel of the
Company in connection with such authentication of Notes. Such Company Order
shall specify the amount of Notes to be authenticated, the date on which the
original issue of Notes is to be authenticated and the aggregate principal
amount of Notes then authorized and in case of an issuance of Notes pursuant to
Section 2.15, shall certify that such issuance is in compliance with Article
Four.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent reasonably acceptable
to the Company to authenticate Notes. 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 authenticating
agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the
Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
29
The Notes shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons
and only in denominations of $1,000 in principal amount and any integral
multiple thereof.
SECTION 2.04. REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT. The Company shall maintain
an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or
for exchange (the "Registrar"), an office or agency where Notes may be presented
for payment (the "Paying Agent") and an office or agency where notices and
demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be
served, which shall be in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York. The
Company shall cause the Registrar to keep a register of the Notes and of their
transfer and exchange (the "Note Register"). The Note Register shall be in
written form or any other form capable of being converted into written form
within a reasonable time. The Company may have one or more co-Registrars and
one or more additional Paying Agents. The term "Registrar" includes any
co-Registrar.
The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any
Agent not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the
provisions of this Indenture that relate to such Agent. The Company shall give
prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address of any such Agent
and any change in the address of such Agent. If the Company fails to maintain a
Registrar, Paying Agent and/or agent for service of notices and demands, the
Trustee shall act as such Registrar, Paying Agent and/or agent for service of
notices and demands. The Company may remove any Agent upon written notice to
such Agent and the Trustee; PROVIDED that no such removal shall become effective
until (i) the acceptance of an appointment by a successor Agent to such Agent as
evidenced by an appropriate agency agreement entered into by the Company and
such successor Agent and delivered to the Trustee or (ii) notification to the
Trustee that the Trustee shall serve as such Agent until the appointment of a
successor Agent in accordance with clause (i) of this proviso. The Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, or any Affiliate of any of them may act as Paying
Agent, Registrar or co-Registrar, and/or agent for service of notice and
demands.
The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar, Paying Agent,
authenticating agent and agent for service of notice and demands. 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 all Holders and shall
otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If, at any time, the Trustee is not
the Registrar, the Company shall furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the
Trustee at least seven Business Days before each Interest Payment Date and at
such other times as the Trustee may reasonably request, the names and addresses
of the Holders as they appear in the Note Register.
SECTION 2.05. PAYING AGENT TO HOLD MONEY IN TRUST. Not later than
10:00 a.m., New York City time, each due date of the principal, premium, if any,
and interest on any Notes, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money
in immediately available funds sufficient to pay such principal, premium, if
any, and interest so becoming due. However, the
30
Company, at its option, may pay principal, premium, if any, and interest by its
check payable in such money. It may mail an interest check to a Holder's
registered address (as reflected in the Note Register). The Company shall
require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that such
Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders or the Trustee
all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of, premium, if
any, and interest on the Notes (whether such money has been paid to it by the
Company or any other obligor on the Notes), and such Paying Agent shall promptly
notify the Trustee of any default by the Company (or any other obligor on the
Notes) in making any such payment. The Company at any time may require a Paying
Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and account for any funds
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
pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed.
Upon doing so, the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for the money so
paid over to the Trustee. If the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or
any Affiliate of any of them acts as Paying Agent, it will, on or before each
due date of any principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes,
segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders a sum
of money sufficient to pay such principal, premium, if any, or interest so
becoming due until such sum of money shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise
disposed of as provided in this Indenture, and will promptly notify the Trustee
of its action or failure to act.
SECTION 2.06. TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE. The Notes are issuable only in
registered form. The Notes shall initially be issued as part of an issuance of
Units, each of which consists of one Note and one Warrant. Prior to the
Separation Date, the Notes may not be transferred or exchanged separately from,
but may be transferred or exchanged only together with the Warrants issued in
connection with such Notes. A Holder may transfer a Note by written application
to the Registrar stating the name of the proposed transferee and otherwise
complying with the terms of this Indenture. No such transfer shall be effected
until, and such transferee shall succeed to the rights of a Holder only upon,
final acceptance and registration of the transfer by the Registrar in the Note
Register. Prior to the registration of any transfer by a Holder as provided
herein, the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company shall treat the
person in whose name the Note is registered as the owner thereof for all
purposes whether or not the Note shall be overdue, and neither the Company, the
Trustee, nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Furthermore, any Holder of a Global Note shall, by acceptance of such Global
Note, agree that transfers of beneficial interests in such Global Note may be
effected only through a book entry system maintained by the Holder of such
Global Note (or its agent) and that ownership of a beneficial interest in the
Note shall be required to be reflected in a book entry. When Notes are
presented to the Registrar or a co-Registrar with a request to register the
transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Notes of other
authorized denominations (including an exchange of Notes for Exchange Notes),
the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange as requested if
its requirements for such transactions are met; PROVIDED that no exchanges of
Notes for Exchange Notes shall occur until a Registration Statement shall have
been declared effective by the
31
Commission (confirmed in an Officers' Certificate delivered to the Trustee) and
that any Notes that are exchanged for Exchange Notes shall be cancelled by the
Trustee. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company 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 or
redemption of the Notes, but the Company 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 taxes or other similar governmental
charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.08 or 9.04).
The Registrar shall not be required (i) to issue, register the
transfer of or exchange any Note during a period beginning at the opening of
business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of
Notes selected for redemption under Section 3.03 and ending at the close of
business on the day of such mailing, or (ii) to register the transfer of or
exchange any Note so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the
unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.
SECTION 2.07. BOOK-ENTRY PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL NOTES. (a) The U.S.
Global Notes and Offshore Global Notes initially shall (i) be registered in the
name of the Depositary for such Global Notes or the nominee of such Depositary,
(ii) be delivered to the Trustee as custodian for such Depositary and (iii) bear
legends as set forth in Section 2.02.
Members of, or participants in, the Depositary ("Agent Members") shall
have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Note held on
their behalf by the Depositary, or the Trustee as its custodian, or under the
Global Note, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and
any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such Global
Note for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein
shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the
Trustee, from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other
authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary
and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices governing the
exercise of the rights of a holder of any Note.
(b) Transfers of a Global Note shall be limited to transfers of
such Global Note in whole, but not in part, to the Depositary, its successors or
their respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in a Global Note may
be transferred in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depositary and
the provisions of Section 2.08. In addition, U.S. Physical Notes and Offshore
Physical Notes shall be transferred to all beneficial owners in exchange for
their beneficial interests in the U.S. Global Note or the Offshore Global Note,
respectively, if (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or
unable to continue as Depositary for the U.S. Global Note or the Offshore Global
Note, as the case may be, and a successor depositary is not appointed by the
Company within 90 days of such notice, (ii) an Event of Default has occurred and
is continuing and the Registrar has received a request to the foregoing
32
effect from the Depositary or (iii) in accordance with the rules and procedures
of the Depositary and the provisions of Section 2.08.
(c) Any beneficial interest in one of the Global Notes that is
transferred to a person who takes delivery in the form of an interest in any
other Global Note will, upon transfer, cease to be an interest in the first
Global Note and become an interest in the other Global Note and, accordingly,
will thereafter be subject to all transfer restrictions, if any, and other
procedures applicable to beneficial interests in such other Global Note for as
long as it remains such an interest.
(d) In connection with any transfer of a portion of the beneficial
interests in the U.S. Global Notes or Permanent Offshore Global Notes to
beneficial owners pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section, the Registrar shall
reflect on its books and records the date and a decrease in the principal amount
of the U.S. Global Note or Permanent Offshore Global Note in an amount equal to
the principal amount of the beneficial interest in the U.S. Global Note or
Permanent Offshore Global Note to be transferred, and the Company shall execute,
and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, one or more U.S. Physical Notes
or Offshore Physical Notes, as the case may be, of like tenor and amount.
(e) In connection with the transfer of the entire U.S. Global Note
or Offshore Global Note to beneficial owners pursuant to paragraph (b) of this
Section, the U.S. Global Note or Offshore Global Note, as the case may be, shall
be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the Company
shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, to each
beneficial owner identified by the Depositary in exchange for its beneficial
interest in the U.S. Global Note or Offshore Global Note, as the case may be, an
equal aggregate principal amount of U.S. Physical Notes or Offshore Physical
Notes, as the case may be, of authorized denominations.
(f) Any U.S. Physical Note delivered in exchange for an interest
in the U.S. Global Note pursuant to paragraph (b) or (d) of this Section shall,
except as otherwise provided by paragraph (f) of Section 2.08, bear the legend
regarding transfer restrictions applicable to the U.S. Physical Note set forth
in Section 2.02.
(g) Any Offshore Physical Note delivered in exchange for an
interest in the Offshore Global Note pursuant to paragraph (b) or (d) of this
Section shall, except as otherwise provided by paragraph (f) of Section 2.08,
bear the legend regarding transfer restrictions applicable to the Offshore
Physical Note set forth in Section 2.02.
(h) The registered holder of a Global Note may grant proxies and
otherwise authorize any person, including Agent Members and persons that may
hold interests through Agent Members, to take any action which a Holder is
entitled to take under this Indenture or the Notes.
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(i) Beneficial owners of interests in the U.S. Global Note may
receive U.S. Physical Notes (which shall bear the Private Placement Legend if
required by Section 2.02) in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary.
In connection with the execution, authentication and delivery of such U.S.
Physical Notes, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and records a decrease
in the principal amount of the U.S. Global Note equal to the principal amount of
such U.S. Physical Notes and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver one or more U.S. Physical Notes having an equal
aggregate principal amount.
SECTION 2.08. SPECIAL TRANSFER PROVISIONS. Unless and until a Note
is exchanged for an Exchange Note in connection with an effective Registration
Statement pursuant to the Notes Registration Rights Agreement, the following
provisions shall apply:
(a) TRANSFERS TO NON-QIB INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTORS. The
following provisions shall apply with respect to the registration of any
proposed transfer of a Note to any Institutional Accredited Investor which
is not a QIB (excluding Non-U.S. Persons):
(i) The Registrar shall register the transfer of any Note,
whether or not such Note bears the Private Placement Legend, if (x)
the requested transfer is after the time period referred to in Rule
144(k) under the Securities Act or (y) the proposed transferee has
delivered to the Registrar (A) a certificate substantially in the form
of Exhibit C hereto and (B) if the aggregate principal amount of the
Notes being transferred is less than $250,000, an opinion of counsel
acceptable to the Company that such transfer is in compliance with the
Securities Act.
(ii) If the proposed transferor is an Agent Member holding a
beneficial interest in the U.S. Global Note, upon receipt by the
Registrar of (x) the documents, if any, required by paragraph (i) and
(y) instructions given in accordance with the Depositary's and the
Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and
records the date and a decrease in the principal amount of the U.S.
Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of the
beneficial interest in the U.S. Global Note to be transferred, and the
Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver,
one or more U.S. Physical Notes of like tenor and amount.
(b) TRANSFERS TO QIBS. The following provisions shall apply with
respect to the registration of any proposed transfer of a U.S. Physical
Note or an interest in the U.S. Global Note to a QIB (excluding Non-U.S.
Persons):
34
(i) If the Note to be transferred consists of (x) U.S.
Physical Notes, the Registrar shall register the transfer if such
transfer is being made by a proposed transferor who has checked the
box provided for on the form of Note stating, or has otherwise advised
the Company and the Registrar in writing, 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 form of Note stating, or
has otherwise advised the Company 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, 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
Company as it 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 its foregoing representations in order to
claim the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A or (y) an
interest in the U.S. Global Note, the transfer of such interest may be
effected only through the book entry system maintained by the
Depositary.
(ii) If the proposed transferee is an Agent Member, and the
Note to be transferred consists of U.S. Physical Notes, upon receipt
by the Registrar of the documents referred to in clause (i) and
instructions given in accordance with the Depositary's and the
Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and
records the date and an increase in the principal amount of the U.S.
Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of the U.S.
Physical Note, to be transferred, and the Trustee shall cancel the
U.S. Physical Note so transferred.
(c) TRANSFERS OF INTERESTS IN THE TEMPORARY OFFSHORE GLOBAL NOTE.
The following provisions shall apply with respect to registration of any
proposed transfer of interests in the Temporary Offshore Global Note:
(i) The Registrar shall register the transfer of any Note
(x) if the proposed transferee is a Non-U.S. Person and the proposed
transferor has delivered to the Registrar a certificate substantially
in the form of Exhibit D hereto or (y) if the proposed transferee is a
QIB and the proposed transferor has checked the box provided for on
the form of Note stating, or has otherwise advised the Company and the
Registrar in writing, 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 form of Note stating, or has
otherwise advised the Company 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
35
meaning of Rule 144A, 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 Company as it 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 its foregoing
representations in order to claim the exemption from registration
provided by Rule 144A.
(ii) If the proposed transferee is an Agent Member, upon
receipt by the Registrar of the documents referred to in clause (i)(y)
above and instructions given in accordance with the Depositary's and
the Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books
and records the date and an increase in the principal amount at
maturity of the U.S. Global Note, in an amount equal to the principal
amount at maturity of the Temporary Offshore Global Note to be
transferred, and the Trustee shall decrease the amount of the
Temporary Offshore Global Note in such an amount.
(d) TRANSFERS OF INTERESTS IN THE PERMANENT OFFSHORE GLOBAL NOTE
OR UNLEGENDED OFFSHORE PHYSICAL NOTES. The following provisions shall
apply with respect to any transfer of interests in the Permanent Offshore
Global Note or unlegended Offshore Physical Notes: the Registrar shall
register the transfer of any such Note without requiring any additional
certification.
(e) TRANSFERS TO NON-U.S. PERSONS AT ANY TIME. The following
provisions shall apply with respect to any transfer of a Note to a Non-U.S.
Person:
(i) Prior to August 10, 1997, the Registrar shall register
any proposed transfer of a Note to a Non-U.S. Person upon receipt of a
certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto from the
proposed transferor.
(ii) On and after August 10, 1997, the Registrar shall
register any proposed transfer to any Non-U.S. Person if the Note to
be transferred is a U.S. Physical Note or an interest in the U.S.
Global Note, upon receipt of a certificate substantially in the form
of Exhibit D from the proposed transferor.
(iii) (a) If the proposed transferor is an Agent Member
holding a beneficial interest in the U.S. Global Note, upon receipt by
the Registrar of (x) the documents, if any, required by paragraph (ii)
and (y) instructions in accordance with the Depositary's and the
Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and
records the date and a decrease in the principal amount of the U.S.
Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of the
beneficial interest in the U.S. Global Note to be transferred, and (b)
if the proposed transferee is an Agent Member, upon receipt by the
Registrar of
36
instructions given in accordance with the Depositary's and the
Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and
records the date and an increase in the principal amount of the
Offshore Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount of the
U.S. Physical Notes or the U.S. Global Note, as the case may be, to be
transferred, and the Trustee shall cancel the Physical Note, if any,
so transferred or decrease the amount of the U.S. Global Note.
(f) PRIVATE PLACEMENT LEGEND. Upon the transfer, exchange or
replacement of Notes not bearing the Private Placement Legend, the
Registrar shall deliver Notes that do not bear the Private Placement
Legend. Upon the transfer, exchange or replacement of Notes bearing the
Private Placement Legend, the Registrar shall deliver only Notes that bear
the Private Placement Legend unless either (i) the circumstances
contemplated by the second sentence of the fourth paragraph of Section 2.01
or paragraphs (a)(i)(x) or (e)(ii) of this Section 2.08 exist or (ii) there
is delivered to the Registrar an Opinion of Counsel reasonably satisfactory
to the Company 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.
(g) GENERAL. By its acceptance of any Note bearing the Private
Placement Legend, each Holder of such a Note acknowledges the restrictions
on transfer of such Note set forth in this Indenture and in the Private
Placement Legend and agrees that it will transfer such Note only as
provided in this Indenture. The Registrar shall not register a transfer of
any Note unless such transfer complies with the restrictions on transfer of
such Note set forth in this Indenture. In connection with any transfer of
Notes, each Holder agrees by its acceptance of the Notes to furnish the
Registrar or the Company such certifications, legal opinions or other
information as either of them may reasonably require to confirm that such
transfer is being made pursuant to an exemption from, or a transaction not
subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act; PROVIDED
that the Registrar shall not be required to determine (but may rely on a
determination made by the Company with respect to) the sufficiency of any
such certifications, legal opinions or other information.
The Registrar shall retain copies of all letters, notices and other
written communications received pursuant to Section 2.07 or this Section 2.08.
The Company 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.
SECTION 2.09. REPLACEMENT NOTES. If a mutilated Note is surrendered
to the Trustee or if the Holder claims that the Note has been lost, destroyed or
wrongfully taken, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee
that such Note has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall
issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a replacement Note of like tenor and
principal amount; PROVIDED that the requirements of this Section 2.09 are
37
met. If required by the Trustee or the Company, an indemnity bond must be
furnished by the relevant Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of both the
Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee or any Agent from
any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Company may
charge such Holder for the expenses of the Company and the Trustee in replacing
a Note. In case any such mutilated, lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Note
has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion
may pay such Note instead of issuing a new Note in replacement thereof.
Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the Company and
shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
SECTION 2.10. OUTSTANDING NOTES. Notes outstanding at any time are
all Notes that have been authenticated by the Trustee except for those cancelled
by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this
Section 2.10 as not outstanding.
If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.09 (other than a mutilated
Note surrendered for replacement), it ceases to be outstanding unless and until
the Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to each of them that the
replaced Note is held by a BONA FIDE purchaser. A mutilated Note ceases to be
outstanding upon surrender of such security and replacement thereof pursuant to
Section 2.09.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the
Company) holds on a Redemption Date or the Stated Maturity of the Notes money
sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such
Notes cease to be outstanding and interest on them shall cease to accrue.
Notes, or portions thereof, for the payment or redemption of which
moneys or U.S. Government Obligations (as provided for in Article Eight) in the
necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any
Paying Agent (other than the Company) or shall have been set aside, segregated
and held in trust by the Company for the Holders of such Notes (if the Company
shall act as its own Paying Agent), on and after that time shall cease to be
outstanding and, in the case of redemption, interest on such Notes shall cease
to accrue; PROVIDED that if such Notes, or portions thereof, are to be redeemed
prior to the maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall have been given
as herein provided, or provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been
made for giving such notice.
A Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or one of
its Affiliates holds such Note; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, in determining whether
the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the outstanding Notes have
given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver
hereunder, Notes owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Notes or any
Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and
deemed not to be outstanding, except that, in determining whether the
38
Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Notes which the
Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes so owned which have
been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding if the pledgee
establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee's right so to act
with respect to such Notes and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other
obligor upon the Notes or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.
SECTION 2.11. TEMPORARY NOTES. Until definitive Notes are ready for
delivery, the Company may prepare and execute and the Trustee shall authenticate
temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be substantially in the form of
definitive Notes but may have insertions, substitutions, omissions and other
variations determined to be appropriate by the Officers executing the temporary
Notes, as evidenced by their execution of such temporary Notes. If temporary
Notes are issued, the Company will cause definitive Notes to be prepared without
unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Notes, the temporary
Notes shall be exchangeable for definitive Notes upon surrender of the temporary
Notes at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose
pursuant to Section 4.02, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for
cancellation of any one or more temporary Notes the Company shall execute and
the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal
amount of definitive Notes of authorized denominations. Until so exchanged, the
temporary Notes shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as
definitive Notes.
SECTION 2.12. CANCELLATION. The Company at any time may deliver, to
the Trustee for cancellation any Notes previously authenticated and delivered
hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may
deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Notes previously authenticated
hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold. The Registrar and the
Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for
transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Notes surrendered
for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall return
such cancelled Notes to the Company.
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP NUMBERS. The Company in issuing the Notes may
use "CUSIP," "CINS" and "ISIN" numbers (if then generally in use), and the
Trustee shall use CUSIP, CINS or ISIN numbers, as the case may be, in notices of
redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders; PROVIDED that any such
notice shall state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such
CUSIP, CINS or ISIN numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in
any notice of redemption or exchange and that reliance may be placed only on the
other identification numbers printed on the Notes; and PROVIDED FURTHER that
failure to use CUSIP, CINS or ISIN numbers in any notice of redemption or
exchange shall not affect the validity or sufficiency of such notice. The
Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any change in CUSIP numbers.
39
SECTION 2.14. DEFAULTED INTEREST. If the Company defaults in a
payment of interest on the Notes, it shall pay, or shall deposit with the Paying
Agent money in immediately available funds sufficient to pay the defaulted
interest, plus (to the extent lawful) any interest payable on the defaulted
interest, to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date. A
special record date, as used in this Section 2.14 with respect to the payment of
any defaulted interest, shall mean the 15th day next preceding the date fixed by
the Company for the payment of defaulted interest, whether or not such day is a
Business Day. At least 15 days before the subsequent special record date, the
Company (or the Trustee, in the name of and at the expense of the Company) shall
mail to each Holder a notice that states the subsequent special record date, the
payment date and the amount of defaulted interest to be paid.
SECTION 2.15. ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL NOTES. The Company may, subject
to Article Four of this Indenture, issue additional Notes under this Indenture.
The Notes issued on the Closing Date and any additional Notes subsequently
issued shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture.
ARTICLE THREE
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01. RIGHT OF REDEMPTION. (a) The Notes will be
redeemable, at the Company's option, in whole or in part, at any time or from
time to time, on or after July 15, 2002 and prior to maturity, upon not less
than 30 nor more than 60 days' prior notice mailed by first class mail to each
Holder's last address as it appears in the Note Register, at the following
Redemption Prices (expressed in percentages of principal amount), plus accrued
and unpaid interest to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of Holders of
record on the relevant Regular Record Date that is prior to the Redemption Date
to receive interest due on an Interest Payment Date), if redeemed during the
12-month period commencing July 15 of the years set forth below:
Redemption
Year Price
---- ----------
2002 . . . . . . . . . 106.750%
2003 . . . . . . . . . 103.375%
2004 and thereafter . . . 100.000%
(b) In addition, at any time prior to July 15, 2000, the Company
may redeem up to 35% of the principal amount of the Notes with the proceeds of
one or more Public Equity Offerings, following which a Public Market occurs, at
any time as a whole or from time to time in part, at a Redemption Price
(expressed as a percentage of principal amount) of 113.50%; PROVIDED that (1) at
least $100.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes remains outstanding
40
after each such redemption and (2) each such redemption occurs within 180 days
of the related Public Equity Offering.
SECTION 3.02. NOTICES TO TRUSTEE. If the Company elects to redeem
Notes pursuant to Section 3.01(a) or (b), it shall notify the Trustee in writing
of the Redemption Date, the principal amount at Stated Maturity of Notes to be
redeemed and the clause of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall
occur.
The Company shall give each notice provided for in this Section 3.02
in an Officers' Certificate at least 45 days before the Redemption Date (unless
a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee).
SECTION 3.03. SELECTION OF NOTES TO BE REDEEMED. If less than all of
the Notes are to be redeemed at any time, the Trustee will select the Notes, or
portions thereof, for redemption in compliance with the requirements as
certified to it by the Company, of the principal national securities exchange,
if any, on which the Notes are listed or, if the Notes are not listed on a
national securities exchange, on a pro rata basis, by lot or by such other
method as the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem to be fair and
appropriate; PROVIDED that no Note of $1,000 in principal amount or less shall
be redeemed in part. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of
redemption relating 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.
The Trustee shall make the selection from the Notes outstanding and
not previously called for redemption. Notes in denominations of $1,000 in
principal amount may only be redeemed in whole. The Trustee may select for
redemption portions (equal to $1,000 in principal amount or any integral
multiple thereof) of Notes that have denominations larger than $1,000 in
principal amount. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes called for
redemption also apply to portions of Notes called for redemption. The Trustee
shall notify the Company and the Registrar promptly in writing of the Notes or
portions of Notes to be called for redemption.
SECTION 3.04. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. With respect to any redemption
of Notes pursuant to Section 3.01(a) or (b), at least 30 days but not more than
60 days before a Redemption Date, the Company shall mail or cause to be mailed,
a notice of redemption by first class mail (pursuant to the requirements of
Section 11.02) to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed.
41
The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed and shall state:
(i) the Redemption Date;
(ii) the Redemption Price;
(iii) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(iv) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the
Paying Agent in order to collect the Redemption Price;
(v) that, unless the Company defaults in making the redemption
payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and
after the Redemption Date and the only remaining right of the Holders is to
receive payment of the Redemption Price plus accrued and unpaid interest to
the Redemption Date upon surrender of the Notes to the Paying Agent;
(vi) that, if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of
the principal amount (equal to $1,000 in principal amount or any integral
multiple thereof) of such Note to be redeemed and that, on and after the
Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Notes in
principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be reissued;
(vii) that, if any Note contains a CUSIP, CINS or ISIN number as
provided in Section 2.13, no representation is being made as to the
correctness of the CUSIP, CINS or ISIN number either as printed on the
Notes or as contained in the notice of redemption and that reliance may be
placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes; and
(viii) the aggregate principal amount of Notes being redeemed.
At the Company's request (which request may be revoked by the Company
at any time prior to the time at which the Trustee shall have given such notice
to the Holders), made in writing to the Trustee, at least 45 days (or such
shorter period as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) before a Redemption
Date, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the name and at the
expense of the Company. If, however, the Company gives such notice to the
Holders, the Company shall concurrently deliver to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate stating that such notice has been given.
SECTION 3.05. EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Once notice of
redemption is mailed, Notes called for redemption become due and payable on the
Redemption Date and at the
42
Redemption Price. Upon surrender of any Notes to the Paying Agent, such Notes
shall be paid at the Redemption Price, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the
Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption shall be deemed to be given when mailed, whether
or not the Holder receives the notice. In any event, failure to give such
notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the validity of the proceedings
for the redemption of Notes held by Holders to whom such notice was properly
given.
SECTION 3.06. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE. On or prior to 10:00 a.m.
New York City time on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the
Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, shall
segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 2.05) money in immediately
available funds sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of and accrued and unpaid
interest on all Notes to be redeemed on that date other than Notes or portions
thereof called for redemption on that date that have been delivered by the
Company to the Trustee for cancellation.
SECTION 3.07. PAYMENT OF NOTES CALLED FOR REDEMPTION. If notice of
redemption has been given in the manner provided above, the Notes or portion of
Notes specified in such notice to be redeemed shall become due and payable on
the Redemption Date at the Redemption Price stated therein, together with
accrued and unpaid interest to such Redemption Date, and on and after such date
(unless the Company shall default in the payment of such Notes at the Redemption
Price and accrued and unpaid interest to the Redemption Date, in which case the
principal, until paid, shall bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate
prescribed in the Notes), such Notes shall cease to accrue interest. Upon
surrender of any Note for redemption in accordance with a notice of redemption,
such Note shall be paid and redeemed by the Company at the Redemption Price,
together with accrued and unpaid interest to the Redemption Date; PROVIDED that
installments of interest whose record date is prior to the Redemption Date shall
be payable to the Holders registered as such at the close of business such
record date, if any.
SECTION 3.08. NOTES REDEEMED IN PART. Upon surrender of any Note
that is redeemed in part, the Company shall at its expense issue and execute and
the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver for the Holder a new Note equal in
principal amount to the unredeemed portion of such surrendered Note.
ARTICLE FOUR
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01. PAYMENT OF NOTES. The Company shall pay the principal
of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes on the dates and in the manner
provided in the Notes and this Indenture. An installment of principal, premium,
if any, or interest shall be considered
43
paid on the date due if the Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Company, a
Subsidiary of the Company, or any Affiliate of any of them) holds as of 10:00
A.M. New York City time on the due date money deposited by the Company in
immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay the
installment. If the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or any Affiliate
of any of them, acts as Paying Agent, an installment of principal, premium, if
any, or interest shall be considered paid on the due date if the entity acting
as Paying Agent complies with the last sentence of Section 2.05. As provided in
Section 6.09, upon any bankruptcy or reorganization procedure relative to the
Company, the Trustee shall serve as the Paying Agent and conversion agent, if
any, for the Notes.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal, premium, if any,
and interest on overdue installments of interest, to the extent lawful, at the
rate per annum specified in the Notes.
SECTION 4.02. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY. The Company will
maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York an office or agency
where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange or for
presentation for payment and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in
respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served. The Company 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 Company 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 address of the Trustee set forth in Section 11.02.
The Company 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; PROVIDED
that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company
of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan,
The City of New York for such purposes. The Company 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 Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of
the Trustee as such office of the Company in accordance with Section 2.04.
SECTION 4.03. LIMITATION ON INDEBTEDNESS. (a) The Company will not,
and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, Incur any
Indebtedness (other than the Notes and Indebtedness existing on the Closing
Date); PROVIDED that the Company may Incur Indebtedness if, after giving effect
to the Incurrence of such Indebtedness and the receipt and application of the
proceeds thereof, the Consolidated Leverage Ratio would be greater than zero and
(i) less than 5 to 1, for Indebtedness Incurred by the Company, or (ii) less
than 2 to 1, for Indebtedness Incurred by any Restricted Subsidiary.
44
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and any Restricted
Subsidiary (except as specified below) may Incur each and all of the following:
(i) Indebtedness outstanding at any time in an aggregate principal
amount not to exceed $100 million, less any amount of Indebtedness
permanently repaid as provided under Section 4.11;
(ii) Indebtedness (A) to the Company evidenced by an unsubordinated
promissory note or (B) to any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; PROVIDED that
any event which results in any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a
Restricted Subsidiary or any subsequent transfer of such Indebtedness
(other than to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary) shall be
deemed, in each case, to constitute an Incurrence of such Indebtedness not
permitted by this clause (ii);
(iii) Indebtedness issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of
which are used to renew, extend, defease, refinance or refund, then
outstanding Indebtedness, other than Indebtedness Incurred under clause
(i), (ii), (iv), (vi), (viii) or (ix) of this paragraph, and any
refinancings thereof in an amount not to exceed the amount so renewed,
extended, defeased, refinanced or refunded (plus premiums, accrued
interest, fees and expenses); PROVIDED that Indebtedness the proceeds of
which are used to renew, extend, defease, refinance or refund the Notes in
part or Indebtedness that is PARI PASSU with, or subordinated in right of
payment to, the Notes shall only be permitted under this clause (iii) if
(A) in case the Notes are refinanced in part or the Indebtedness to be
refinanced is PARI PASSU with the Notes, such new Indebtedness, by its
terms or by the terms of any agreement or instrument pursuant to which such
new Indebtedness is outstanding, is expressly made PARI PASSU with, or
subordinate in right of payment to, the remaining Notes, (B) in case the
Indebtedness to be refinanced is subordinated in right of payment to the
Notes, such new Indebtedness, by its terms or by the terms of any agreement
or instrument pursuant to which such new Indebtedness is issued or remains
outstanding, is expressly made subordinate in right of payment to the Notes
at least to the extent that the Indebtedness to be refinanced is
subordinated to the Notes and (C) such new Indebtedness, determined as of
the date of Incurrence of such new Indebtedness, does not mature prior to
the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness to be renewed, extended, defeased,
refinanced or refunded, and the Average Life of such new Indebtedness is at
least equal to the remaining Average Life of the Indebtedness to be
renewed, extended, defeased, refinanced or refunded; and PROVIDED FURTHER
that in no event may Indebtedness of the Company be refinanced by means of
any Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to this clause
(iii);
(iv) Indebtedness (A) in respect of performance, surety or appeal
bonds provided in the ordinary course of business, (B) under Currency
Agreements and Interest Rate Agreements; PROVIDED that such agreements
(a) are designed solely to protect the
45
Company or its Subsidiaries against fluctuations in foreign currency
exchange rates or interest rates and (b) do not increase the Indebtedness
of the obligor outstanding at any time other than as a result of
fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or interest rates or by
reason of fees, indemnities and compensation payable thereunder and (C)
arising from agreements providing for indemnification, adjustment of
purchase price or similar obligations, or from Guarantees or letters of
credit, surety bonds or performance bonds securing any obligations of the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to such agreements,
in any case Incurred in connection with the disposition of any business,
assets or Restricted Subsidiary of the Company (other than Guarantees of
Indebtedness Incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such
business, assets or Restricted Subsidiary of the Company for the purpose of
financing such acquisition), in a principal amount not to exceed the gross
proceeds actually received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in
connection with such disposition;
(v) Indebtedness of the Company, to the extent the net proceeds
thereof are promptly (A) used to purchase Notes tendered in an Offer to
Purchase made as a result of a Change in Control or (B) deposited to
defease the Notes as described in Sections 8.02 and 8.03;
(vi) Guarantees of the Notes and Guarantees of Indebtedness of the
Company by any Restricted Subsidiary; PROVIDED that the Guarantee of such
Indebtedness is permitted by and made in accordance with Section 4.07;
(vii) Indebtedness Incurred to finance the cost (including the cost
of design, development, construction, installation or integration) of
equipment, inventory or other tangible assets used or useful in the
telecommunications business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
acquired by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary after the Closing Date;
(viii) Indebtedness of the Company not to exceed, at any one time
outstanding, two times the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company after
the Closing Date from the issuance and sale of its Capital Stock (other
than Disqualified Stock) to a Person that is not a Subsidiary of the
Company to the extent such Net Cash Proceeds have not been used pursuant to
clause (C)(2) of the first paragraph of, or clause (iii) or (iv) of the
second paragraph of, Section 4.04 to make a Restricted Payment; PROVIDED
that such Indebtedness does not mature prior to the Stated Maturity of the
Notes and has an Average Life longer than the Notes; and
(ix) Indebtedness of the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary;
PROVIDED that at the time of the Incurrence of any Indebtedness under this
clause (ix) the amount of Indebtedness under this clause (ix) does not
exceed in aggregate 70% of the accounts receivable (net of accounts more
than 60 days past due and reserves and allowances for
46
doubtful accounts, determined in accordance with GAAP) of the Company and
its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis as set forth on the
balance sheet of the Company most recently filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 4.17.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 4.03, the
maximum amount of Indebtedness that the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary may
Incur pursuant to this Section 4.03 shall not be deemed to be exceeded, with
respect to any outstanding Indebtedness, due solely to the result of
fluctuations in the exchange rates of currencies.
(c) For purposes of determining any particular amount of
Indebtedness under this Section 4.03, (1) Guarantees, Liens, letters of credit
or other obligations supporting Indebtedness otherwise included in the
determination of such particular amount shall not be included and (2) any Liens
granted pursuant to the equal and ratable provisions referred to in Section 4.09
shall not be treated as Indebtedness. For purposes of determining compliance
with this Section 4.03, in the event that an item of Indebtedness meets the
criteria of more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in the above
clauses, the Company, in its sole discretion, shall classify such item of
Indebtedness and only be required to include the amount and type of such
Indebtedness in one of such clauses.
SECTION 4.04. LIMITATION ON RESTRICTED PAYMENTS. The Company will
not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly,
(i) declare or pay any dividend or make any distribution on or with respect to
its Capital Stock (other than (x) dividends or distributions payable solely in
shares of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) or in options,
warrants or other rights to acquire shares of such Capital Stock and (y) pro
rata dividends or distributions on Common Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries held
by minority stockholders; PROVIDED that such dividends do not in the aggregate
exceed the minority stockholders' pro rata share of such Restricted
Subsidiaries' net income from the first day of the fiscal quarter beginning
immediately following the Closing Date) held by Persons other than the Company
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, (ii) purchase, redeem, retire or
otherwise acquire for value any shares of Capital Stock of (x) the Company or an
Unrestricted Subsidiary (including options, warrants or other rights to acquire
such shares of Capital Stock) held by any Person other than the Company or any
Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or (y) a Restricted Subsidiary (including
options, warrants or other rights to acquire such shares of Capital Stock) held
by any Affiliate of the Company (other than a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary) or any holder (or any Affiliate of such holder) of 5% or more of the
Capital Stock of the Company, (iii) make any voluntary or optional principal
payment, or voluntary or optional redemption, repurchase, defeasance, or other
acquisition or retirement for value, of Indebtedness of the Company (other than
Indebtedness outstanding on the Closing Date) that is subordinated in right of
payment to the Notes (other than the purchase, repurchase or the acquisition of
Indebtedness in anticipation of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal
installment or final maturity, in any case due within one year of the date of
acquisition) or (iv) make any Investment, other than a Permitted Investment, in
any Person (such payments or any other actions described in clauses
47
(i) through (iv) being collectively "Restricted Payments") if, at the time of,
and after giving effect to, the proposed Restricted Payment: (A) a Default or
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (B) except with respect
to Investments, the Company could not Incur at least $1.00 of Indebtedness under
the first paragraph of Section 4.03 or (C) the aggregate amount of all
Restricted Payments (the amount, if other than in cash, to be determined in good
faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be conclusive and
evidenced by a Board Resolution) made after the Closing Date shall exceed the
sum of (1) 50% of the aggregate amount of the Adjusted Consolidated Net Income
(or, if the Adjusted Consolidated Net Income is a loss, minus 100% of the amount
of such loss (determined by excluding amounts referred to in clause (3) below))
accrued on a cumulative basis during the period (taken as one accounting period)
beginning on the first day of the fiscal quarter immediately following the
Closing Date and ending on the last day of the last fiscal quarter preceding the
Transaction Date for which reports have been filed pursuant to Section 4.17 PLUS
(2) (A) the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company after the
Closing Date from the issuance and sale permitted by this Indenture of its
Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) to a Person who is not a
Subsidiary of the Company, or from the issuance to a Person who is not a
Subsidiary of the Company of any options, warrants or other rights to acquire
Capital Stock of the Company (in each case, exclusive of any convertible
Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or any options, warrants or other rights that
are redeemable at the option of the holder, or are required to be redeemed,
prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes), (B) the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds
received after the Closing Date by the Company from the issuance or sale (other
than to a Subsidiary of the Company) of debt securities or shares of
Disqualified Stock that have been converted into or exchanged for Common Stock
of the Company, together with the aggregate cash received by the Company at the
time of such conversion or exchange, in each case except to the extent such Net
Cash Proceeds are used to Incur Indebtedness pursuant to clause (viii) of the
second paragraph of Section 4.03 and (C) the amount by which Indebtedness of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is reduced upon the conversion or
exchange subsequent to the Closing Date of any Indebtedness which is convertible
into or exchangeable for Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the
Company PLUS (3) an amount equal to the net reduction in Investments (other than
reductions in Permitted Investments) in any Person resulting from payments of
interest on Indebtedness, dividends, repayments of loans or advances, or other
transfers of assets, in each case to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or
from the Net Cash Proceeds from the sale of any such Investment (except, in each
case, to the extent any such payment or proceeds are included in the calculation
of Adjusted Consolidated Net Income), or from redesignations of Unrestricted
Subsidiaries as Restricted Subsidiaries (valued in each case as provided in the
definition of "Investments"), not to exceed, in each case, the amount of
Investments previously made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in such
Person or Unrestricted Subsidiary.
48
The foregoing provision shall not be violated by reason of:
(i) the payment of any dividend within 60 days after the date of
declaration thereof if, at said date of declaration, such payment would
comply with the foregoing paragraph;
(ii) the redemption, repurchase, defeasance or other acquisition or
retirement for value of Indebtedness that is subordinated in right of
payment to the Notes including premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid
interest, with the proceeds of, or in exchange for, Indebtedness Incurred
under clause (iii) of the second paragraph of part (a) of Section 4.03;
(iii) the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition of Capital
Stock of the Company (or options, warrants or other rights to acquire such
Capital Stock) in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of a substantially
concurrent offering of, shares of Capital Stock of the Company (other than
Disqualified Stock);
(iv) the making of any principal payment or the repurchase,
redemption, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition for value of
Indebtedness of the Company which is subordinated in right of payment to
the Notes in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of, a substantially
concurrent offering of, shares of the Capital Stock of the Company (other
than Disqualified Stock);
(v) payments or distributions, to dissenting stockholders pursuant
to applicable law, pursuant to or in connection with a consolidation,
merger or transfer of assets that complies with the provisions of this
Indenture applicable to mergers, consolidations and transfers of all or
substantially all of the property and assets of the Company;
(vi) the purchase, redemption, acquisition, cancellation or other
retirement for value of shares of Capital Stock of the Company to the
extent necessary, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors of
the Company, to prevent the loss or secure the renewal or reinstatement of
any license or franchise held by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
for any governmental agency;
(vii) the declaration or payment of dividends on the Common Stock of
the Company following a Public Equity Offering of such Common Stock, of up
to 6% per annum of the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company in all
Public Equity Offerings;
(viii) the purchase, redemption, retirement or other acquisition for
value of Capital Stock of the Company, or options to purchase such shares,
held by directors, employees or former directors or employees of the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
49
(or their estates or beneficiaries under their estates) upon death,
disability, retirement, termination of employment or pursuant to the terms
of any agreement under which such shares of Capital Stock or options were
issued; PROVIDED that the aggregate consideration paid for such purchase,
redemption, acquisition, cancellation or other retirement of such shares of
Capital Stock or options after the Closing Date does not exceed $500,000 in
any calendar year, or $2.0 million in the aggregate after the Closing Date;
(ix) any Investment, to the extent the consideration therefor paid
by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries consists solely of
(A) Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or (B) the
Net Cash Proceeds from the sale of such Capital Stock during the six months
preceding such Investment, in each case except to the extent such Capital
Stock or Net Cash Proceeds have been used under clause (iii) or (iv) above;
PROVIDED that, except in the case of clauses (i) and (iii), no Default or
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or occur as a
consequence of the actions or payments set forth therein; and
(x) repurchases of Warrants pursuant to a Repurchase Offer.
Each Restricted Payment permitted pursuant to the preceding paragraph
(other than the Restricted Payment referred to in clause (ii) thereof, an
exchange of Capital Stock for Capital Stock or Indebtedness referred to in
clause (iii) or (iv) thereof, the Net Cash Proceeds from any issuance of Capital
Stock referred to in clauses (iii) and (iv) thereof and the Restricted Payment
referred to in clause (ix)(A) thereof) shall be included in calculating whether
the conditions of clause (C) of the first paragraph of this Section 4.04 have
been met with respect to any subsequent Restricted Payments. In the event the
proceeds of an issuance of Capital Stock of the Company are used for the
redemption, repurchase or other acquisition of the Notes, or Indebtedness that
is PARI PASSU with the Notes, then the Net Cash Proceeds of such issuance shall
be included in clause (C) of the first paragraph of this Section 4.04 only to
the extent such proceeds are not used for such redemption, repurchase or other
acquisition of Indebtedness.
Any Restricted Payments made other than in cash shall be valued at
fair market value. The amount of any Investment "outstanding" at any time shall
be deemed to be equal to the amount of such Investment on the date made, less
the return of capital to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries with
respect to such Investment (up to the amount of such Investment on the date
made).
SECTION 4.05. LIMITATION ON DIVIDEND AND OTHER PAYMENT RESTRICTIONS
AFFECTING RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARIES. The Company will not, and will not permit
any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or
become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction of any kind on the
ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (i) pay dividends or make any other
distributions permitted by applicable law on any Capital Stock of such
Restricted Subsidiary owned by the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary,
(ii) pay
50
any Indebtedness owed to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary,
(iii) make loans or advances to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary
or (iv) transfer any of its property or assets to the Company or any other
Restricted Subsidiary.
The foregoing provisions shall not restrict any encumbrances or
restrictions:
(i) existing on the Closing Date in this Indenture or any other
agreements in effect on the Closing Date, and any extensions, refinancings,
renewals or replacements of such agreements; PROVIDED that the encumbrances
and restrictions in any such extensions, refinancings, renewals or
replacements are no less favorable in any material respect to the Holders
than those encumbrances or restrictions that are then in effect and that
are being extended, refinanced, renewed or replaced;
(ii) existing under or by reason of applicable law;
(iii) existing with respect to any Person or the property or assets
of such Person acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary,
existing at the time of such acquisition and not incurred in contemplation
thereof, which encumbrances or restrictions are not applicable to any
Person or the property or assets of any Person other than such Person or
the property or assets of such Person so acquired, and any extensions,
refinancings, renewals or replacements of the agreement containing such
encumbrance or restriction; PROVIDED that the encumbrances and restrictions
in any such extensions, refinancings, renewals or replacements are no less
favorable in any material respect to the Holders than those encumbrances or
restrictions that are then in effect and that are being extended,
refinanced, renewed or replaced;
(iv) in the case of clause (iv) of the first paragraph of this
Section 4.05, (A) that restrict in a customary manner the subletting,
assignment or transfer of any property or asset that is a lease, license,
conveyance or contract or similar property or asset, (B) existing by virtue
of any transfer of, agreement to transfer, option or right with respect to,
or Lien on, any property or assets of the Company, or any Restricted
Subsidiary not otherwise prohibited by this Indenture or (C) arising or
agreed to in the ordinary course of business, not relating to any
Indebtedness, and that do not, individually or in the aggregate, detract
from the value of property or assets of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary in any manner material to the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary;
(v) with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary and imposed pursuant
to an agreement that has been entered into for the sale or disposition of
all or substantially all of the Capital Stock of, or property and assets
of, such Restricted Subsidiary;
51
(vi) contained in the terms of Indebtedness having an aggregate
principal amount not in excess of the greater of (1) $10 million or (2) 10%
of Consolidated EBITDA for the Four Quarter Period or any agreement
pursuant to which such Indebtedness is outstanding (in each case Incurred
by a Restricted Subsidiary in compliance with Section 4.03) if (A) the
encumbrance or restriction applies only in the event of a payment default
or a default with respect to a financial covenant contained in such
Indebtedness or agreement, (B) the encumbrance or restriction is not
materially more disadvantageous to the Holders than is customary in
comparable financings (as determined by the Company), (C) the Company
determines that any such encumbrance or restriction will not materially
affect its ability to make principal or interest payments on the Notes, (D)
if the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness exceeds the greater
of (1) $5 million and (2) 5% of Consolidated EBITDA for the Four Quarter
Period, the documents pursuant to which all such indebtedness in excess of
such amount is outstanding expressly state that such Restricted Subsidiary
shall be entitled to take the actions referred to in clauses (i) through
(iv) of the first paragraph of this Section 4.05 in an amount not to exceed
50% of the consolidated net income of such Restricted Subsidiary (after
making adjustments thereto in the nature of the adjustments referred to in
the definition of "Adjusted Consolidated Net Income") and (E) the
Investments made by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in such
Restricted Subsidiary are reasonably related to the business of such
Restricted Subsidiary; and
(vii) provisions contained in agreements or instruments which
prohibit the payment of dividends or the making of other distributions with
respect to any particular class of Capital Stock of a Person other than on
a PRO RATA basis. Nothing contained in this Section 4.05 shall prevent the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from (1) creating, incurring, assuming
or suffering to exist any Liens otherwise permitted in Section 4.09 or
(2) restricting the sale or other disposition of property or assets of the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that secure Indebtedness of
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
SECTION 4.06. LIMITATION ON THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF CAPITAL STOCK OF
RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARIES. The Company will not sell, and will not permit any
Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to issue or sell, any shares of
Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary (including options, warrants or other
rights to purchase shares of such Capital Stock) except (i) to the Company or a
Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary; (ii) issuances of director's qualifying
shares or sales to foreign nationals of shares of Capital Stock of foreign
Restricted Subsidiaries, to the extent required by applicable law; (iii) if,
immediately after giving effect to such issuance or sale, such Restricted
Subsidiary would no longer constitute a Restricted Subsidiary; PROVIDED that any
Investment in such Person remaining after giving effect to such issuance or sale
would have been permitted to be made under Section 4.04, if made on the date of
such issuance or sale; (iv) issuances or sales of Common Stock, the net cash
proceeds of which, if any, are promptly applied pursuant to clause (A) or (B) of
Section 4.11; and
52
(v) issuances and sales of up to 6% of the Common Stock of each Restricted
Subsidiary in connection with employee benefit plans or arrangements.
SECTION 4.07. LIMITATION ON ISSUANCES OF GUARANTEES BY RESTRICTED
SUBSIDIARIES. The Company will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary, directly
or indirectly, to Guarantee any Indebtedness of the Company which is PARI PASSU
with or subordinate in right of payment to the Notes ("Guaranteed
Indebtedness"), unless (i) such Restricted Subsidiary simultaneously executes
and delivers a supplemental indenture to this Indenture providing for a
Guarantee (a "Subsidiary Guarantee") of payment of the Notes by such Restricted
Subsidiary and (ii) such Restricted Subsidiary waives and will not in any manner
whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any rights of
reimbursement, indemnity or subrogation or any other rights against the Company
or any other Restricted Subsidiary as a result of any payment by such Restricted
Subsidiary under its Subsidiary Guarantee; PROVIDED that this paragraph shall
not be applicable to any Guarantee of any Restricted Subsidiary that existed at
the time such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary and was not Incurred in
connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted
Subsidiary. If the Guaranteed Indebtedness is (A) PARI PASSU with the Notes,
then the Guarantee of such Guaranteed Indebtedness shall be PARI PASSU with, or
subordinated to, the Subsidiary Guarantee or (B) subordinated to the Notes, then
the Guarantee of such Guaranteed Indebtedness shall be subordinated to the
Subsidiary Guarantee at least to the extent that the Guaranteed Indebtedness is
subordinated to the Notes.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Subsidiary Guarantee by a
Restricted Subsidiary may provide by its terms that it shall be automatically
and unconditionally released and discharged upon (i) any sale, exchange or
transfer, to any Person not an Affiliate of the Company, of all of the Company's
and each Restricted Subsidiary's Capital Stock in, or all or substantially all
the assets of, such Restricted Subsidiary (which sale, exchange or transfer is
not prohibited by this Indenture) or (ii) the release or discharge of the
Guarantee which resulted in the creation of such Subsidiary Guarantee, except a
discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such Guarantee.
SECTION 4.08. LIMITATION ON TRANSACTIONS WITH SHAREHOLDERS AND
AFFILIATES. The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary
to, directly or indirectly, enter into, renew or extend any transaction
(including, without limitation, the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of
property or assets, or the rendering of any service) with any holder (or any
Affiliate of such holder) of 5% or more of any class of Capital Stock of the
Company or with any Affiliate of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary,
except upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary than could be obtained, at the time of such transaction
or, if such transaction is pursuant to a written agreement, at the time of the
execution of the agreement providing therefor, in a comparable arm's-length
transaction with a Person that is not such a holder or an Affiliate.
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The foregoing limitation does not limit, and shall not apply to:
(i) transactions (A) approved by a majority of the disinterested
members of the Board of Directors or (B) for which the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary delivers to the Trustee a written opinion of a
nationally recognized investment banking firm stating that the transaction
is fair to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from a financial point
of view;
(ii) any transaction solely between the Company and any of its
Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries or solely between Wholly Owned
Restricted Subsidiaries;
(iii) the payment of reasonable and customary regular fees to
directors of the Company who are not employees of the Company;
(iv) any payments or other transactions pursuant to any tax-sharing
agreement between the Company and any other Person with which the Company
files a consolidated tax return or with which the Company is part of a
consolidated group for tax purposes;
(v) any Restricted Payments not prohibited by Section 4.04;
(vi) employment agreements with, and loans and advances to,
officers and employees of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, in
each case in the ordinary course of business;
(vii) customary indemnification arrangements in favor of directors
and officers of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries; or
(viii) transactions in accordance with the provisions of the Series A
Preferred Stock of the Company as set forth in the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Company on the Closing Date.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any transaction covered by the first
paragraph of this Section 4.08 and not covered by clauses (ii) through (vi) of
this paragraph, the aggregate amount of which exceeds $3 million in value, must
be approved or determined to be fair in the manner provided for in clause
(i)(A) or (B) above.
SECTION 4.09. LIMITATION ON LIENS. The Company will not, and will
not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer to
exist any Lien on any of its assets or properties of any character, or any
shares of Capital Stock or Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary, without
making effective provision for all of the Notes and all other amounts due under
this Indenture to be directly secured equally and ratably with (or, if the
obligation or liability to be secured by such Lien is subordinated in right of
payment to the
54
Notes, prior to) the obligation or liability secured by such Lien unless, after
giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of any Indebtedness so secured, plus
the Attributable Indebtedness for all sale-leaseback transactions permitted
under Section 4.10, does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.
The foregoing limitation does not apply to:
(i) Liens existing on the Closing Date;
(ii) Liens granted after the Closing Date on any assets or Capital
Stock of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries created in favor of the
Holders;
(iii) Liens with respect to the assets of a Restricted Subsidiary
granted by such Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or a Wholly Owned
Restricted Subsidiary to secure Indebtedness owing to the Company or such
other Restricted Subsidiary;
(iv) Liens securing Indebtedness which is Incurred to refinance
secured Indebtedness which is permitted to be Incurred under clause
(iii) of the second paragraph of Section 4.03; PROVIDED that such Liens do
not extend to or cover any property or assets of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary other than the property or assets securing the
Indebtedness being refinanced;
(v) Liens on assets acquired by the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries after the Closing Date, that are not incurred in contemplation
of or in connection with such acquisition; or
(vi) Permitted Liens.
In the event that the Lien the existence of which gives rise to a Lien
securing the Notes pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4.09 ceases to
exist, the Lien securing the Notes required by the first paragraph of this
Section 4.09 shall automatically be released and the Trustee shall execute
appropriate documentation.
SECTION 4.10. LIMITATION ON SALE-LEASEBACK TRANSACTIONS. The Company
will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to enter into any
sale-leaseback transaction involving any of its assets or properties whether now
owned or hereafter acquired, whereby the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary
sells or transfers such assets or properties and then or thereafter leases such
assets or properties or any part thereof or any other assets or properties which
the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, intends to use
for substantially the same purpose or purposes as the assets or properties sold
or transferred.
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The foregoing restriction does not apply to any sale-leaseback transaction
if:
(i) the lease is for a period, including renewal rights, of not in
excess of three years;
(ii) the lease secures or relates to industrial revenue or
pollution control bonds;
(iii) the transaction is solely between the Company and any Wholly
Owned Restricted Subsidiary or solely between Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiaries; or
(iv) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, within twelve
months after the sale or transfer of any assets or properties is completed,
applies an amount not less than the net proceeds received from such sale in
accordance with clause (A) or (B) of the first paragraph of Section 4.11.
SECTION 4.11. LIMITATION ON ASSET SALES. The Company will not, and
will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, consummate any Asset Sale unless
(i) the consideration received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary
(including any Released Indebtedness) is at least equal to the fair market value
of the assets sold or disposed of and (ii) at least 85% of the consideration
received (including any Released Indebtedness) consists of (1) cash, Temporary
Cash Investments or Released Indebtedness and (2) Indebtedness of any Person
which is either repaid in cash or sold for cash within 90 days of such Asset
Sale (for purposes of calculating the amount of such Indebtedness, such
Indebtedness shall be valued at its principal amount, if it matures within 180
days of the consummation of such Asset Sale, or its fair market value, in all
other cases). In the event and to the extent that the Net Cash Proceeds
received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from one or more
Asset Sales occurring on or after the Closing Date in any period of 12
consecutive months exceed 10% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets
(determined as of the date closest to the commencement of such 12-month period
for which a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its subsidiaries has
been filed pursuant to Section 4.17), then the Company shall or shall cause the
relevant Restricted Subsidiary to (i) within twelve months after the date Net
Cash Proceeds so received exceed 10% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible
Assets (A) apply an amount equal to such excess Net Cash Proceeds to permanently
repay unsubordinated Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
providing a Subsidiary Guarantee pursuant to Section 4.07 or Indebtedness of any
other Restricted Subsidiary, in each case owing to a Person other than the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or (B) invest an equal amount, or
the amount not so applied pursuant to clause (A) (or enter into a definitive
agreement committing to so invest within twelve months after the date of such
agreement), in property or assets (other than current assets) of a nature or
type or that are used in a business (or in a company having property and assets
of a nature or type, or engaged in a business) similar or related to the nature
or type of the property and assets of, or the business of, the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries existing on the date of such investment and (ii) apply
(no later than the end of the twelve-month
56
period referred to in clause (i)) such excess Net Cash Proceeds (to the extent
not applied pursuant to clause (i)) as provided in the following paragraph of
this Section 4.11. The amount of such excess Net Cash Proceeds required to be
applied (or to be committed to be applied) during such twelve-month period as
set forth in clause (i) of the preceding sentence and not applied as so required
by the end of such period shall constitute "Excess Proceeds."
If, as of the first day of any calendar month, the aggregate amount of
Excess Proceeds not theretofore subject to an Offer to Purchase pursuant to this
Section 4.11 totals at least $5 million, the Company must commence, not later
than the fifteenth Business Day of such month, and consummate an Offer to
Purchase from the Holders on a pro rata basis an aggregate principal amount of
Notes on the relevant Payment Date equal to the Excess Proceeds on such date, at
a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Notes on the
relevant Payment Date, plus accrued interest (if any) to the Payment Date. Upon
the consummation of an Offer to Purchase pursuant to this Section 4.11 the
amount of Excess Proceeds shall be deemed to be equal to zero, plus the amount
of any Excess Proceeds not theretofore subject to an Offer to Purchase.
SECTION 4.12. REPURCHASE OF NOTES UPON A CHANGE OF CONTROL. The
Company shall commence, within 30 days of the occurrence of a Change of Control,
and consummate an Offer to Purchase for all Notes then outstanding, at a
purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued
interest (if any) to the Payment Date.
SECTION 4.13. EXISTENCE. Subject to Articles Four and Five of this
Indenture, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to
preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence and the existence of
each of its Restricted Subsidiaries in accordance with the respective
organizational documents of the Company and each such Subsidiary and the rights
(whether pursuant to charter, partnership certificate, agreement, statute or
otherwise), licenses and franchises of the Company and each such Subsidiary;
PROVIDED that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right,
license or franchise, or the existence of any Restricted Subsidiary, if the
maintenance or preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the
business, as determined in good faith by the Company's Board of Directors, of
the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole; and PROVIDED
FURTHER that any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with, merge into, or
sell, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or part of its
property and assets to the Company or any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary.
SECTION 4.14. PAYMENT OF TAXES AND OTHER CLAIMS. The Company will
pay or discharge and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to pay or
discharge, or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become
delinquent (i) all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied
or imposed upon (a) the Company or any such Subsidiary, (b) the income or
profits of any such Subsidiary which is a corporation or (c) the property of the
Company or any such Subsidiary and (ii) all material lawful claims for labor,
57
materials and supplies that, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon the
property of the Company or any such Subsidiary; PROVIDED that the Company shall
not be required to pay or discharge, or cause to be paid or discharged, any such
tax, assessment, charge or claim the amount, applicability or validity of which
is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which
adequate reserves have been established.
SECTION 4.15. MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTIES AND INSURANCE. The Company
will cause all properties used or useful in the conduct of its business or the
business of any Restricted Subsidiary and material to the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole, to be maintained and kept in good
condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment
and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements,
betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may
be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be
properly and advantageously conducted at all times; PROVIDED that nothing in
this Section 4.15 shall prevent the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary
from discontinuing the use, operation or maintenance of any of such properties
or disposing of any of them, if such discontinuance or disposal is, in the
judgment of the Board of Directors or the board of directors of such Restricted
Subsidiary having managerial responsibility for any such property, desirable in
the conduct of the business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary.
The Company will provide or cause to be provided, for itself and its
Restricted Subsidiaries, insurance (including appropriate self-insurance)
against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by corporations
similarly situated and owning like properties, with reputable insurers or with
the government of the United States of America, or an agency or instrumentality
thereof, in such amounts, with such deductibles and by such methods as the
Company in good faith shall determine to be reasonable and appropriate in the
circumstances.
SECTION 4.16. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES. (a) The Company shall
deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, an
Officers' Certificate stating whether or not the signers know of any Default or
Event of Default that occurred during such fiscal year. Such certificate shall
comply with the applicable provisions of the TIA. If any of the signers of the
Officers' Certificate have knowledge of such a Default or Event of Default, the
certificate shall describe any such Default or Event of Default and its status.
(b) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after
the end of the Company's fiscal year, a certificate signed by the Company's
independent certified public accountants stating (i) that their audit
examination has included a review of the terms of this Indenture and the Notes
as they relate to accounting matters, (ii) that they have read the most recent
Officers' Certificate delivered to the Trustee pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
Section 4.16 and (iii) whether, in connection with their audit examination,
anything came to their attention that caused them to believe that the Company
was not in compliance with any of the terms, covenants, provisions or conditions
of Article Four and Section 5.01 of this Indenture as they
58
pertain to accounting matters and, if any Default or Event of Default has come
to their attention, specifying the nature and period of existence thereof;
PROVIDED that such independent certified public accountants shall not be liable
in respect of such statement by reason of any failure to obtain knowledge of any
such Default or Event of Default that would not be disclosed in the course of an
audit examination conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards in effect at the date of such examination.
(c) The Company shall, so long as any of the Notes are
outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, forthwith upon any Officer becoming aware
of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers' Certificate specifying such
Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to
take with respect thereto.
SECTION 4.17. COMMISSION REPORTS AND REPORTS TO HOLDERS. At all
times from and after January 15, 1998, whether or not the Company is then
required to file reports with the Commission, the Company shall deliver for
filing to the Commission all such reports and other information as it would be
required to file with the Commission by Sections 13(a) or 15(d) under the
Exchange Act if it were subject thereto. The Company shall supply the Trustee
and each Holder or shall supply to the Trustee for forwarding to each such
Holder, without cost to such Holder, copies of such reports and other
information. In addition, at all times prior to the Registration, upon the
request of any Holder or any prospective purchaser of the Notes designated by a
Holder, the Company shall supply to such Holder or such prospective purchaser
the information required under Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
SECTION 4.18. WAIVER OF STAY, EXTENSION OR USURY LAWS. The Company
covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any
time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the
benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law or any usury law or other law
that would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the
principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes as contemplated herein,
wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or that may affect the
covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and (to the extent that it may
lawfully do so) the Company 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.
ARTICLE FIVE
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 5.01. WHEN COMPANY MAY MERGE, ETC. The Company shall not
consolidate with, merge with or into, or sell, convey, transfer, lease or
otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its property and assets (as an
entirety or substantially an entirety in one
59
transaction or a series of related transactions) to, any Person or permit any
Person to merge with or into the Company unless:
(i) the Company shall be the continuing Person, or the Person (if
other than the Company) formed by such consolidation or into which the
Company is merged or that acquired or leased such property and assets of
the Company shall be a corporation organized and validly existing under the
laws of the United States of America or any jurisdiction thereof and shall
expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to
the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Company on all of the Notes and
under this Indenture;
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
(iii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro
forma basis, the Company or any Person becoming the successor obligor of
the Notes shall have a Consolidated Net Worth equal to or greater than the
Consolidated Net Worth of the Company immediately prior to such
transaction;
(iv) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro
forma basis, (A) the Consolidated Leverage Ratio of the Company, or any
Person becoming the successor obligor of the Notes, as the case may be, is
no worse than 110% of the Consolidated Leverage Ratio of the Company
without giving effect to such transaction or (B) the Company, or any Person
becoming the successor obligor of the Notes, as the case may be, could
Incur at least $1.00 of Indebtedness under the first paragraph of Section
4.03; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this clause (iv) shall not apply to a
consolidation or merger with or into a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary
with a positive net worth; PROVIDED that, in connection with any such
merger or consolidation, no consideration (other than Common Stock in the
surviving Person or the Company shall be issued or distributed to the
stockholders of the Company; and
(v) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate
(attaching the arithmetic computations to demonstrate compliance with
clauses (iii) and (iv)) and Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating that
such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture
complies with this provision and that all conditions precedent provided for
herein relating to such transaction have been complied with;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that clauses (iii) and (iv) above do not apply if, in the
good faith determination of the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution, the principal purpose of
such transaction is to change the state of incorporation of the Company; and
PROVIDED FURTHER that any such transaction shall not have as one of its purposes
the evasion of the foregoing limitations.
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SECTION 5.02. SUCCESSOR SUBSTITUTED. Upon any consolidation or
merger, or any sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the property and assets of the Company in accordance with
Section 5.01 of this Indenture, the successor Person formed by such
consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such sale,
conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and
be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under
this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named
as the Company herein; and, except in the case of a lease, the Company shall be
relieved from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Notes.
ARTICLE SIX
DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. EVENTS OF DEFAULT. An "EVENT OF DEFAULT" shall occur
with respect to the Notes if:
(a) the Company defaults in the payment of principal of (or
premium, if any, on) any Note when the same becomes due and payable at
maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise;
(b) the Company defaults in the payment of interest on any Note
when the same becomes due and payable, and such default continues for a
period of 30 days; PROVIDED that a failure to make any of the first six
scheduled interest payments on the Notes on the applicable Interest Payment
Date will constitute an Event of Default with no grace or cure period;
(c) the Company defaults in the performance or breaches the
provisions of Article Five or fails to make or consummate an Offer to
Purchase in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.11 or Section 4.12;
(d) the Company defaults in the performance of or breaches any
other covenant or agreement of the Company in this Indenture or under the
Notes (other than a default specified in clause (a), (b) or (c) above) and
such default or breach continues for a period of 30 consecutive days after
written notice by the Trustee or the Holders of 25% or more in aggregate
principal amount of the Notes;
(e) there occurs with respect to any issue or issues of
Indebtedness of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary having an
outstanding principal amount of $5.0 million or more in the aggregate for
all such issues of all such Persons, whether such Indebtedness now exists
or shall hereafter be created, (A) an event of default that has caused the
holder thereof to declare such Indebtedness to be due and payable prior to
its
61
Stated Maturity and such Indebtedness has not been discharged in full or
such acceleration has not been rescinded or annulled within 30 days of such
acceleration and/or (B) the failure to make a principal payment at the
final (but not any interim) fixed maturity and such defaulted payment shall
not have been made, waived or extended within 30 days of such payment
default;
(f) any final judgment or order (not covered by insurance) for the
payment of money in excess of $5.0 million in the aggregate for all such
final judgments or orders against all such Persons (treating any
deductibles, self-insurance or retention as not so covered) shall be
rendered against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary and shall not be
paid or discharged, and there shall be any period of 30 consecutive days
following entry of the final judgment or order that causes the aggregate
amount for all such final judgments or orders outstanding and not paid or
discharged against all such Persons to exceed $5 million during which a
stay of enforcement of such final judgment or order, by reason of a pending
appeal or otherwise, shall not be in effect;
(g) a court having jurisdiction in the premises enters a decree or
order for (A) relief in respect of the Company or any Significant
Subsidiary in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, (B) appointment
of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or
similar official of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or for all or
substantially all of the property and assets of the Company or any
Significant Subsidiary or (C) the winding up or liquidation of the affairs
of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary and, in each case, such decree
or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 30 consecutive
days;
(h) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary (A) commences a
voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar
law now or hereafter in effect, or consents to the entry of an order for
relief in an involuntary case under any such law, (B) consents to the
appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee,
custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or any
Significant Subsidiary or for all or substantially all of the property and
assets of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or (C) effects any
general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or
(i) the Pledge Agreement shall cease to be in full force and
effect or enforceable in accordance with its terms, other than in
accordance with its terms.
SECTION 6.02. ACCELERATION. If an Event of Default (other than an
Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 that occurs with
respect to the Company) occurs and is continuing under this Indenture, the
Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Notes, by written notice to the Company (and to
62
the Trustee if such notice is given by the Holders), may, and the Trustee at the
request of such Holders shall, declare the principal amount of, premium, if any,
and accrued interest, if any, on the Notes to be immediately due and payable.
Upon a declaration of acceleration, such principal amount, premium, if any, and
accrued interest, if any, shall be immediately due and payable. In the event of
a declaration of acceleration because an Event of Default set forth in clause
(e) of Section 6.01 has occurred and is continuing, such declaration of
acceleration shall be automatically rescinded and annulled if the event of
default triggering such Event of Default pursuant to clause (e) shall be
remedied or cured by the Company or the relevant Significant Subsidiary or
waived by the holders of the relevant Indebtedness within 60 days after the
declaration of acceleration with respect thereto. If an Event of Default
specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 occurs with respect to the
Company, the principal amount of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any,
on the Notes then outstanding shall IPSO FACTO become and be immediately due and
payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any
Holder.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration, but before a
judgment or decree for the payment of the money due has been obtained by the
Trustee, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Notes by written notice to the Company and to the Trustee may on
behalf of all the Holders waive all past Defaults and rescind and annul such
declaration of acceleration and its consequences if (i) all existing Events of
Default, other than the non-payment of the principal amount of, premium, if any,
and accrued interest on the Notes that have become due solely by such
declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived and (ii) the rescission
would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent
jurisdiction.
SECTION 6.03. OTHER REMEDIES. If an Event of 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, premium, if any, or interest
on the Notes or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Notes, the
Pledge Agreement 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.
SECTION 6.04. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS. Subject to Sections 6.02,
6.07 and 9.02, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount
of the outstanding Notes, by notice to the Company and the Trustee, may waive an
existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences, except a Default in
the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note as
specified in clause (a) or (b) of Section 6.01 (including in connection with an
Offer to Purchase) or in respect of a covenant or provision of this Indenture
which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each
outstanding Note affected. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to
exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been
cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but
63
no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of
Default or impair any right consequent thereto.
SECTION 6.05. CONTROL BY MAJORITY. The Holders of at least a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes may direct the
time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to
the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee. However,
the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this
Indenture, that may involve the Trustee in personal liability, or that the
Trustee determines in good faith may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of
Holders of Notes not joining in the giving of such direction and may take any
other action it deems proper that is not inconsistent with any such direction
received from Holders of Notes.
SECTION 6.06. LIMITATION ON SUITS. A Holder may not institute any
proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture or the Notes,
or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy
hereunder, unless:
(i) such Holder has previously given the Trustee written notice of
a continuing Event of Default;
(ii) the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of
outstanding Notes shall have made written request to the Trustee to
institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name
as Trustee hereunder;
(iii) such Holder or Holders have offered the Trustee indemnity
reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any costs, liabilities or
expenses to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(iv) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice,
request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding;
and
(v) during such 60-day period, the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes have not given the
Trustee a direction that is inconsistent with such written request.
For purposes of Section 6.05 of this Indenture and this Section 6.06,
the Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 316(a) in making any determination of
whether the Holders of the required aggregate principal amount of outstanding
Notes have concurred in any request or direction of the Trustee to pursue any
remedy available to the Trustee or the Holders with respect to this Indenture or
the Notes or otherwise under the law.
A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another
Holder or to obtain a preference or priority over such other Holder.
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SECTION 6.07. RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT. Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Note to
receive payment of the principal amount of, premium, if any, or interest on such
Holder's Note on or after the respective due dates expressed on such Note
(including in a notice with respect to an Offer to Purchase), 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 an Event of Default in
payment of principal, premium or interest specified in clause (a) or (b) of
Section 6.01 occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its
own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company or any other
obligor of the Notes for the whole amount of principal, premium, if any, and
accrued interest remaining unpaid, together with interest on overdue principal,
premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful,
interest on overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate specified
in 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 reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under
Section 7.07) and the Holders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to
the Company (or any other obligor of the Notes), its creditors or its property
and shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any monies,
securities or other property payable or deliverable upon conversion or exchange
of the Notes or upon any such claims and to distribute the same, and any
custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other
similar official 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 Section 7.07. Nothing herein contained shall be
deemed to empower 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.
SECTION 6.10. PRIORITIES. If the Trustee collects any money pursuant
to this Article Six, it shall pay out the money in the following order:
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First: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07, including
payment of all compensation, expense and liabilities incurred, and all
advances made, by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;
Second: to Holders for amounts then due and unpaid for principal
amount of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes in respect of which
or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without
preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and
payable on such Notes for principal, premium, if any, and interest,
respectively; and
Third: to the Company or any other obligors of the Notes, as their
interests may appear, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
The Trustee, upon prior written notice to the Company, 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 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, 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 of this Indenture, or a
suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes.
SECTION 6.12. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES. If the Trustee or
any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under
this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any
reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then,
and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the
Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and
respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and
remedies of the Company, Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no
such proceeding had been instituted.
SECTION 6.13. RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE. Except as otherwise
provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed,
lost or wrongfully taken Notes in Section 2.09, no right or remedy herein
conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be
exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the
extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and
remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or
otherwise. The
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assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall
not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate
right or remedy.
SECTION 6.14. DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER. No delay or omission of
the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any
Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of
any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy
given by this Article Six or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be
exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the
Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
ARTICLE SEVEN
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. GENERAL. Except during the continuance of a Default,
the Trustee will not be liable, except for the performance of such duties as are
specifically set forth in this Indenture. The duties and responsibilities of
the Trustee shall be as provided by the TIA and as set forth herein.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no provision of this Indenture shall require the
Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise
of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for
believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk
or liability is not reasonably assured to it. Whether or not therein expressly
so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or
affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be
subject to the provisions of this Article Seven.
SECTION 7.02. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE. Subject to TIA Sections
315(a) through (d):
(i) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or
refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement,
instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order,
bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness 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 the document;
(ii) before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may
require an Officers' Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel, which shall
conform to Section 10.04. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action
it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such certificate or
opinion;
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(iii) the Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall
not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed
with due care;
(iv) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of
the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or
direction of any of the Holders, unless such Holders shall have offered
reasonable security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee
against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by it in
compliance with such request or direction;
(v) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or
omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within its
rights or powers or for any action it takes or omits to take in accordance
with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
outstanding Notes relating to the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust
or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture; PROVIDED that
the Trustee's conduct does not constitute negligence or bad faith;
(vi) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee
shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to
taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless
other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of
bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officer's Certificate;
(vii) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into
the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement,
instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order,
bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness 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 to examine the books, records and premises of the Company
personally or by agent or attorney; and
(viii) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall
be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order and any
resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a
Board Resolution.
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 Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it
would have if it were not the Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like
rights. However, the Trustee is subject to TIA Sections 310(b) and 311.
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SECTION 7.04. TRUSTEE'S DISCLAIMER. The Trustee (i) makes no
representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes,
(ii) shall not be accountable for the Company's use or application of the
proceeds from the Notes and (iii) shall not be responsible for any statement in
the Notes other than its certificate of authentication.
SECTION 7.05. NOTICE OF DEFAULT. If any Default or any Event of
Default occurs and is continuing and if such Default or Event of Default is
known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each
Holder in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section 313(c) notice of
the Default or Event of Default within 45 days after it occurs, unless such
Default or Event of Default has been cured; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, except in
the case of a default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or
interest on any Note, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice
if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust
committee of directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith
determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders.
SECTION 7.06. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS. Within 60 days after
each May 15, beginning with May 15, 1998, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder
as provided in TIA Section 313(c) a brief report dated as of such May 15, if
required by TIA Section 313(a).
SECTION 7.07. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY. The Company shall pay to
the Trustee such compensation as shall be agreed upon in writing for its
services. The compensation of the Trustee shall not be limited by any law on
compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the
Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and advances
incurred or made by the Trustee. Such expenses shall include the reasonable
compensation and expenses of the Trustee's agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless
against, any loss or liability or expense incurred by it without negligence or
bad faith on its part in connection with the acceptance or administration of
this Indenture and its duties under this Indenture and the Notes, including the
costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability and of
complying with any process served upon it or any of its officers in connection
with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties under this
Indenture and the Notes.
The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which
it may seek indemnity. However, failure by the Trustee to so promptly notify
the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations under this
paragraph except to the extent such failure shall have materially prejudiced the
Company. The Company shall, unless the Trustee requests separate counsel,
defend any such claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense of such
claim. If the Trustee is advised by counsel that it may have available to it
defenses that are in conflict with any defenses available to the Company, the
Trustee may have separate counsel and
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the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The
Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld.
To secure the Company's payment obligations in this Section 7.07, the
Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or
collected by the Trustee, in its capacity as Trustee, except money or property
held in trust pursuant to the Pledge Agreement or otherwise to pay principal of,
premium, if any, and interest on particular Notes.
If the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after the
occurrence of an Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section
6.01, the expenses and the compensation for the services will be intended to
constitute expenses of administration under Title 11 of the United States
Bankruptcy Code or any applicable federal or state law for the relief of
debtors.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this
Indenture.
SECTION 7.08. REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE. A resignation or removal of
the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only
upon the successor Trustee's acceptance of appointment as provided in this
Section 7.08.
The Trustee may resign at any time by so notifying the Company in
writing at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may remove
the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Company in writing and may
appoint a successor Trustee with the consent of the Company. The Company may
remove the Trustee, by Company Order if:
(i) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
(ii) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent;
(iii) a receiver or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee
or its property; or
(iv) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed, or if a vacancy exists in the
office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor
Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders
of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may appoint a
successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If
the successor Trustee does not deliver its written acceptance required by the
next succeeding paragraph of this Section 7.08 within 30 days after the retiring
Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders
of a majority in
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principal amount of the outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its
appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after the
delivery of such written acceptance, subject to the lien provided in Section
7.07, (i) the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee
to the successor Trustee, (ii) the resignation or removal of the retiring
Trustee shall become effective and (iii) the successor Trustee shall have all
the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. A successor
Trustee shall mail notice of its succession to each Holder.
If the Trustee is no longer eligible under Section 7.10, any Holder
who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(b) may petition any court of
competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a
successor Trustee.
The Company shall give notice of any resignation and any removal of
the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to all Holders. Each
notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its
Corporate Trust Office.
Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section
7.08, the Company's obligation under Section 7.07 shall continue for the benefit
of the retiring Trustee.
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 or national banking
association, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation or national
banking association without any further act shall be the successor Trustee with
the same effect as if the successor Trustee had been named as the Trustee
herein.
SECTION 7.10. ELIGIBILITY. This Indenture shall always have a
Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(1). The Trustee
shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth
in its most recent published annual report of condition.
SECTION 7.11. MONEY HELD IN TRUST. The Trustee shall not be liable
for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in
writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be
segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law and except for
money held in trust under Article Eight of this Indenture.
SECTION 7.12. WITHHOLDING TAXES. The Trustee, as agent for the
Company, shall exclude and withhold from each payment of principal and interest
and other amounts due hereunder or under the Notes any and all withholding taxes
applicable thereto as required by
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law. The Trustee agrees to act as such withholding agent and, in connection
therewith, whenever any present or future taxes or similar charges are required
to be withheld with respect to any amounts payable in respect of the Notes, to
withhold such amounts and timely pay the same to the appropriate authority in
the name of and on behalf of the holders of the Notes, that it will file any
necessary withholding tax returns or statements when due. The Company or the
Trustee shall, as promptly as possible after the payment of the taxes described
above, deliver to each holder of a Note appropriate documentation showing the
payment thereof, together with such additional documentary evidence as such
holders may reasonably request from time to time.
ARTICLE EIGHT
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 8.01. TERMINATION OF COMPANY'S OBLIGATIONS. Except as
otherwise provided in this Section 8.01, the Company may terminate its
obligations under the Notes and this Indenture if:
(i) all Notes previously authenticated and delivered (other than
destroyed, lost or stolen Notes that have been replaced or Notes that are
paid pursuant to Section 4.01 or Notes for whose payment money or
securities have theretofore been held in trust and thereafter repaid to the
Company, as provided in Section 8.05) have been delivered to the Trustee
for cancellation and the Company has paid all sums payable by it hereunder;
or
(ii) (A) the Notes have become due and payable, mature within one
year or all of them are to be called for redemption within one year under
arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for giving the notice of
redemption, (B) the Company irrevocably deposits in trust with the Trustee
during such one-year period, under the terms of an irrevocable trust
agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, as trust funds
solely for the benefit of the Holders for that purpose, money or U.S.
Government Obligations sufficient (in the opinion of a nationally
recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written
certification thereof delivered to the Trustee), without consideration of
any reinvestment of any interest thereon, to pay, through the payment of
principal and interest in accordance with their terms not later than one
day prior to the relevant due date, principal, premium, if, any, and
interest on the Notes to maturity or redemption, as the case may be, and to
pay all other sums payable by it hereunder, (C) no Default or Event of
Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing on
the date of such deposit, (D) such deposit will not result in a breach or
violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other
agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is
bound and (E) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion
72
of Counsel, in each case stating that all conditions precedent provided for
herein relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have
been complied with.
With respect to the foregoing clause (i), the Company's obligations
under Section 7.07 shall survive. With respect to the foregoing clause (ii),
the Company's obligations in Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.09, 2.14, 4.01,
4.02, 7.07, 7.08, 8.04, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive until the Notes are no
longer outstanding. Thereafter, only the Company's obligations in Sections
7.07, 8.04, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive. After any such irrevocable deposit,
the Trustee upon request shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of the
Company's obligations under the Notes and this Indenture except for those
surviving obligations specified above.
SECTION 8.02. DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE. The Company
will be deemed to have paid and will be discharged from any and all obligations
in respect of the Notes on the 123rd day after the date of the deposit referred
to in clause (A) of this Section 8.02, and the provisions of this Indenture will
no longer be in effect with respect to the Notes, and the Trustee, at the
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same,
except as to (i) rights of registration of transfer and exchange, (ii)
substitution of apparently mutilated, defaced, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes,
(iii) rights of Holders to receive payments of principal thereof and interest
thereon, (iv) the Company's obligations under Section 4.02, (v) the rights,
obligations and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (vi) the rights of the
Holders as beneficiaries of this Indenture with respect to the property so
deposited with the Trustee payable to all or any of them; PROVIDED that the
following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(A) the Company has deposited with the Trustee in trust, money
and/or U.S. Government Obligations that, through the payment of interest
and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will
provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment referred
to in this clause (A), money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a
nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a
written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee to pay the principal
of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes on the Stated
Maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of this Indenture
and the Notes and shall have irrevocably instructed the Trustee to apply
such money to the payment of such principal, premium and interest;
(B) the Company has delivered to the Trustee (i) either (x) an
Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders will not recognize income,
gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the Company's
exercise of its option under this Section 8.02 and will be subject to
federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the
same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and
discharge had not occurred, which Opinion of Counsel must be based upon
(and accompanied by a copy of) a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service to
the
73
same effect unless there has been a change in applicable federal income tax
law after the date of this Indenture such that a ruling is no longer
required or (y) a ruling directed to the Trustee received from the Internal
Revenue Service to the same effect as the aforementioned Opinion of Counsel
and (ii) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the creation of the
defeasance trust does not violate the Investment Company Act of 1940 and
after the passage of 123 days following the deposit (except, with respect
to any trust funds for the account of a Holder who may be deemed to be an
"insider" for purposes of the United States Bankruptcy Code, after one year
following the deposit), the trust fund will not be subject to the effect of
Xxxxxxx 000 xx xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Bankruptcy Code or Section 15 of the New
York Debtor and Creditor Law in a case commenced by or against the Company
under either such statute, and either (I) the trust funds will no longer
remain the property of the Company (and therefore will not be subject to
the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or
similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally) or (II) if a court were
to rule under any such law in any case or proceeding that the trust funds
remained property of the Company, (a) assuming such trust funds remained in
the possession of the Trustee prior to such court ruling to the extent not
paid to the Holders, the Trustee will hold, for the benefit of the Holders,
a valid and perfected security interest in such trust funds that is not
avoidable in bankruptcy or otherwise except for the effect of Section
552(b) of the United States Bankruptcy Code on interest on the trust funds
accruing after the commencement of a case under such statute, (b) the
Holders will be entitled to receive adequate protection of their interests
in such trust funds if such trust funds are used in such case or proceeding
and (c) no property, rights in property or other interests granted to the
Trustee or the Holders in exchange for, or with respect to, such trust
funds will be subject to any prior rights of holders of other Indebtedness
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(C) immediately after giving effect to such deposit on a pro forma
basis, no Event of Default, or event that after the giving of notice or
lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred
and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending
on the 123rd day after the date of such deposit, and such deposit shall not
result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any
other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is bound;
(D) if at such time the Notes are listed on a national securities
exchange, the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to
the effect that the Notes will not be delisted as a result of such deposit,
defeasance and discharge; and
(E) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating that all
conditions precedent provided for herein relating to the defeasance
contemplated by this Section 8.02 have been complied with.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to the end of the 123-day (or one
year) period referred to in clause (B)(ii) of this Section 8.02, none of the
Company's obligations under this Indenture shall be discharged. Subsequent to
the end of such 123-day (or one year) period with respect to this Section 8.02,
the Company's obligations in Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.09, 2.14, 4.01,
4.02, 7.07, 7.08, 8.04, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive until the Notes are no
longer outstanding. Thereafter, only the Company's obligations in Sections
7.07, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive. If and when a ruling from the Internal
Revenue Service or an Opinion of Counsel referred to in clause (B)(i) of this
Section 8.02 is able to be provided specifically without regard to, and not in
reliance upon, the continuance of the Company's obligations under Section 4.01,
then the Company's obligations under such Section 4.01 shall cease upon delivery
to the Trustee of such ruling or Opinion of Counsel and compliance with the
other conditions precedent provided for herein relating to the defeasance
contemplated by this Section 8.02.
After any such irrevocable deposit, the Trustee upon request shall
acknowledge in writing the discharge of the Company's obligations under the
Notes and this Indenture except for those surviving obligations in the
immediately preceding paragraph.
SECTION 8.03. DEFEASANCE OF CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS. The Company may
omit to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in clauses (iii)
and (iv) under Section 5.01 and Sections 4.03 through 4.12, 4.13 (except with
respect to the corporate existence of the Company) and 4.14 through 4.17 and
clauses (c) and (d) under Section 6.01 with respect to such clauses (iii) and
(iv) under Section 5.01 and Sections 4.03 through 4.12, 4.13 (except with
respect to the corporate existence of the Company) and 4.14 through 4.17, and
clauses (e) and (f) under Section 6.01 shall be deemed not to be Events of
Default, in each case with respect to the outstanding Notes if:
(i) the Company has deposited with the Trustee in trust, money
and/or U.S. Government Obligations that, through the payment of interest
and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will
provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment referred
to in this clause (i), money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a
nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a
written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee to pay the principal
of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes on the Stated
Maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of this Indenture
and the Notes and shall have irrevocably instructed the Trustee to apply
such money to the payment of such principal, premium and interest;
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such deposit on a pro forma
basis, no Event of Default, or event that after the giving of notice or
lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred
and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending
on the 123rd day after the date of such deposit, and such deposit shall not
result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any
75
other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is bound;
(iii) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel
to the effect that (A) the creation of the defeasance trust does not
violate the Investment Company Act of 1940, (B) the Holders will not
recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result
of such deposit and defeasance of certain obligations and will be subject
to federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the
same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had
not occurred and (C) after the passage of 123 days following the deposit
(except, with respect to any trust funds for the account of any Holder who
may be deemed to be an "insider" for purposes of the United States
Bankruptcy Code, after one year following the deposit), the trust funds
will not be subject to the effect of Xxxxxxx 000 xx xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Bankruptcy Code or Section 15 of the New York Debtor and Creditor Law in a
case commenced by or against the Company under either such statute, and
either (I) the trust funds will no longer remain the property of the
Company (and therefore will not be subject to the effect of any applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors'
rights generally) or (II) if a court were to rule under any such law in any
case or proceeding that the trust funds remained property of the Company,
(a) assuming such trust funds remained in the possession of the Trustee
prior to such court ruling to the extent not paid to the Holders, the
Trustee will hold, for the benefit of the Holders, a valid and perfected
security interest in such trust funds that is not avoidable in bankruptcy
or otherwise except for the effect of Section 552(b) of the United States
Bankruptcy Code on interest on the trust funds accruing after the
commencement of a case under such statute, (b) the Holders will be entitled
to receive adequate protection of their interests in such trust funds if
such trust funds are used in such case or proceeding and (c) no property,
rights in property or other interests granted to the Trustee or the Holders
in exchange for, or with respect to, such trust funds will be subject to
any prior rights of holders of other Indebtedness of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries;
(iv) at such time the Notes are listed on a national securities
exchange, the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to
the effect that the Notes will not be delisted as a result of such deposit,
defeasance and discharge; and
(v) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating that all
conditions precedent provided for herein relating to the defeasance
contemplated by this Section 8.03 have been complied with.
SECTION 8.04. APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY. Subject to Sections 8.05
and 8.06, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall hold in trust money or U.S.
Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to Section 8.01, 8.02 or 8.03,
as the case may be, and shall apply the deposited
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money and the money from U.S. Government Obligations, together with earnings
thereon, in accordance with the Notes and this Indenture to the payment of
principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes; but such money need
not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
SECTION 8.05. REPAYMENT TO COMPANY. Subject to Sections 7.07, 8.01,
8.02 and 8.03 and the terms of the Pledge Agreement, the Trustee and the Paying
Agent shall promptly pay to the Company upon request set forth in an Officers'
Certificate any excess money or U.S. Government Obligations held by them at any
time and thereupon shall be relieved from all liability with respect to such
money. The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon written
request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by them for the payment of
principal, premium, if any, or interest that remains unclaimed for two years;
PROVIDED that the Trustee or such Paying Agent before being required to make any
payment may cause to be published at the expense of the Company once in a
newspaper of general circulation in the City of New York, or mail to each Holder
entitled to such money at such Holder's address (as set forth in the Note
Register) notice that such money remains unclaimed and that after a date
specified therein (which shall be at least 30 days from the date of such
publication or mailing) any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will
be repaid to the Company. After payment to the Company, Holders entitled to
such money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an
applicable law designates another Person, and all liability of the Trustee and
such Paying Agent with respect to such money shall cease.
SECTION 8.06. REINSTATEMENT. If the Trustee or Paying Agent is
unable to apply any money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with
Section 8.01, 8.02 or 8.03, as the case may be, 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, the
Company's obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and
reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.01, 8.02 or
8.03, as the case may be, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is
permitted to apply all such money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance
with Section 8.01, 8.02 or 8.03, as the case may be; PROVIDED that, if the
Company has made any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on
any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be
subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment
from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying
Agent.
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ARTICLE NINE
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
SECTION 9.01. WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS. The Company, when
authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors, and the Trustee may amend
or supplement this Indenture or the Notes without notice to or the consent of
any Holder:
(1) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in this
Indenture; PROVIDED that such amendments or supplements shall not adversely
affect the interests of the Holders in any material respect;
(2) to comply with Article Five;
(3) to comply with any requirements of the Commission in
connection with the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;
(4) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment
hereunder by a successor Trustee;
(5) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place
of certificated Notes;
(6) to add one or more subsidiary guarantees on the terms required
by this Indenture; or
(7) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights
of any Holder.
SECTION 9.02. WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS. Subject to Sections 6.02,
6.04 and 6.07 and without prior notice to the Holders, the Company, when
authorized by its Board of Directors (as evidenced by a Board Resolution), and
the Trustee may amend this Indenture, the Notes and the Pledge Agreement with
the written consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, and the Holders of not less than
a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding by
written notice to the Trustee may waive future compliance by the Company with
any provision of this Indenture, the Notes or the Pledge Agreement.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9.02, without the
consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver, including a waiver
pursuant to Section 6.04, may not:
(i) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any
installment of interest on, any Note;
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(ii) reduce the principal amount of, or premium, if any, or
interest on, any Note;
(iii) change the [place or] currency of payment of principal of, or
premium, if any, or interest on, any Note or adversely affect any right of
repayment at the option of any Holder of any Note;
(iv) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any
payment on or after the Stated Maturity (or, in the case of a redemption,
on or after the Redemption Date) of any Note;
(v) reduce the above-stated percentage of outstanding Notes the
consent of whose Holders is necessary to modify or amend this Indenture;
(vi) waive a default in the payment of principal of, premium, if
any, or interest on the Notes;
(vii) reduce the percentage or aggregate principal amount of
outstanding Notes the consent of whose Holders is necessary for waiver of
compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or for waiver of
certain defaults;
(viii) modify any of the provisions of this Section 9.02, except to
increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of
this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the
Holder of each outstanding Note affected thereby; or
(ix) modify Article Ten or the Pledge Agreement in a manner that
adversely affects the rights of any Holder in any material respect.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders 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.
After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02
becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders affected thereby a
notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. The Company will
mail or cause to be mailed supplemental indentures to Holders upon request. Any
failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not,
however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental
indenture or waiver.
SECTION 9.03. REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENT. Until an amendment,
supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder is a
continuing consent by
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the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that
evidences the same debt as the Note of the consenting Holder, 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 its Note or portion of its Note. Such
revocation shall be effective only if the Trustee receives the notice of
revocation before the date the amendment, supplement or waiver becomes
effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver shall become effective on receipt
by the Trustee of written consents from the Holders of the requisite percentage
in principal amount of the outstanding Notes.
The Company 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. If a record date is fixed, then, notwithstanding the last
two sentences 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 consent to such amendment, supplement or waiver or
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 90 days after such record date.
After an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, it shall
bind every Holder unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (i)
through (ix) of Section 9.02. In case of an amendment or waiver of the type
described in clauses (i) through (ix) of Section 9.02, the amendment or waiver
shall bind each Holder who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a
Note that evidences the same indebtedness as the Note of the consenting Holder.
SECTION 9.04. NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF NOTES. If an amendment,
supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Note, the Trustee may require the
Holder to deliver it to the Trustee. The Trustee may place an appropriate
notation on the Note about the changed terms and return it to the Holder and the
Trustee may place an appropriate notation on any Note thereafter authenticated.
Alternatively, if the Company or the Trustee so determines, the Company 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.
SECTION 9.05. TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC. The Trustee shall be
entitled to receive, and shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of
Counsel stating that the execution of any amendment, supplement or waiver
authorized pursuant to this Article Nine is authorized or permitted by this
Indenture. Subject to the preceding sentence, the Trustee shall sign such
amendment, supplement or waiver if the same does not adversely affect the rights
of the Trustee. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, execute any
such amendment, supplement or waiver that affects the Trustee's own rights,
duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
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SECTION 9.06. CONFORMITY WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT. Every
supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article Nine shall conform to
the requirements of the TIA as then in effect.
ARTICLE TEN
SECURITY
SECTION 10.01. SECURITY. (a) On the Closing Date, the Company shall
(i) enter into the Pledge Agreement and comply with the terms and provisions
thereof and (ii) purchase the Pledged Securities to be pledged to the Trustee
for the benefit of the Holders in such amount as will be sufficient upon receipt
of scheduled interest and/or principal payments of such Pledged Securities, in
the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants
selected by the Company, to provide for payment in full of the first six
scheduled interest payments due on the Notes. The Pledged Securities shall be
pledged by the Company to the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders and shall
be held by the Trustee in the Pledge Account pending disposition pursuant to the
Pledge Agreement.
In the event the Exchange Offer is not consummated and the Shelf
Registration Statement is not declared effective on or prior to January 15,
1998, and the interest rate on the Notes is increased by .5% per annum as
required by this Indenture and the Notes Registration Rights Agreement, the
Company shall purchase and deliver to the Trustee additional Pledged Securities
in such amount as will be sufficient upon receipt of scheduled interest and/or
principal payments of all Pledged Securities thereafter held in the Pledge
Account, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public
accountants selected by the Company, to provide payment for the first six
scheduled interest payments due on the Notes (assuming the additional .5% per
annum remains in effect for the entire period). The additional Pledged
Securities shall be pledged by the Company to the Trustee for the benefit of the
Holders and shall be held by the Trustee in the Pledge Account.
(b) Each Holder, by its acceptance of a Note, consents and agrees
to the terms of the Pledge Agreement (including, without limitation, the
provisions providing for foreclosure and release of the Pledged Securities) as
the same may be in effect or may be amended from time to time in accordance with
its terms, and authorizes and directs the Trustee to enter into the Pledge
Agreement and to perform its respective obligations and exercise its respective
rights thereunder in accordance therewith. The Company will do or cause to be
done all such acts and things as may be necessary or reasonably requested by the
Trustee, or as may be required by the provisions of the Pledge Agreement, to
assure and confirm to the Trustee the security interest in the Pledged
Securities contemplated hereby, by the Pledge Agreement or any part thereof, as
from time to time constituted, so as to render the same available for the
security and benefit of this Indenture and of the Notes secured hereby,
according to the intent and purposes herein and therein expressed. The Company
shall take, or shall cause to be taken, upon request
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of the Trustee, any and all actions reasonably required to cause the Pledge
Agreement to create and maintain, as security for the obligations of the Company
under this Indenture and the Notes, valid and enforceable first priority liens
in and on all the Pledged Securities, in favor of the Trustee, superior to and
prior to the rights of third Persons and subject to no other Liens.
(c) The release of any Pledged Securities pursuant to the Pledge
Agreement will not be deemed to impair the security under this Indenture in
contravention of the provisions hereof if and to the extent the Pledged
Securities are released pursuant to this Indenture and the Pledge Agreement. To
the extent applicable, the Company shall cause TIA Section 314(d) relating to
the release of property or securities from the Lien and security interest of the
Pledge Agreement and relating to the substitution therefor of any property or
securities to be subjected to the Lien and security interest of the Pledge
Agreement to be complied with. Any certificate or opinion required by TIA
Section 314(d) may be made by an officer of the Company, except in cases where
TIA Section 314(d) requires that such certificate or opinion be made by an
independent Person, which Person shall be an independent engineer, appraiser or
other expert selected by the Company.
(d) The Company shall cause TIA Section 314(b), relating to
opinions of counsel regarding the Lien under the Pledge Agreement, to be
complied with. The Trustee may, to the extent permitted by Sections 7.01 through
7.03 hereof, accept as conclusive evidence of compliance with the foregoing
provisions the appropriate statements contained in such instruments.
(e) The Trustee may, in its sole discretion and without the
consent of the Holders, on behalf of the Holders, take all reasonable actions in
accordance with the Pledge Agreement necessary or appropriate in order to (i)
enforce any of the terms of the Pledge Agreement and (ii) collect and receive
any and all amounts payable in respect of the obligations of the Company
thereunder. The Trustee shall have power to institute and to maintain such suits
and proceedings as the Trustee may reasonably deem expedient to preserve or
protect its interests and the interests of the Holders in the Pledged Securities
(including power to institute and maintain suits or proceedings to restrain the
enforcement of or compliance with any legislative or other governmental
enactment, rule or order that may be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid if
the enforcement of, or compliance with, such enactment, rule or order would
impair the security interest hereunder or be prejudicial to the interests of the
Holders or of the Trustee).
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ARTICLE ELEVEN
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 11.01. TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939. This Indenture is
subject to the provisions of the TIA that are required to be a part of this
Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.
SECTION 11.02. NOTICES. Any notice or communication shall be
sufficiently given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first
class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), telex,
telecopier or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery addressed as
follows:
IF TO THE COMPANY:
Econophone, Inc.
00 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
WITH A COPY TO: (which shall not constitute notice)
Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx
IF TO THE TRUSTEE:
The Bank of New York
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
00 Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
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WITH A COPY TO: (which shall not constitute notice)
Xxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxxxx
00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Apar
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate
additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
All notices and communications (other than those sent to Holders)
shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if
personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail,
postage prepaid, if mailed; when answered back, if telexed; when receipt
acknowledged, if telecopied; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to
the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.
Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by first class
mail to its address shown on the register kept by the Registrar and shall be
sufficiently given to such Holder if so mailed or delivered within the time
presented. Any notice or communication shall also be so mailed to any Person
described in TIA Section 313(c), to the extent required by the TIA.
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. Except for a
notice to the Trustee, which is deemed given only when received, and except as
otherwise provided in this Indenture, if a notice or communication is mailed in
the manner provided in this Section 11.02, it is duly given, whether or not the
addressee receives it.
Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other
Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. The
Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of
TIA Section 312(c).
SECTION 11.03. CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action
under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
(i) an Officers' Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the
signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture
relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
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(ii) an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such
Counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
SECTION 11.04. STATEMENTS REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE OR OPINION. Each
certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant
provided for in this Indenture shall include:
(i) a statement that each person signing such certificate or
opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the
examination or investigation upon which the statement or opinion contained
in such certificate or opinion is based;
(iii) a statement that, in the opinion of each 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
(iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such
person, such condition or covenant has been complied with, and such other
opinions as the
Trustee may reasonably request; 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 11.05. ACTS OF HOLDERS. (a) Any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by
this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced
by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders
in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein
otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such
instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby
expressly required, to the Company. Proof of execution of any such instrument
or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of
this Indenture and conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made
in the manner provided in this Section.
(b) The ownership of Notes shall be proved by the Note Register.
(c) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Note shall bind every
future Holder of the same Note or the Holder of every Note issued upon the
transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in respect of
anything done, suffered or omitted to be done by the Trustee, any Paying Agent
or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is
made upon such Note.
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(d) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders any request,
demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver of other act, the
Company may, at its option, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, fix in advance
a record date for the determination of such Holders entitled to give such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act,
but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. Notwithstanding Trust
Indenture Act Section 316(c), any such record date shall be the record date
specified in or pursuant to such Board Resolution, which shall be a date not
more than 30 days prior to the first solicitation of Holders generally in
connection therewith and no later than the date such solicitation is completed.
If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act may be given before or after
such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on
such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for purposes of determining
whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Notes then outstanding have
authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act, and for this purpose the Notes
then outstanding shall be computed as of such record date; PROVIDED that no such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act
by the Holders on such record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall
become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six
months after the record date.
SECTION 11.06. RULES BY TRUSTEE, PAYING AGENT OR REGISTRAR. The
Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders. The
Paying Agent or Registrar may make reasonable rules for its functions.
SECTION 11.07. PAYMENT DATE OTHER THAN A BUSINESS DAY. If an
Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Payment Date for an Offer to Purchase,
Stated Maturity or date of maturity of any Note shall not be a Business Day at
any place of payment, then payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest
on such Note, as the case may be, need not be made on such date, but may be made
on the next succeeding Business Day at such place of payment with the same force
and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date, Payment Date for an Offer to
Purchase, or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity or date of maturity of
such Note; PROVIDED that no interest shall accrue for the period from and after
such Interest Payment Date, Payment Date for an Offer to Purchase, Redemption
Date, Stated Maturity or date of maturity, as the case may be.
SECTION 11.08. GOVERNING LAW. This Indenture and the Notes shall be
governed by the laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflicts of
law provisions. The Trustee, the Company and the Holders agree to submit to the
jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York in any action or proceeding
arising out of or relating to this Indenture or the Notes.
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SECTION 11.09. NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS. This
Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement
of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company except the Pledge Agreement.
Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this
Indenture.
SECTION 11.10. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No recourse for the
payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the Notes,
or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, and no recourse
under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company contained in
this Indenture, the Pledge Agreement or in any of the Notes, or because of the
creation of any Indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any
incorporator or against any past, present or future partner, shareholder, other
equityholder, officer, director, employee or controlling person, as such, of the
Company or of any successor Person, either directly or through the Company or
any successor Person, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of
law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being
expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and
released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this
Indenture and the issue of the Notes.
SECTION 11.11. SUCCESSORS. All agreements of the Company in this
Indenture and the Notes shall bind its successors. All agreements of the
Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
SECTION 11.12. DUPLICATE ORIGINALS. The parties may sign any number
of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of
them together represent the same agreement.
SECTION 11.13. SEPARABILITY. In case any provision in this Indenture
or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity,
legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be
affected or impaired thereby.
SECTION 11.14. TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC. The Table of
Contents, Cross-Reference Table and headings of the Articles and Sections of
this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to
be considered a part hereof and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the
terms and provisions hereof.
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SIGNATURES
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to
be duly executed, all as of the date first written above.
ECONOPHONE, INC.,
as Issuer
By: ___________________________________
Name:
Title:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
By: ___________________________________
Name:
Title:
